Electrical sensor for fluids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10617809-B2
Application number	US-201616081033-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2016
Priority date	Dec 29, 2015
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

An electrical sensor for sensing electromagnetic properties of process fluids in a dialysis machine or a similar medical device can include a probe for interfacing with the fluids that is made from electronic fabric materials. The electronic fabric probe can include one or more conductors embedded in a non-conductive fabric layer. The electronic fabric probe is accommodated an enclosure which establishes a flow path with respect to the probe to establish fluid contact between the process fluids and the conductors. The conductors can apply or sense current and/or voltage with respect to the fluid. A portion of the electronic fabric probe can be disposed externally of the enclosure to provide electronic communication externally of the enclosure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
an electrical sensor, comprising:
an enclosure defining a flow path for fluid;
an electrical fabric probe disposed in the flow path, the electrical fabric probe including a non-conductive fabric layer and a plurality of conductors attached to the non-conductive fabric layer, the plurality of conductors including at least a first sense electrode, a second sense electrode, and a third sense electrode arranged to sense voltage between the first and second sense electrodes and between the second and third sense electrodes; and
a port disposed upstream of the plurality of conductors for receiving a tracer or bolus and introducing the tracer or bolus into the flow path; and

a controller configured to determine a flow rate of the fluid in the flow path based on changes in voltage sensed by the first, second and third sense electrodes corresponding to the tracer or bolus crossing over the first, second and third sense electrodes.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third sense electrodes are parallel to one another, and wherein the distance between the first and second sense electrodes is equal to the distance between the second and third sense electrodes.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a first excitation electrode and a second excitation electrode attached to the non-conductive fabric layer such that the first, second and third sense electrodes are disposed between the first and second excitation electrodes.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to perform a diagnostic operation on the electrical sensor by determining, while a fluid of consistent conductivity flows across the first, second and third sense electrodes, whether a measured voltage between the first and second sense electrodes differs from a measured voltage between the second and third sense electrodes by an amount greater than a tolerance threshold.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical sensor has a flow-over configuration and the non-conductive fabric layer of the electrical fabric probe has a planar shape.

6. A system, comprising:
an electrical fabric probe defining an internal fluid chamber, wherein the electrical fabric probe includes a flexible non-conductive fabric layer, a first conductor attached to the flexible non-conductive fabric layer, and a second conductor attached to the flexible non-conductive fabric layer; and
a controller configured to determine a change in fluid pressure based on a change in an electrical characteristic measured via the first and second conductors, wherein the change in the electrical characteristic is caused by a distance between the first and second conductors being increased due to fluid within the internal fluid chamber acting upon the flexible non-conductive fabric layer.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the measured electrical characteristic is a capacitance between the first and second conductors.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein one out of the first and second conductors serves as a reference.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first and second conductors are arranged opposite to one another across the internal fluid chamber.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the flexible non-conductive fabric layer is configured to expand outward due to fluid pressure from the fluid within the internal fluid chamber increasing, and wherein expansion of the flexible non-conductive fabric layer outward increases the distance between the first and second conductors.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the electrical fabric probe has a hollow, tubular shape, and wherein the flexible non-conductive fabric layer is configured to expand radially outward due to fluid pressure from the fluid within the internal fluid chamber increasing.

12. A shielded electrical fabric sensor, comprising:
a flexible non-conductive fabric layer; and
a plurality of conductors attached to the flexible non-conductive fabric layer, wherein the plurality of conductors include a passive conductor group disposed in a first section of the flexible non-conductive fabric layer and an active conductor group disposed in a second section of the flexible non-conductive fabric layer;
wherein the flexible non-conductive fabric layer is folded along a fold line between the first section and the second section such that the passive conductor group disposed in the first section is disposed over the active conductor group disposed in the second section.

13. The electrical fabric sensor of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of conductors further include a passive conductor group disposed in a third section of the flexible non-conductive fabric layer;
wherein the flexible non-conductive fabric layer is further folded along a fold line between the second section and the third section such that the passive conductor group disposed in the third section is disposed under the active conductor group disposed in the second section.

14. The electrical fabric sensor of claim 12 , wherein the flexible non-conductive fabric layer being folded along the fold line between the first section and the second section causes a surface of the first section and a surface of the second section to be directly adjacent to one another.

15. The electrical fabric sensor of claim 12 , wherein the flexible non-conductive fabric layer is fluid permeable.

Assignees

• Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Weaver Colin
• Alber Elliott
• James Philip Scott
• Schmidt Daniel

Classifications

• G01N27/07

  Construction of measuring vessels; Electrodes therefor · CPC title

• A61M2205/3317

  Electromagnetic, inductive or dielectric measuring means · CPC title

• A61M1/1609

  after use, i.e. downstream of dialyser · CPC title

• A61M2205/3592

  using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission · CPC title

• A61M2205/3334

  Measuring or controlling the flow rate · CPC title