Fluid analyzer and associated methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10201315-B2
Application number	US-201414212336-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Feb 12, 2019
Grant date	Feb 12, 2019

Abstract

Devices, computer readable programs and methods determine a patient parameter, including volume and/or flow rate of a fluid draining through a drain tube from a chest cavity of a patient, by using at least one pressure value at an end of the drain tube associated with a fluid collection canister and at least one pressure value within the drain tube at a location distant from the collection canister. The pressure values are processed with a non-linear solver to determine the patient parameter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for determining at least one patient parameter including fluid volume measurements in a patient having a drain tube for draining fluid from a patient and having a first end and a second end, the first end fitted into the patient chest cavity and the second end in fluid communication with a collection vessel, at least one of the collection vessel and the drain tube having a first pressure sensor sensing the pressure within at least one of (i) the drain tube in a location proximal to the collection vessel, and (ii) the collection vessel, and a second pressure sensor sensing the pressure within the drain tube at a location distal to the collection vessel, wherein the at least one patient parameter further includes whether the drain tube is occluded or has fluid blocking a drainage path provided by the drain tube, the method comprising the steps of:
a. obtaining on a computer at least a first pressure value from the first pressure sensor and at least one second pressure value from the second pressure sensor and successive pressure values from the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor;
b. storing on the computer the pressure values as time series pressure data in computer memory;
c. reading the time series pressure data and extracting pressure features from the time series pressure data with the computer that determines whether the extracted pressure features are valid;
d. when the extracted pressure features are valid, then calculating with the computer the fluid volume measurements by processing the extracted pressure features through a non-linear solver using a non-linear equation, and when the extracted pressure features are not valid, then reading additional time series pressure data and extracting additional pressure features from the additional time series pressure data with the computer until the additional extracted pressure features are valid; and
e. activating a tube line clearance device in order to clear the drain tube in response to a determination by the computer that the drain tube is occluded or has fluid blocking the drainage path, or not activating the tube line clearance device in response to no determination by the computer that the drain tube is occluded or has fluid blocking the drainage path.

2. A device for determining at least one patient parameter in a patient, wherein the at least one patient parameter includes fluid volume measurements, wherein the device comprises:
a collection vessel;
a drain tube for draining fluid from the patient and having a first end and a second end, the first end configured to be fitted into and/or establish fluid communication with the patient's chest cavity, and the second end received in the collection vessel;
a first pressure sensor constructed and arranged to sense the pressure within at least one of (i) the drain tube in a location proximal to the collection vessel and (ii) the collection vessel;
a second pressure sensor constructed and arranged to sense the pressure within the drain tube at a location distal to the collection vessel;
wherein the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor are in signal communication with a computer means having memory, and wherein the at least one patient parameter further includes whether the drain tube is occluded or has fluid blocking a drainage path provided by the drain tube, and the computer means is configured to
i. obtain a first pressure value from the first pressure sensor and a first pressure value from the second pressure sensor and successive pressure values from the first and second pressure sensors;
ii. store the pressure values as time series pressure data in the memory;
iii. read the time series pressure data and extract pressure features from the time series pressure data and determine whether the extracted pressure features are valid;
iv. when the extracted pressure features are valid, then calculate fluid volume measurements by processing the extracted pressure features through a non-linear solver using a non-linear equation, and when the extracted pressure features are not valid, then read additional time series pressure data and extract additional pressure features from the additional time series pressure data until the additional extracted pressure features are valid; and
v. activate a tube line clearance device in order to clear the drain tube in response to a determination by the computer means that the drain tube is occluded or has fluid blocking the drainage path, or not activate the tube line clearance device in response to no determination by the computer means that the drain tube is occluded or has fluid blocking the drainage path.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the first pressure value from the first pressure sensor, the first pressure value from the second pressure sensor, and the successive pressure values from the first and second pressure sensors are obtained at timed intervals.

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein the computer means comprises a user interface, and wherein the computer means produces an output displaying the at least one patient parameter on the user interface.

5. The device of claim 2 , wherein said non-linear equation is implemented in one or more approaches selected from the group consisting of Support Vector Machine Approach, Artificial Neural Networks, Genetic Algorithms and Genetic Programming.

6. The device of claim 2 , wherein said non-linear equation is expressed as:

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Assignees

• Atrium Medical Corp

Inventors

• Peatfield Greg
• Karwoski Ted

Classifications

• G16H50/70

  for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients · CPC title

• A61M2210/101

  Pleural cavity · CPC title

• A61M2205/52

  with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient · CPC title

• A61M2205/3344

  Measuring or controlling pressure at the body treatment site · CPC title

• A61B5/4848

  Monitoring or testing the effects of treatment, e.g. of medication · CPC title