EP0181691A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Air-in-line detector
Assignee: VI-TAL HOSPITAL PRODUCTS LIMITED
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Filing: 1985-09-17
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-09-17
Abstract
Abstract An air-in-line detector for detecting the presence of air in a translucent tube (8) containing a liquid comprises a channel (18) for receiving the tube, only three radiation emitter detector pairs (11, 12; 13, 14; 15, 16) two of which (11, 12; 15, 16) are arranged to detect the presence of an opaque liquid with the emitter (11, 15) and detector (12, 16) of each pair being located on opposite sides of the channel (18) so that radiation emitted by the radiation emitters impinges directly on their associated detectors and one (13, 14) of which is arranged to detect the presence of translucent liquids with its emitter (13) and detector (14) being located on opposite sides of the channel (18) but not directly aligned so that radiation emitted by the radiation emitter (13) only impinges on its associated detector (14) after refraction by the tube (8) filled with a translucent liquid, and a programmed computer (1). The computer (1) is coupled to the emitters and detectors and is programmed to monitor their outputs and to give an indication indicating the presence of air in the tube (8) except when the outputs of all three detectors (12, 14, 16) show that none of them are receiving radiation from the associated emitters (11, 13, 15) or that all of them (12, 14, 16) are receiving radiation from their emitters (11, 13, 15) but no longer continue to do so when the emitter (13) of the translucent liquid emitter-detector pair (13, 14) is turned off.
Inventors
- 👤 Alan Stuart Balding
- 👤 Nigel Fawbert Carter
- 👤 Paul Frederick Frampton
- 👤 Vincent Anthony Rosso
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-22 23:21
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61M; A61M5/00; A61M5/36; A61M5/365; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S128/00; Y10S128/13
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
259 words
An air-in-line detector for detecting the presence of air in a translucent tube (8) containing a liquid comprising a channel (18) for receiving the tube (8), and three radiation emitter detector pairs (11, 12; 13, 14; 15, 16), two of which are arranged to detect the presence of an opaque liquid with the emitter (11, 15) and detector (12, 16) of each pair being located on opposite sides of the channel (18) so that radiation emitted by the radiation emitters impinges directly on their associated detectors and one of which is arranged to detect the presence of translucent liquids with its emitter (13) and detector (14) being located on opposite sides of the channel but not directly aligned so that radiation emitted by the radiation emitter (13) only impinges on its associated detector (14) after refraction by the tube (8) filled with a translucent liquid, characterized in that the detector includes only three radiation emitter detector pairs, and includes a programmed computer (1) coupled to the emitters and detectors (11, 12; 13, 14; 15, 16), programmed to monitor their outputs and programmed to give an indication indicating the presence of air in the tube except when the outputs of all three detectors (12, 14, 16) show that none of them are receiving radiation from their associated emitters (11, 13, 15) or that the outputs of all three detectors are receiving radiation from their emitters (11, 13, 15) but no longer continue to do so when the emitter (13) of the translucent liquid emitter-detector pair (13, 14) is turned off.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
259 words
An air-in-line detector for detecting the presence of air in a translucent tube (8) containing a liquid comprising a channel (18) for receiving the tube (8), and three radiation emitter detector pairs (11, 12; 13, 14; 15, 16), two of which are arranged to detect the presence of an opaque liquid with the emitter (11, 15) and detector (12, 16) of each pair being located on opposite sides of the channel (18) so that radiation emitted by the radiation emitters impinges directly on their associated detectors and one of which is arranged to detect the presence of translucent liquids with its emitter (13) and detector (14) being located on opposite sides of the channel but not directly aligned so that radiation emitted by the radiation emitter (13) only impinges on its associated detector (14) after refraction by the tube (8) filled with a translucent liquid, characterized in that the detector includes only three radiation emitter detector pairs, and includes a programmed computer (1) coupled to the emitters and detectors (11, 12; 13, 14; 15, 16), programmed to monitor their outputs and programmed to give an indication indicating the presence of air in the tube except when the outputs of all three detectors (12, 14, 16) show that none of them are receiving radiation from their associated emitters (11, 13, 15) or that the outputs of all three detectors are receiving radiation from their emitters (11, 13, 15) but no longer continue to do so when the emitter (13) of the translucent liquid emitter-detector pair (13, 14) is turned off.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
73 words
An air-in-line detector according to claim 1, in which the programmed computer (1) is also programmed to carry out an initial start-up routine to check the operation and function of both of the opaque liquid emitter and detector pairs (11, 12; 15, 16) before the tube (8) is introduced into the channel (18) by monitoring the outputs of both detectors (12, 16) before, and after, their corresponding emitters (11, 15) are switched on.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
An air-in-line detector according to claim 1 or 2, in which the detector also includes an error counter which is incremented by the programmed computer (1) each time an indication is given of the presence of air and which provides an alarm indication when its count has been incremented to a predetermined value.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
57 words
An air-in-line detector according to claim 3, in which the detector also includes a no-air counter which is incremented each time the tube (8) is monitored and no indication is given of the presence of air, and which provides an output to re-set the error counter when the no-air counter has been incremented to a predetermined value.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
An air-in-line detector according to any one of the preceding claims, which is associated with a syringe driver (6) or volumetric infusion pump, and in which the air-in-line detector monitors the tube (8) before each actuation of the syringe driver (6) or volumetric infusion pump.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
An air-in-line detector according to claim 5 when dependent upon claim 3 or 4, in which the computer (1) is arranged to disable the syringe driver (6) or volumetric infusion pump and thereby prevent its actuation when an alarm indication is given by the error counter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
52 words
An air-in-line detector according to claim 3 or claim 4, 5, 6 or 7 when dependent upon claim 3, which also includes audible alarm means (5) and in which the programmed computer (1) is arranged to trigger the audible alarm means (5) when an alarm indication is given by the error counter.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
51 words
An air-in-line detector according to claim 3 or any one of claims 4 to 7 when dependent upon claim 3, which includes a message display device (3), and in which the programmed computer (1) is arranged to provide a visual indication when an alarm indication is given by the error counter.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
53 words
An air-in-line detector according to claim 8, in which the programmed computer causes the message display device to display messages identifying the nature of the event leading to an alarm indication being given and displaying instructions for the following operation to be performed by an operator during loading and initiation of an infusion.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
151 words
An air-in-line detector for detecting the presence of air in a translucent tube (8) containing a liquid comprising a channel (18) for receiving the tube (8), and three radiation emitter detector pairs (11, 12; 13, 14; 15, 16), two of the radiation emitter detector pairs (11, 12; 15, 16) being arranged to detect the presence of an opaque liquid, and one of the radiation emitter detector pairs (13, 14) being arranged to detect the presence of a translucent liquid characterised in that it also includes a programmed computer (1) coupled to the emitters and detectors, programmed to monitor the detectors, and programmed to give an indication indicating the presence of air in the tube (8), and error counter means which are incremented by the programmed computer each time an indication of presence of air is given and which provide an alarm indication when it has been incremented to a predetermined value.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
151 words
An air-in-line detector for detecting the presence of air in a translucent tube (8) containing a liquid comprising a channel (18) for receiving the tube (8), and three radiation emitter detector pairs (11, 12; 13, 14; 15, 16), two of the radiation emitter detector pairs (11, 12; 15, 16) being arranged to detect the presence of an opaque liquid, and one of the radiation emitter detector pairs (13, 14) being arranged to detect the presence of a translucent liquid characterised in that it also includes a programmed computer (1) coupled to the emitters and detectors, programmed to monitor the detectors, and programmed to give an indication indicating the presence of air in the tube (8), and error counter means which are incremented by the programmed computer each time an indication of presence of air is given and which provide an alarm indication when it has been incremented to a predetermined value.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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