WARNING DEVICE FOR THE LEVEL MONITORING OF TROPF-INFUSION

Republic Austria Republic of (10) number: RK 410,030 B (12) (21) registration number: (22) Registration day: (42) Beginning of the patent duration: (45) Expenditure day: PATENT SPECIFICATION A 2049/2000 07.12.2000 15.05.2002 27.01.2003 (51) IntCI.7: G01F 23/20 (56) holding out: EP0477973A US4457750A (of 73) patentees: LUTZ ANDREAS A-5282 RANSHOFEN, UPPER AUSTRIA (RK). WAGNER CHRISTIAN A-4980 ANTIESENHOFEN, UPPER AUSTRIA (RK). Inventor: LUTZ ANDREAS RANSHOFEN, UPPER AUSTRIA (RK). WAGNER CHRISTIAN ANTIESENHOFEN, UPPER AUSTRIA (RK).

(72) (54) WARNING DEVICE FOR the LEVEL MONITORING OF TROPF-INFUSION CD (57) the invention concerns a device to the Überwa chung from Tropfinfusionen, which a patient from a Fiq.1 “> (D13^0 Fiq.1 “> (D13^0 Infusionsflasche (3) or an infusion bag over in ^ infusion cutlery to be intravenously supplied, with a ^3 instruction its direction for the current determination of the eye f^ blicklichen weight of the Infusionsflasche (3) and with an alarm system (9, 10) for the expenditure of an optical ^5 and/or an acoustic signal, if the liquid level (12) in the Infusionsflasche (3) or the infusion bag under a pre-determined minimum level falls. Infusion ^J end can in simple way thereby be seized, - ^ the fact that a control unit to consider (6) is intended, which *Art “the Infusionsflasche (3) or the infusion bag auto ^Hh, in order the dead weight of the Infusionsflasche (3) or the infusion bag is matisch determined and with the Alarmeirrichtung connected.

DVR 0078018 RKs 41 0 030 B the available invention concerns a device for the monitoring of Tropfinfusionen, which are intravenously supplied to a patient from a Infusionsflasche or an infusion bag by way of an infusion cutlery, with measuring instrument for the current determination of the present/immediate weight of the Infusionsflasche and with an alarm system for the expenditure of an optical and/or acoustic signal, if the liquid level in the Infusionsflasche or the infusion bag falls under a pre-determined minimum level. The administration of medicines, nutritive solutions or such a thing at patients wins in the today's medicine increasingly in meaning. With the fact it is substantial that the infusion end is in time recognized, in order to avoid a running dry from Infusionsflaschen to.

The EP 0,477,973 A shows a volumetric flow meter, which works on the basis of gewichtsänderungen of the infusion container. Resistance strain gauges are used. In order to be able to receive a correct warning, such an equipment before application must be calibrated, in order to consider the dead weight of the Infusionsflasche or the infusion bag. Such a procedure is however error-prone and can lead to the fact that during not correct input the 15 the infusion end is not in time recognized. A similar solution is revealed in US 4.457,750 A, whereby in contrast to the above solution however with being present a minimum amount of filling to a minimum flow is switched to keep in order to prevent running dry, but the Vene of the patient open at the same time. An input of the dead weight of the Infusionsflasche is necessarily necessary also here. 20Aufgabe of the available invention is it to reduce the fault liability and one geson derte input of the dead weight of the Infusionsflasche or the infusion bag to make redundant. According to invention these tasks are solved by the fact that a control unit is intended, which is connected to the infusion hiving ice with the alarm system the kind of the Infusionsflasche or the infusion bag automatically certainly and, in order to consider the dead weight of the Infusionsflasche or. By the solution according to invention a manual input of the dead weight of the Infusionsflasche or the infusion bag is no longer necessary. The device recognizes due to stored values by the beginning of the infusion, which kind of bottle and/or bag it concerns. From this the dead weight can be computed, in order to come to a reliable determination of the infusion end due to a stored table. A particularly favourable and precise measurement is reached by the fact that the measuring instrument covers a printing measuring strip. The operation can be simplified in particular by the fact that an upper hook to Suspension at an infusion stand and a lower hook for the suspension of the infusionsflasche or the infusion bag are intended. A further increase of the insurance of operation is made possible thereby that the alarm system is connected with a sister call, in order to spend an alert not only at the device but also over the sister call.

In a particularly favoured execution variant of the invention is intended that a green light emitting diode is intended, which shines, as soon as the device is activated automatically and switched on after einer' load that an orange light emitting diode is intended after the activation flashes, as soon as the kind of the Infusionsflasche and/or the infusion bag is recognized and that a red light emitting diode is intended, which shines with reaching the pre-determined mini malmveaus. In this way errors can be avoided reliably a technically particularly simple and favorable execution plan that the measuring instrument exhibits a tappet, which moves in a guidance and cooperates with a printing measuring strip glued on on the inside of the device. In the consequence the invention is so details described on the basis the Ausführunqsvarianten represented in the figures.^A it show the Fig. 1 a lateral opinion of a device according to invention Fig 2 a detail of Fig. 1 in increased yardstick and Fig. 3 is a block diagram, which explains the evaluation circuit.

In Fig. 1 one recognizes a Infusionsflasche 3, which is hung up also downward delta showing with the infusion mounting plate at a hook of the equipment. Infusionsfia 3 is filled RK 410,030 B with the infusion liquid 11 up to level conditions 12. By the opening of the Infusionsflasche 3 pointing downward a Einstechdorn 6 rises up, by which the liquid 11 into the dripping chamber 24 arrives, where it withdraws from the entrance pipe 8. While the upper range of the dripping chamber 24 is filled with air, the lower part contains 24 up to an adjustable height 7 the infusion liquid, which flows over a discharge opening pipe 9in a Infusionsschlauch 10 and from there over a Venflon into the patient arrived of the 5 dripping chamber. In order to regulate the supplied quantity of the infusion liquid 11, hose clip 6 is attached on the Infusionsschlauch 10eine, which can be served with the help of an adjusting wheel 5, so that in the dripping chamber 24 the number of drops, desired per time unit, can be counted. If the supply in the Infusionsflasche the end leans, to prevent the hose clip 6 completely closed around the penetration of air into the Infusionsschlauch 10. In the Fig. 1 one recognizes the equipment 17 the fact that with two hooks 18, 19 is provided and between the infusion stand 1 and the Infusionsflasche 3 and/or the infusion bottle mounting plate 4 hangs. „“u i <. • ^ 15Wenn is loaded now the equipment 17 with a Infusionsflasche 3 over the hooks 19, scolded it after a certain time constant and the green light emitting diode 14 shines itself automatically as indications for the fact that the equipment was activated. The orange light emitting diode 15 catches on to flash, as soon as the equipment 17 is activated, and shines, as soon as the equipment 17 arranged and recognized the correct, straight applied Infusionsflasche 3 too. The red light emitting diode 16 is activated if the level of the Infusionsflussigkeitsstandes reached a minimum. With the use of this equipment 17 of emergency surgeons a loudspeaker 13 is coupled with the red light emitting diode 16, which onsflüssigkeit after reaching the minimum of the level conditions of the Infusi a beep signal spends. Likewise the equipment 17 spends an alert over the line 2, which is coupled with the sister call, as soon as a minimum of the level conditions 12 of the infusion liquid 11 was reached. In Fig. 2 one recognizes those above and hooks 18, attached down, 19, which are attached by means of a thread to the equipment 17. By loading the hook 19 the tappet 22, which lies in a guidance 21, downward frontally on the stuck printing measuring strip (DMS) 20 is pressed. In Fig. one sees the schematic structure of the evaluation circuit to 3. The DMS strip 20 designed as level alarm units works like a variable resistance, its value is converted into a proportional tension 2. these in a filter 3 is absorbed, in order to suppress oscillations. This tension serves first as indicator for the kind of bottle and/or for the bag, i.e., if the equipment intervened automatically, becomes after a certain time constant, which weight measured, and thus the type of the Tropfinfusion 4 determines. This value arrives into the evaluation circuit 6 and intends thus the value for the final weight. The residue detector 5 obtains this value and announces, as soon as this value over the above-mentioned 40 circuit was reached, this to the output unit 7. the battery monitoring 8 spends likewise a signal, as soon as the battery voltage sinks under a minimum. The expenditure can be made either acoustically and/or optically and/or by the sister call 9. 45PATENTANSPRÜCHE: 1. Device for the monitoring of Tropfinfusionen, which a patient from a infusionsflasche (3) or an infusion bag by way of an infusion cutlery to be intravenously supplied, with measuring instrument for the current determination of the present/immediate Ge 50wichts of the Infusionsflasche (3) and with an alarm system (9, 10) for the expenditure of an optical and/or acoustic signal, if the liquid level (12) in the infusionsflasche (3) or the infusion bag under a pre-determined minimum level it falls, by the fact characterized that a control unit (6) is intended, which the kind of the Infusionsflasche (3) or the infusion bag determined and with the 55Alarmeinrichtung, around the dead weight of the Infusionsflasche (3) or the RK 410,030 B of infusion bag is automatically connected too consider. 2.Vorrichtung according to requirement 1, by the fact characterized that the measuring instrument covers a printing measuring strip (20). 3.Vorrichtung according to requirement 1 or 2, by the fact characterized that an upper hook 5 (18) to the suspension at an infusion stand (1) and a lower hook (19) to the suspension of the Infusionsflasche (3) or the infusion bag is intended. 4.Vorrichtung after one of the requirements 1 to 3 to spend thereby characterized that the alarm system is connected with a sister call, in order an alert not only in the device, but also over the sister call. 105. Device after one of the requirements 1 to 4, by the fact characterized that one is intended grü ne light emitting diode (14), which shines, as soon as the device is activated automatically and switched on after a load that an orange light emitting diode (15) is intended, which after the activation flashes, as soon as the kind of the Infusionsflasche and/or the infusion bag is recognized and that a red light emitting diode (16) is intended, the 15beim reaching the pre-determined minimum level shines. 6. Device after one of the requirements 1 to 5, by the fact characterized that the measuring instrument exhibits a tappet (22), which moves in a guidance (21) and cooperates with a printing measuring strip glued on on the inside of the device.

HIEZU 3 SHEET DESIGN-AUSTRIAN PATENT OFFICE spent to: 27.01.2003 sheets: 1 patent specification No.: RK 410,030 B IntCI.7: G01F 23/20ÖSTERREICHISCHES PATENT OFFICE spent to: 27.01.2003 sheets: 2 patent specification No.: RK 410,030 B IntCI.7: G01F 23/20 AUSTRIAN PATENT OFFICE spent to: 27.01.2003 sheets: 3 patent specification No.: RK 410 0 30 B Int. Cl.

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