Method and system for detecting the level of anesthesia agent in an anesthesia vaporizer
OwnerAllan Bruce Shang, Eugene William Moretti +1inventors
InventorsAllan Bruce Shang, Eugene William Moretti, Lewis Roger Hodgins
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Abstract
A method of detecting a level of anesthetic agent in an anesthesia vaporizer is disclosed. The anesthetic agent forms a column of liquid within an external indicator; the method projects a beam of light into the external indicator. The method further receives the beam of light after the beam of light has traveled through the column of liquid, and detects when the level of anesthetic agent drops below a predetermined level.
Claims21
A method of detecting a level of anesthetic agent in an anesthesia vaporizer, the anesthetic agent forming a column of liquid anesthetic agent within an external indicator, the external indicator positioned adjacent to the anesthesia vaporizer, the external indicator coupled to the anesthesia vaporizer, the external indicator composed of material allowing the column of liquid to be detectable, the column of liquid being indicative of an amount of anesthetic agent contained within the anesthesia vaporizer, the method comprising:
- projecting a beam of light into the external indicator,
- receiving the beam of light after the beam of light has traveled through the external indicator,
- detecting when the column of liquid reaches a predetermined level.
An apparatus for detecting a level of an anesthetic agent in an anesthesia vaporizer when the apparatus is coupled to an external indicator of the anesthesia vaporizer, the external indicator positioned adjacent to the anesthesia vaporizer, the external indicator coupled to the anesthesia vaporizer, the external indicator composed of material allowing a column of liquid anesthetic agent contained therein to be detectable, the column of liquid being indicative of a level of the anesthetic agent contained within the anesthesia vaporizer, the apparatus comprising:
- a light source for emitting a beam of light into the external indicator;
- a light receptor for receiving the beam of light after the beam of light has traveled through the external indicator;
- and
- a detection logic circuit for detecting when the beam of light is altered when the column of liquid reaches a predetermined level.
An anesthesia vaporizer comprising:
- an external indicator positioned adjacent to the anesthesia vaporizer, the external indicator coupled to the anesthesia vaporizer, the external indicator comprising a column of liquid anesthetic agent, the column of liquid being proportional to an amount of anesthetic agent contained within the anesthesia vaporizer, the external indicator composed of material allowing the column of liquid to be detectable;
- a light source emitting a beam of light, the light source coupled to the external indicator;
- a light receptor, the light receptor configured to receive the beam of light after the beam of light travels through the external indicator;
- a detection logic circuit, the detection logic circuit detecting when the column of liquid anesthetic agent reaches a predetermined level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.