Optical flow sensor
AssigneeCareFusion 303, Inc.
InventorPaul Dewey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for determining a flow rate of a fluid is provided. The method includes heating an aliquot of the fluid at a first position of a fluid-delivery channel, illuminating fluid in the fluid-delivery channel at a second position downstream from the first position, measuring an amount of light reflected from the illuminated fluid to determine a change in the amount corresponding to the heated aliquot passing the second position, and calculating the flow rate of the fluid based upon a distance between the first position and the second position and a time between the heating the aliquot and the heated aliquot passing the second position.
Claims13
A method for determining a flow rate of a fluid, comprising:
- heating an aliquot of the fluid at a first position of a fluid-delivery channel;
- illuminating fluid in the fluid-delivery channel at a second position downstream from the first position;
- measuring an amount of light reflected from the illuminated fluid to determine a change in the amount corresponding to the heated aliquot passing the second position;
- and
- calculating the flow rate of the fluid based upon a distance between the first position and the second position and a time between the heating the aliquot and the heated aliquot passing the second position.
A medicinal fluid administering system, comprising:
- a fluid delivery system for administering a fluid to a patient;
- and
- an optical flow sensor for measuring a rate of the fluid administered to the patient, the optical flow sensor comprising:
- a laser configured to heat an aliquot of the fluid in an adjacent fluid-delivery channel;
- and
- a sensor disposed adjacent to the fluid-delivery channel downstream from the laser, the sensor configured to illuminate the fluid in the fluid-delivery channel, to collect reflected light from the illuminated fluid, and to determine when the heated aliquot passes the sensor based upon an amount of the reflected light.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.