Imed Corporation

Raymond E Cannon

Larry L Wilson

Jon A Jenkins

Apparatus is provided for regulating the flow of drops of fluid through a conduit. The apparatus includes first means responsive to the flow of fluid through the conduit for producing a turbulence in such flow when the flow is in a steady stream. The first means may include a tube having an inner wall shaped to produce such turbulence in the steady stream or may include a tube and a member disposed in the tube and having an outer wall shaped to produce such turbulence in the steady stream. The first means may be provided with a helical discontinuity to produce a twisting flow of the fluid in the steady stream for creating the turbulence. Second means are responsive to the flow of fluid in drops for sensing the rate of the drops. The second means may include a light source for directing light to the fluid and a sensor for receiving light from the fluid. Third means adjustably control the rate at which the drops of fluid flow through the conduit. Fourth means are operatively coupled to the second means and the third means for adjusting the third means in accordance with the sensed rate of the fluid drops to maintain the rate of the flow of the drops of fluid through the conduit at a particular value. When the fluid flows in a steady stream, the second means senses such means and interrupts the fluid flow. Thereafter, the second, third and fourth means again become operative to regulate the rate at which the drops of fluid flow.

Apparatus for, and method of, controlling the flow of fluid

Cassette for controlling the flow of intravenous fluid to a patient

Disposable cassette for use with an intravenous controller

A rate meter senses successive drops of fluid flowing through a conduit and produces gating periods with time durations corresponding to the period of time between such successive drops. The rate meter then determines the number of incremental time periods in each gating period. The rate meter generates the reciprocal of this determination to obtain an indication of the rate of fluid flow. The rate meter may be self-contained. It includes a housing having a vertically disposed channel constructed to retain the conduit and a horizontally disposed channel communicating with the vertically disposed channel. The horizontally disposed channel is constructed to receive a cross bar made from a resilient material and fixedly disposed on the conduit. The cross bar supports the rate meter in a freestanding relationship. The cross bar may be provided with slots near its ends to enhance its resiliency. The cross bar may also be provided with detents at its ends to cooperate with detents at the ends of the horizontally disposed channel on the rate meter to retain the rate meter on the cross bar. The vertically disposed channel in the rate meter may be defined by first and second oppositely disposed walls in the housing. A light source may be disposed in the first wall and a light sensor may be disposed in the second wall. Visual indicating means may be disposed on a front wall of the housing to provide a numerical indication of the rate of fluid flow.

Rate meter

A drop controller is provided for controlling the rate at which drops of a fluid flow to a patient. The drop controller includes a socket for receiving a cassette having a constrainable member adjustable in position. This constrainable member controls the size of an adjustable passage through which the fluid flows to the patient. The socket is defined by a plurality of spring fingers for releasably holding the cassette. A lever is mounted on the housing for the drop controller and is pivotable to a cocked position by the cassette when the cassette is disposed in the socket. The lever can be pivoted to a second position to obtain a removal of the cassette from the socket. An arrangement is also included for releasably and adjustably positioning the controller relative to a support pole. The arrangement includes a shaft and an arm at the end of the shaft for providing an engagement of the support pole between the arm and the housing of the controller. The arrangement further includes a rotatable knob for pivoting the controller relative to the pole to adjust the disposition of the front face of the controller relative to the viewing position of hospital attendants.

Drop controller

Apparatus is included in a system for controlling the flow of intravenous fluid from a source to a patient. Such apparatus is manually adjustable to vary the rate of such fluid flow. Desired rates of fluid flow may also be set in such system when the apparatus is included in the system. The system then overrides any previous manual adjustment of such apparatus and adjusts the rate of fluid flow in accordance with any such setting. When a desired rate of fluid flow has been preset into the system, the system then operates to adjust the rate of fluid flow in an instantaneous basis so that the desired rate of fluid flow maintained. The apparatus is removably disposed in the system for controlling the flow of fluid to the patient. Even after the adjustment by the system of the rate of fluid flow in accordance with any setting, the apparatus may be removed from the system to provide a rate of fluid flow in accordance with the manual adjustment of the apparatus. A plug member in the apparatus defines a passage communicating at a first position with an inlet line and, at a displaced position in a particular direction, with an outlet line. A resilient member such as a diaphragm may be disposed in the particular direction in the passage and may be displaced in a transverse direction from the inlet and outlet lines. A rod constrains the diaphragm in the transverse direction.

Apparatus for controlling the flow of intravenous fluid to a patient

A cassette provides for a controlled introduction of fluid from a source to a patient. It includes a block and a chamber in the block. Separating means such as a diaphragm are movable in the chamber to define first and second compartments each having a variable volume in accordance with such movement. A transducer is movable with the separating means. The transducer may include a coil disposed on the block and a magnetic rod magnetically coupled to the coil and movable with the separating means to vary the inductance of the coil. Input and output lines are provided in the block. One of the lines in a first pair communicates with the input line and the first compartment and the other line in the first pair communicates with the second compartment and the output line. One of the lines in a second pair communicates with the input line and the second compartment and the other line in the second pair communicates with the first compartment and the output line. Control means provide alternately for a blocking of the second pair of lines and an opening of the first pair of lines and at other times for a blocking of the first pair of lines and an opening of the second pair of lines.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Raymond E Cannon