Apparatus for determining and recording injection doses in syringes using electrical inductance

• US 5,782,814 A
• Filed: 07/22/1996
• Issued: 07/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Health Hero Network Incorporated (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: RAYA Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Brown, Stephen J., Jensen, Erik K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bockelman, Mark
• Application Number:
  US08/681,290
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 604/207-211, 604/246, 604/407, 128/DIG. 1, 235/449-450, 222/23, 222/30
• US Class Current: 604/207
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/14 Detection of the presence or absence of a tube, a connector or a container in an apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3561 local, e.g. within room or hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/00 Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests vaccination appliances for veterinary use A61D1/025 ; tube connectors, tube couplings, valves or branch units specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes A61J1/00; combinations of vial and syringe for mixing or transferring their contents A61J1/20; holders for containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1684 by detecting the amount of infusate remaining, e.g. signalling end of infusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1685 by detection of position of a floating member
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1782 Devices aiding filling of syringes in situ combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents A61J1/2096, filling of medical containers in general B65B3/003
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31525 Dosing burettes, pipettes B01L3/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31535 Means improving security or handling thereof, e.g. blocking means, means preventing insufficient dosing, means allowing correction of overset dose
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31546 Electrically operated dose setting, e.g. input via touch screen or plus/minus buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31555 by purely axial movement of dose setting member, e.g. during setting or filling of a syringe
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31556 Accuracy improving means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31573 Accuracy improving means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/023 with provision for varying the stroke of the piston
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/027 of the syringe type
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/029 provided with electric controlling means G01F11/022 and G01F11/024 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/26 by measuring variations of capacity or inductance of capacitors or inductors arising from the presence of liquid or fluent solid material in the electric or electromagnetic fields
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/292 Light , e.g. infrared or ultraviolet
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 3/16 in stationary cylinders

Abstract

An apparatus for determining and recording a dose of an agent delivered with a syringe. The syringe has a barrel for holding the agent and a plunger movably positioned in the barrel for expelling the agent. The plunger includes a magnetically responsive element, such as an iron core. The apparatus has a receptacle for receiving the syringe for dose measurement. An inductive element is positioned coaxially to the receptacle to produce a magnetic field. When the syringe is placed in the receptacle, the intensity of the magnetic field varies in dependence upon the position of the plunger in the barrel. The magnetic field induces a voltage in a conducting loop. A voltage meter is connected to the conducting loop to measure the induced voltage. A microprocessor is connected to the voltage meter to calculate the dose from the measurement of the induced voltage. A recorder, such as a digital memory unit, records the dose.

Claims

1. In combination with a syringe, an apparatus for determining and recording a dose of an agent delivered with said syringe, said syringe being of the type comprising:

a) a barrel for holding said agent;

b) a plunger movably positioned in said barrel for expelling said agent, said plunger comprising a magnetically responsive element selected from the group consisting of diamagnetic materials and paramagnetic materials;

c) an inductive element for generating a magnetic field, said inductive element being coupled to said barrel such that the intensity of said magnetic field varies in dependence upon the position of said plunger in said barrel, and said inductive element having a first terminal and a second terminal;

d) an input terminal located on the outside of said syringe and electrically connected to said first terminal;

e) an output terminal located on the outside of said syringe and electrically connected to said second terminal;

said apparatus comprising;

a) a housing;

b) a field on the outside of said housing, said field having an input contact for contacting said input terminal and an output contact for contacting said output terminal;

c) a voltage generating means for producing a voltage difference across said input contact and said output contact, thereby causing an electric current to flow through said inductive element when said input contact is contacting said input terminal and said output contact is contacting said output terminal;

d) a magnetic response measuring means located within said housing for measuring said magnetic field and for calculating from the measurement of said magnetic field said dose; and

e) a recording means connected to said magnetic response measuring means for recording said dose.

2. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an input/output port located on a surface of said housing and connected to said recording means for transmitting recorded data from said recording means to a host computer.

3. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a testing means for testing a physical condition of a user and for producing a digital value representative of said physical condition, said testing means being connected to said recording means such that said recording means records said digital value representative of said physical condition.

4. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display recessed in said housing and connected to said recording means for displaying recorded data.

5. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 1, wherein said input terminal and said output terminal are located on a cap of said plunger.

6. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 5, wherein said input terminal is circular and positioned at the center of said cap and wherein said output terminal is ring-shaped and positioned concentrically to said input terminal.

7. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 5, wherein said input contact is circular and positioned at the center of said field and wherein said output contact is ring-shaped and positioned concentrically to said input contact.

8. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 5, wherein said field is bordered by a positioning means for aligning said cap on said field such that when said cap is placed within said positioning means, said input terminal contacts said input contact and said output terminal contacts said output contact.

9. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 1, wherein said magnetic response measuring means comprises a voltage meter connected to a conducting loop such that said voltage meter measures a magnetically induced voltage in said conducting loop.

10. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 1, wherein said recording means comprise a digital memory unit.

11. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 1, wherein said housing is sufficiently compact to enable said apparatus to be hand-held and carried by a user.

12. In combination with a syringe, an apparatus for determining and recording a dose of an agent delivered with said syringe, said syringe being of the type comprising:

a) a barrel for holding said agent;

b) a plunger movably positioned in said barrel for expelling said agent, said plunger comprising a magnetically responsive element selected from the group consisting of diamagnetic materials and paramagnetic materials;

c) an inductive element coupled to said barrel such that the inductance of said inductive element varies in dependence upon the position of said plunger in said barrel, said inductive element having a first terminal and a second terminal;

d) an input terminal located on the outside of said syringe and electrically connected to said first terminal;

e) an output terminal located on the outside of said syringe and electrically connected to said second terminal;

said apparatus comprising;

a) a housing;

b) a field on the outside of said housing, said field having an input contact for contacting said input terminal and an output contact for contacting said output terminal;

c) a voltage generating means for producing a voltage difference across said input contact and said output contact, thereby causing an electric current to flow through said inductive element when said input contact is contacting said input terminal and said output contact is contacting said output terminal;

d) an inductance measuring means located within said housing for measuring the inductance of said inductive element and for calculating from the inductance said dose; and

e) a recording means connected to said inductance measuring means for recording said dose.

13. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 12, further comprising an input/output port located on a surface of said housing and connected to said recording means for transmitting recorded data from said recording means to a host computer.

14. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a testing means for testing a physical condition of a user and for producing a digital value representative of said physical condition, said testing means being connected to said recording means such that said recording means records said digital value representative of said physical condition.

15. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a display recessed in said housing and connected to said recording means for displaying recorded data.

16. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 12, wherein said input terminal and said output terminal are located on a cap of said plunger.

17. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 16, wherein said input terminal is circular and positioned at the center of said cap and wherein said output terminal is ring-shaped and positioned concentrically to said input terminal.

18. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 16, wherein said input contact is circular and positioned at the center of said field and wherein said output contact is ring-shaped and positioned concentrically to said input contact.

19. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 16, wherein said field is bordered by a positioning means for aligning said cap on said field such that when said cap is placed within said positioning means, said input terminal contacts said input contact and said output terminal contacts said output contact.

20. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 12, wherein said inductance measuring means comprises an inductance meter connected to said input contact and said output contact such that said inductance meter measures the inductance of said inductive element when said electric current flows through said inductive element.

21. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 12, wherein said recording means comprise a digital memory unit.

22. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 12, wherein said housing is sufficiently compact to enable said apparatus to be hand-held and carried by a user.

23. In combination with a syringe, an apparatus for determining and recording a dose of an agent delivered with said syringe, said syringe being of the type comprising:

a) a barrel for holding said agent;

b) a plunger movably positioned in said barrel for expelling said agent, said plunger comprising a magnetically responsive element selected from the group consisting of diamagnetic materials and paramagnetic materials;

said apparatus comprising;

a) a housing having a receptacle for receiving said syringe;

b) an inductive element for generating a magnetic field, said inductive element having a first terminal and a second terminal, and said inductive element being positioned coaxially to said receptacle such that when said syringe is placed in said receptacle, the intensity of said magnetic field varies in dependence upon the position of said plunger in said barrel;

c) a voltage generating means for producing a voltage difference across said first terminal and said second terminal, thereby causing an electric current to flow through said inductive element;

d) a magnetic response measuring means for measuring said magnetic field and for calculating from the measurement of said magnetic field said dose; and

e) a recording means connected to said magnetic response measuring means for recording said dose.

24. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 23, further comprising an input/output port connected to said recording means for transmitting recorded data from said recording means to a host computer.

25. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a testing means for testing a physical condition of a user and for producing a digital value representative of said physical condition, said testing means being connected to said recording means such that said recording means records said digital value representative of said physical condition.

26. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a display connected to said recording means for displaying recorded data.

27. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 23, wherein said magnetic response measuring means comprises a voltage meter connected to a conducting loop such that said voltage meter measures a magnetically induced voltage in said conducting loop.

28. In combination with a syringe, an apparatus for determining and recording a dose of an agent delivered with said syringe, said syringe being of the type comprising:

a) a barrel for holding said agent;

b) a plunger movably positioned in said barrel for expelling said agent, said plunger comprising a magnetically responsive element selected from the group consisting of diamagnetic materials and paramagnetic materials;

said apparatus comprising;

a) a housing having a receptacle for receiving said syringe;

b) an inductive element having a first terminal and a second terminal, said inductive element being positioned coaxially to said receptacle such that when said syringe is placed in said receptacle, the inductance of said inductive element varies in dependence upon the position of said plunger in said barrel;

c) a voltage generating means for producing a voltage difference across said first terminal and said second terminal, thereby causing an electric current to flow through said inductive element;

d) an inductance measuring means for measuring the inductance of said inductive element and for calculating from the inductance said dose; and

e) a recording means connected to said magnetic response measuring means for recording said dose.

29. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 28, further comprising an input/output port connected to said recording means for transmitting recorded data from said recording means to a host computer.

30. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 28, further comprising a testing means for testing a physical condition of a user and for producing a digital value representative of said physical condition, said testing means being connected to said recording means such that said recording means records said digital value representative of said physical condition.

31. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 28, further comprising a display connected to said recording means for displaying recorded data.

32. The combination syringe and apparatus of claim 28, wherein said inductance measuring means comprises an inductance meter connected to said input contact and said output contact such that said inductance meter measures the inductance of said inductive element when said electric current flows through said inductive element.