Partial restriction detector
AssigneeFisher Scientific Company
InventorDavid Burkett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for detecting partial restriction in a fluid line connecting a fluid source with an IV infusion pump comprises a gauge mounted on the pump and operatively associated with the line to determine fluid pressure therein. The pump also comprises a peristable finger to conditionally occlude the line and a miroprocessor, upon occlusion of the line, to establish fluid pressure parameters within which the indication is that there is no partial restriction in the line. The pump also uses the microprocessor to compare actual pressure measured by the gauge during an occlusion with the established parameters to determine whether pump operation is to be continued.
Claims16
A device for detecting a partial restriction in a fluid line connecting a fluid source in fluid communication with a pump which comprises:
- means to stop said pump for a predetermined time interval;
- means for creating an occlusion of said tube;
- a gauge operatively associated with said tube for determining fluid pressure changes in said tube upstream from the occlusion during said time interval;
- means to establish a threshold for said pressure change;
- and
- means for alarming when said pressure change traverses said threshold.
A device for detecting restrictions in a resilient fluid line connecting a fluid source with a peristaltic pump having means to create a moving zone of occlusion along a portion of the line which comprises:
- means operatively associated with said fluid line upstream from the occlusion to determine dimensional variations in the outside diameter of said line;
- means to stop operation of said pump for a determinable time interval;
- and
- means to alarm and indicate a restriction in said line when the outside diameter of said line attains a predetermined threshold value during said time interval.
A method for using a gauge to detect a partial restriction in a fluid line connecting a fluid source in fluid communication with a pump which comprises of the steps of:
- (a) Stopping the pump;
- (b) Occluding the line downstream from the gauge;
- (c) Measuring variations in the outside diameter of the line at a location upstream from the occlusion while the pump is stopped;
- (d) Establishing a limit value for said measured variations;
- (e) Determining whether the variation traverses said predetermined limit value;
- and
- (f) Alarming to indicate a partial restriction whenever the limit is traversed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.