The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 21, 1987
Filed:
Mar. 22, 1985
Stephen J Coble, Sunland, CA (US);
Edward J Arkans, Sunland, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
A rate meter for use with an IV fluid administration system having a vertical transparent drip chamber, the rate meter having an elongated housing having a notch therein for receiving the drip chamber, and a spring bias moveable portion which engages the drip chamber so that the housing is held to the drip chamber in a horizontal manner, the housing having two light emitters positioned on one side of the drip chamber and a photodetector on the other side, the light path between the light emitters and the photodetector being affected by passages of drops of fluid through the drip chamber, circuitry for computing a volumetric flow rate based on the frequency of detected drops, an indicator for displaying the detected flow rate and a self-contained battery. The two light emitters are arranged to provide equal light intensity on the photodetector. The rate meter is further identified by the provision of an occluder element forming a part of the housing slideable portion which moves to intercept the light beam from one of the light emitters when the housing is removed from engagement with a drip chamber to provide an OFF signal employed by program instructions to de-energize most of the circuit components to thereby prolong battery life.