# US 10,871,787 B2 · Indicator device and system

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- Number: US 10,871,787 B2
- Document ID: US10871787B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/021,433
- Filed: 2018-06-28
- Published: 2019-01-03
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2017-07-03
- Assignees: Spectrum Medical Ltd.
- Applicants: Spectrum Medical Ltd.
- Inventors: Stephen Turner
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871787B2

## CPC

- A61M 1/3666: {Cardiac or cardiopulmonary bypass, e.g. heart-lung machines}
- G05D 7/0635: {by action on throttling means (G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence)}
- G05D 7/0676: {by action on flow sources (G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence)}
- A61M 2205/3334: Measuring or controlling the flow rate
- A61M 2205/505: Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
- A61M 2205/583: by visual feedback
- A61M 2205/584: having a color code
- A61M 2205/6063: Optical identification systems
- A61M 2205/6081: Colour codes
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES

## Abstract

A flow control system of a clinical perfusion system comprises flow control devices 110, such as pumps, valves and/or clamps, capable of controlling a fluid flow rate according to flow rate parameters from the flow control system. The flow control system comprises an indicator arrangement including a device indicator 122a, 122b on each flow control device 110 capable of providing a plurality of indications. The device indicators 122a, 122b are controllable by the flow control system to indicate an active condition of the flow control device 110 independently of the flow rate parameters. This allows the indication provided by the device indicator 122a, 122b to be adjusted for different clinical environments, and to provide colour indications that match the colour range discernible by users affected by colour vision deficiency.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A flow control system comprising:
one or more flow control devices of a clinical perfusion system, each flow control device capable of controlling, according to flow rate parameters provided by the flow control system, a flow rate of a fluid to be provided;
an input interface including at least one input element for each one of the flow control devices permitting flow control parameters to be set for the flow control device, thereby to control said flow rates of the fluids to be provided; and
an indicator arrangement including:
a device indicator on each flow control device, wherein the device indicator is capable of displaying a plurality of colours,
the one or more device indicators are capable of providing a plurality of indications,
the one or more device indicators are controllable by the flow control system to provide one indication of the plurality of indications to indicate an active condition of the flow control device, and wherein the one indication can be a display of a particular one of the colours,
the one or more device indicators are configurable by the control system independently of the flow rate parameter, thereby to allow the indication provided by the device indicator to be adjusted for different clinical environments regardless of flow rate parameters issued to the one or more flow control devices; and
an input interface indicator on the input interface to provide an input status indication corresponding to an input status of the flow control parameters set by the one or more input elements, and the indicator arrangement is configured to use an input status indication for at least one input element displayed in a colour that matches the particular colour displayed by the device indicator of the flow control device whose flow control parameters are set by the at least one input element.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The flow control system according to claim 1, wherein the device indicator comprises one or more solid state lighting devices.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The flow control system according to claim 1, wherein the indicator arrangement is configured to indicate the flow direction of the fluid to be provided.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The flow control system according to claim 3, wherein at least one flow control device comprises a first device indicator and a second device indicator, to indicate the flow direction by using the first device indicator to provide a first device indication and the second device indicator to provide a second device indication, wherein the second device indication differs from the first device indication.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The flow control system according to claim 4, wherein the second device differs from the first device indication by providing at least one distinction from the group comprising a: different intensity, a different colour, and a different time-dependent signal.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The flow control system according to claim 1, wherein the indicator arrangement comprises a controller comprising a processor and software instructions implemented by the processor.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The flow control system according to claim 1, wherein the input interface comprises a configuration identifying an input element by a colour.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The flow control system according to claim 1, comprising a lookup table comprising data for colour control signals to better match colour tones of the one or more device indicators with corresponding colour tones of the input interface indicator, thereby to provide a better colour match between indicator arrangements using different indicator device types.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The flow control system according to claim 8, wherein the input interface comprises a touch screen.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The flow control system according to claim 1, further comprising a support on which one or more flow control devices are mounted.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The flow control system according to claim 10, wherein at least one flow control device is attachable for use on different positions of the support.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The flow control system according to claim 1, wherein at least one flow control device comprises a housing and wherein the device indicator is comprised at least partially within the housing.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The flow control system according to claim 12, wherein a portion of the housing is transparent and wherein the device indicator is positioned so as to be noticeable from outside the housing.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The flow control system according to claim 1, comprising at least one device from the group comprising: a flow control device for an extracorporeal arterial flow line, a flow control device for a cardioplegia line, a flow control device for a temperature-control fluid line, and a flow control device for blood salvage line.
