Capacitive fluid level sensing

摘要

A capacitive fluid level sensing arrangement for use in a medical device is provided. The arrangement includes at least one pair of conductive plates configured to increase and decrease the amount of electric charge stored in relation to the level of fluid within a fluid maintaining device, such as a reservoir. The conductive plates are electrically connected to a medical device and are configured to measure the charge stored between the plates and thus sense the fluid level. The electric circuit may communicate the measurement to an instrument host arrangement for operating a pump configured to remove fluid from the reservoir and move the fluid to a collector when the level exceeds a preset upper level amount. The instrument host arrangement may stop operating the pump when the fluid level is reduced to a preset lower level amount.

主权项

1. A method for performing a surgical procedure, comprising:
exchanging fluid between a handpiece configured to be employed to perform the surgical procedure and a reservoir; capacitively sensing fluid level within the reservoir; and depending on fluid level sensed by said capacitively sensing, selectively altering a fluid amount within the reservoir by selectively evacuating fluid from the reservoir to a collector based on sensing at least one of an increase in capacitance, a capacitance exceeding a preset maximum threshold, or a capacitance change rate.