Quest Medical, Inc.

John A Gula

Thomas C Thompson

Jack E Meyer

John D Brady

Joyce M Alt

A flow status monitoring method is disclosed for a gravity flow metering system employing a metering chamber separated by a movable diaphragm into two compartments, each with a valved inlet and valved outlet. The system alternately opens pairs of valves on opposite sides of the diaphragm at preselected time intervals to deliver a fixed increment of fluid. Each preselected interval is divided into a series of discrete sub-intervals, and flow monitoring information is generated by displaying a a discrete indicator representative of the sub-interval in which movement of the diaphragm across the chamber is completed.

Method for flow control monitoring

An intravenous administration set assembly (10) is disclosed which is capable of introducing fluid from a plurality of sources of intravenous fluids into a patient and which allows the various sources of fluid to be easily attached and detected from the assembly without the necessity for intravening safety steps, such as purging the system, and yet without any possibility of air or bacteria being introduced through the system into the patient. An air-eliminating filter (32) is attached to a manifold formed of fittings (26) which are connected through inlet adapters (28) to the sources of intravenous fluid. The air-eliminating filter (32) ensures that air or bacteria introduced into the assembly (10) through attaching or detaching sources to the assembly does not pass to the patient and also ensures that a head pressure is maintained relative to the venous pressure of the patient to prevent a back flow of blood from the patient into the assembly. Check valves are provided in each of the inlet adapters (28) attached to the manifold fittings (26) to prevent back flow from any one of the sources of fluid into another one of the sources to thus prevent contamination of the sources.

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Richardson, TX, United States of America

John A Gula