System, method, and apparatus for monitoring, regulating, or controlling fluid flow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12100507-B2
Application number	US-202017134854-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2020
Priority date	Dec 21, 2011
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

A method for adjusting a flow rate of a fluid line is disclosed that includes one or more acts of: capturing an image of a drip chamber using an image sensor; identifying a plurality of pixels of interest within the image; determining a subset of pixels within the plurality of pixels of interest, wherein each pixel of the plurality of pixels is determined to be within the subset of pixels when there is a path to a baseline corresponding to the drip chamber; performing a rotation operation on the subset of pixels; estimating a volume of the drop within the drip chamber by counting a number of pixels within the rotated subset of pixels; and/or adjusting a flow rate of fluid flowing through a fluid line.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for adjusting a flow rate of a fluid line, the method comprising:
determining a subset of pixels within a plurality of pixels of interest of an image, wherein each pixel of the plurality of pixels of interest is determined to be within the subset of pixels when there is a path to a baseline corresponding to a drip chamber; and
estimating a characteristic of a drop within the drip chamber in accordance with the plurality of pixels of interest.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the baseline is a predetermined set of pixels within an image sensor.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pixels of interest are identified by comparing the image to a background image.

4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising initializing the background image.

5. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising updating the background image using the image captured by an image sensor.

6. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising updating an array of integers in accordance with the image captured by an image sensor.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein each integer of the array of integers corresponds to a number of updates of a pixel of the background image.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the comparison of the image to the background image only compares pixels within the image to pixels within the background image if a respective integer of the array of integers indicates a respective pixel within the background image has been updated at least a predetermined number of times.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising updating an array of variances using the image captured by an image sensor.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising
identifying the drop in the image and a predetermined band near an edge of the drop; and
initializing a background image by setting each pixel of the background image to the image unless it is within the identified drop or the predetermined band near the edge of the drop.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising setting a pixel of the background image to a predetermined value if a corresponding pixel of the image is within the identified drop or the predetermined band near the edge of the drop.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the corresponding pixel of the image has a location corresponding to a location of the pixel of the background image.

13. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining the baseline corresponding to an opening of the drip chamber.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the act of determining the subset of pixels within the plurality of pixels of interest that corresponds to the drop includes determining each of the plurality of pixels of interest is within the subset of pixels if the respective pixel of the plurality of pixels of interest has a contiguous path back to the baseline of the drop forming at an opening of the drip chamber.

15. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
capturing a first image using an image sensor;
identifying the drop within the first image and a predetermined band near an edge of the drop;
initializing a background image by setting each pixel to the first image unless it is within the identified drop or the predetermined band near the edge of the drop;
setting pixels within a region of the drop or within the predetermined band to a predetermined value;
initializing an array of integers; and
initializing an array of variances.

16. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising updating the background image, the array of integers, and the array of variances using the image.

17. The method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising the act of remotely controlling the flow rate by a monitoring client.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the monitoring client is a tablet.

19. A flow meter, comprising:
an image sensor having a field of view and operatively coupled to a support member, wherein the image sensor is positioned to view a drip chamber within the field of view; and
at least one processor operatively coupled to the image sensor to receive image data therefrom, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
capture an image of the drip chamber using the image;
determine a subset of pixels within a plurality of pixels of interest, wherein each pixel of the plurality of pixels of interest is determined to be within the subset of pixels when there is a path to a baseline corresponding to the drip chamber; and
estimate a characteristic of a drop within the drip chamber in accordance with the subset of pixels of the plurality of pixels of interest.

20. The flow meter according to claim 19 , further comprising a non-transitory processor-readable memory having an operative set of processor executable instructions stored thereon, the non-transitory processor-readable memory is in operative communication with the at least one processor such that the operative set of processor executable instructions controls the operation of the at least one processor.

21. The flow meter according to claim 19 , wherein the baseline is a predetermined set of pixels within the image sensor.

22. The flow meter according to claim 19 , wherein the plurality of pixels of interest are identified by comparing the image to a background image.

23. The flow meter according to claim 22 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to update an array of integers in accordance with the image captured by the image sensor.

24. The flow meter according to claim 23 , wherein each integer of the array of integers corresponds to a number of updates of a pixel of the background image.

25. The flow meter according to claim 24 , wherein the comparison of the image to the background image only compares pixels within the image to pixels within the background image if a respective integer of the array of integers indicates a respective pixel within the background image has been updated at least a predetermined number of times.

26. The flow meter according to claim 23 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
identify the drop in the image and a predetermined band near an edge of the drop; and
initialize the background image by setting each pixel of the background image to the image unless it is within the identified drop or the predetermined band near the edge of the drop.

27. The flow meter according to claim 26 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to set a pixel of the background image to a predetermined value if a corresponding pixel of the image is within the identified drop or the predetermined band near the edge of the drop.

28. The flow meter according to claim 27 , wherein the corresponding pixel of the image has a location corresponding to a location of the pixel of the background image.

29. The flow meter according to claim 19 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to initialize a background image.

30. The flow meter according to claim 19 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to update a background image using the image captured by the image sensor.

31. The flow meter according to claim 19 , wherein the at least one proces

Assignees

• Deka Products Lp

Inventors

• Kane Derek G
• Peret Bob D
• Murphy Colin H
• Kerwin John M
• Kamen Dean

Classifications

• G16H30/00

  ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of medical images (computed tomography A61B6/03) · CPC title

• G16H20/17

  delivered via infusion or injection · CPC title

• A61M5/16877

  Adjusting flow; Devices for setting a flow rate · CPC title

• G16Z99/00

  Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass · CPC title

• G06T2207/20104

  Interactive definition of region of interest [ROI] · CPC title