IV flow management systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10646648-B2
Application number	US-201615078727-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2016
Priority date	Apr 1, 2015
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

An intravenous delivery system may operate by gravity feed, and may have a liquid source containing a liquid, a drip unit that receives the liquid from the liquid source, and tubing that receives the liquid from the drip unit for delivery to a patient. A flow rate sensor may be used to measure a flow rate of liquid through the intravenous delivery system, and may generate a flow rate signal indicative of the flow rate. A controller may receive the signal, and may compare the flow rate with a desired flow rate. If the flow rate is more or less than the desired flow rate, the controller may transmit a control signal to a flow rate regulator. The flow rate regulator may receive the control signal and, in response, modify the flow rate to bring the flow rate closer to the desired flow rate.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for controlling flow of a liquid to a patient through use of an intravenous delivery system, the system comprising:
a flow rate sensor that:
measures a flow rate of the liquid through the intravenous delivery system; and
generates a flow rate signal indicative of the flow rate;

a controller that:
receives the flow rate signal;
compares the flow rate with a desired flow rate to determine that the flow rate is different from the desired flow rate; and
in response to determining that the flow rate is different from the desired flow rate, transmits a control signal; and

a flow rate regulator, comprising:
a frame;
an opposing member attached to the frame, the opposing member comprising a curved rim configured to abut tubing of the system that conveys the liquid;
a cam member, comprising a variable radius curved rim configured to abut the tubing, wherein the variable radius curved rim has a maximum diameter portion and a minimum diameter portion;
a motor configured to rotate the cam member with respect to the frame, wherein in response to the motor rotating the cam member to orient the minimum diameter portion proximate the tubing, the cam member and the opposing member cooperate to exert a first amount of pinching on the tubing, wherein in response to the motor rotating the cam member to orient the maximum diameter portion proximate the tubing, the cam member and the opposing member cooperate to exert a second amount of pinching on the tubing, wherein the second amount of pinching is greater than the first amount of pinching;
wherein in response to receipt of the control signal, the motor rotates the cam member to modify the flow rate to bring the flow rate closer to the desired flow rate.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flow rate sensor, the controller, and the flow rate regulator all operate iteratively throughout a plurality of time increments such that, in each of the plurality of time increments, the flow rate sensor measures the flow rate and generates the flow rate signal, and the controller receives the flow rate signal and compares the flow rate with the desired flow rate;
wherein the controller determines that the flow rate is different from the desired flow rate by determining that the flow rate is greater than the desired flow rate;
wherein, in response to receipt of the control signal, the flow rate regulator:
modifies the flow rate by moving from an open state that permits the liquid to flow through the intravenous delivery system, to a closed state that substantially prevents the liquid from flowing through the intravenous delivery system; and
remains in the closed state for a predetermined number of the time increments.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flow rate sensor, the controller, and the flow rate regulator all operate iteratively throughout a plurality of time increments such that, in each of the plurality of time increments, the flow rate sensor measures the flow rate and generates the flow rate signal, and the controller receives the flow rate signal and compares the flow rate with the desired flow rate;
wherein the controller determines that the flow rate is different from the desired flow rate by determining that the flow rate is less than the desired flow rate;
wherein, in response to receipt of the control signal, the flow rate regulator:
modifies the flow rate by moving from a closed state that substantially prevents the liquid from flowing through the intravenous delivery system, to an open state in that permits the liquid to flow through the intravenous delivery system; and
remains in the open state for a predetermined number of the time increments.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller determines that the flow rate is different from the desired flow rate by determining that the flow rate is greater than the desired flow rate by a differential flow rate;
wherein, in response to receipt of the control signal, the flow rate regulator moves, in proportion to the differential flow rate, to a less open state that permits the liquid to flow through the intravenous delivery system at a modified flow rate smaller than the flow rate.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller determines that the flow rate is different from the desired flow rate by determining that the flow rate is less than the desired flow rate by a differential flow rate;
wherein, in response to receipt of the control signal, the flow rate regulator moves, in proportion to the differential flow rate, to a more open state that permits the liquid to flow through the intravenous delivery system at a modified flow rate greater than the flow rate.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is incorporated into a computing device comprising a display screen and a user input device, wherein the controller further:
receives the desired flow rate from a user via the user input device; and
initiates display of the flow rate on the display screen.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flow rate sensor is secured to a drip unit of the intravenous delivery system, wherein the drip unit comprises a drip chamber and an orifice that delivers drops of the liquid from a liquid source to the drip chamber via gravity feed, wherein the flow rate sensor measures the flow rate by counting drops received by the drip chamber within a predetermined time period.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising the drip unit;
wherein the drip unit comprises a key feature indicative of an orifice size of the orifice;
wherein the flow rate sensor comprises a key feature receiver that receives the key feature in response to securement of the flow rate sensor to the drip unit;
wherein the flow rate sensor uses the orifice size to determine a volume of the liquid in each of the drops to facilitate measurement of the flow rate.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flow rate sensor measures the flow rate of the liquid through the system by:
measuring a first weight of a subset of the intravenous delivery system at a first time; and
measuring a second weight of the subset at a second time separated from the first time by a time increment;
wherein at least one of the flow rate sensor and the controller:
subtracts the second weight from the first weight to obtain a differential weight; and
obtains the flow rate based on the differential weight and the time increment.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flow rate sensor measures the flow rate of the liquid through the system by:
measuring a first volume of the liquid in a subset of the intravenous delivery system at a first time; and
measuring a second volume of the liquid in the subset at a second time separated from the first time by a time increment;
wherein at least one of the flow rate sensor and the controller:
subtracts the second volume from the first volume to obtain a differential volume; and
obtains the flow rate based on the differential volume and the time increment.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the flow rate sensor measures the flow rate of the liquid through the system by:
measuring a first temperature of the liquid at a first location within the intravenous delivery system; and
measuring a second temperature of the liquid at a second location, downstream of the first location, within the intravenous delivery system;

wherein at least one of the flow rate sensor and the controller:
subtracts the second temperature from the first temperature to obtain a differential temperature; and
obtains the flow rate based on the differential temperature.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the intravenous delivery system comprise

Assignees

• Becton Dickinson Co

Inventors

• Isaacson S Ray
• Harding Weston F
• Sonderegger Ralph L
• Mckinnon Austin Jason
• Ivosevic Milan

Classifications

• A61M2039/205

  comprising air venting means · CPC title

• A61M5/1689

  Drip counters · CPC title

• A61M5/385

  using hydrophobic filters · CPC title

• A61M5/16881

  Regulating valves (on-off valves, e.g. clamps A61M39/28) · CPC title

• A61M5/16845

  by weight · CPC title