Compounding assembly for nutritional fluids

An assembly for controllably transferring fluids from a plurality of individual source containers through a transfer set to form a desired mixture in a receiving container, the fluids being transferred from the source containers through the transfer set to the receiving container without being exposed to external non-sterile conditions, the set placing at least one of the source containers in fluid communication with the receiving container, the assembly comprising:

• a pump operatively acting on at least one of the fluids to force a flow of the fluid along at least a portion of the set, the rate of the flow varying in at least partial dependence on a characteristic of the fluid;
• a fluid type sensor in noninvasive sensory contact with the fluid flowing within the set to indicate a first distinguishing characteristic of the fluid, said fluid type sensor indicating said first distinguishing characteristic to said controller;
• a second sensor in noninvasive sensory contact with the fluid to indicate a second distinguishing characteristic of the fluid, said second sensor indicating said second distinguishing characteristic to said controller;
• and,
• a controller including means for utilizing the indication from said first sensor to determine whether to utilize the indication from said second sensor.

A assembly for controllably transferring fluids from a plurality of individual source containers through a transfer set to form a desired mixture in a receiving container, the set placing at least one of the source containers in fluid communication with the receiving container, the assembly comprising:

• a pump operatively acting on at least one of the fluids to force a flow of said fluid along at least a portion of the set, the rate of the flow varying in at least partial dependence on a characteristic of said fluid;
• a flow rate distinguishing sensor in operative contact with the receiving container adapted to generate signals that are indicative of flow rate of fluid received therein;
• and
• a fluid type sensor in noninvasive sensory contact with the fluid flowing within the set to determine a characteristic of the fluid and adapted to generate signals indicative of said characteristic;
• a controller operably connected to receive said flow rate indicative signals and said characteristic indicative signals and being adapted to selectively analyze said signals;
• said controller including memory means having a lookup table containing an entry for each of a number of particular fluids, with each fluid entry having a range of values of flow rate indicative signals, said controller being adapted to compare said received flow rate indicative signals and provide a confirmation of one of said particular fluids when a received flow rate indicative signal is within said range of values for said particular fluid.

An assembly for controllably transferring fluids from a plurality of individual source containers through a transfer set to form a desired mixture in a receiving container, the set placing at least one of the source containers in fluid communication with the receiving container, the assembly comprising:

• a pump operatively acting on at least one of the fluids to force a flow of said fluid along at least a portion of the set, the rate of the flow varying in at least partial dependence on a characteristic of said fluid;
• a flow rate distinguishing sensor in operative contact with one of the transfer set and the receiving container adapted to generate signals that are indicative of flow rate of fluid received therein;
• and
• a fluid type sensor in noninvasive sensory contact with the fluid flowing within the set to determine a characteristic of the fluid and adapted to generate signals indicative of said characteristic;
• a controller operably connected to receive said flow rate indicative signals and said characteristic indicative signals and being adapted to selectively analyze said signals;
• said controller including memory means containing identifying data for each of a number of particular fluids, said controller being adapted to compare said received flow rate indicative signals with said identifying data and generate identification confirmation data for a particular fluid when said flow rate indicative signals correspond to the identifying data for one of said particular fluids.

An assembly for controllably transferring fluids from a plurality of individual source containers through a transfer set to form a desired mixture in a receiving container, the set placing at least one of the source containers in fluid communication with the receiving container, the assembly comprising:

• a pump operatively acting on at least one of the fluids to force a flow of said fluid along at least a portion of the set, the rate of the flow varying in at least partial dependence on a characteristic of said fluid;
• a flow rate distinguishing sensor in operative contact with one of the transfer set and the receiving container adapted to generate signals that are indicative of flow rate of fluid received therein;
• and
• a fluid type sensor in noninvasive sensory contact with the fluid flowing within the set to determine a characteristic of the fluid and adapted to generate signals indicative of said characteristic, wherein select characteristic indicative signals can be indicative one of a particular fluid or a small select group of other particular fluids;
• a controller operably connected to receive said flow rate indicative signals and said characteristic indicative signals, said controller including memory means containing identifying data for each of a number of particular fluids, and being adapted to selectively analyze said signals and selectively identify individual particular fluids and said select groups of other particular fluids solely from said characteristic indicative signals;
• said controller being adapted to identify a particular fluid in one of said select groups of particular fluids by comparing said received flow rate indicative signals with said identifying data and generating identification confirmation data for a particular fluid when said flow rate indicative signals correspond to the identifying data for one of said particular fluids in said select group.