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:
Jan. 31, 2012
Filed:
Apr. 15, 2006
Klaus Balschat, Schwebheim, DE;
Tobias Fritsche, Halle, DE;
Alfred Gagel, Litzendorf, DE;
Steffen Kirchner, Schweinfurt, DE;
Hans-joachim Muench, Halle, DE;
Olaf Nicholas, Kiteingen, DE;
Jochen Schneider, Wipfeld, DE;
Reiner Spickermann, Wasserlosen-Burghausen, DE;
Santer Zur Host-meyer, Halle, DE;
Klaus Balschat, Schwebheim, DE;
Tobias Fritsche, Halle, DE;
Alfred Gagel, Litzendorf, DE;
Steffen Kirchner, Schweinfurt, DE;
Hans-Joachim Muench, Halle, DE;
Olaf Nicholas, Kiteingen, DE;
Jochen Schneider, Wipfeld, DE;
Reiner Spickermann, Wasserlosen-Burghausen, DE;
Santer Zur Host-Meyer, Halle, DE;
Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH, Bad Homburg, DE;
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method and a device for monitoring a flowing medium, in particular the blood flowing in an extracorporeal blood circulation, for the presence of air, in particular micro-bubbles. A sequence of signal pulses or a continuous signal is injected into the flowing medium, and the signal pulses or continuous signal leaving the flowing medium are received. To detect micro-bubbles, a signal pattern that is characteristic of the variation over time of the received signal pulses or the continuous signal in a predetermined period of time is extracted from the signal received. The characteristic signal pattern is compared with one or more characteristic reference patterns, and the presence of air bubbles is determined if the characteristic signal pattern deviates from the characteristic reference pattern by a predetermined amount. Statistical characteristic variables, in particular the variance, are preferably determined from the signal patterns and compared with one another.