Fluid detection in an enteral feeding set

摘要

Detection of fluid conditions in an administration set. A light source is positioned to transmit an infrared light through administration set tubing and any fluid therein. A light sensor senses the infrared light transmitted through the tubing and generates an output signal. A frequency of the output signal is a function of an intensity of the light transmitted through the tubing. A processor receives and determines the frequency of the output signal, and compares the determined frequency to threshold frequency values to determine whether fluid is in the tubing. The processor also monitors the generated output signal to determine if the frequency of the output signal changes over time, and determines whether fluid is flowing in the tubing as a function of the determined change in frequency.

主权项

1. A system for detecting fluid in a feeding tube, said system comprising:
a light source transmitting an infrared light through the feeding tube and any fluid therein; an infrared intensity sensor sensing an intensity of the infrared light transmitted through the feeding tube and through any fluid therein and generating an output signal having a variable frequency, wherein the frequency of the output signal is a function of the sensed intensity of the infrared light transmitted through the feeding tube; and a processor receiving the generated output signal and determining the frequency of the generated output signal, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether fluid is in the feeding tube by comparing the determined frequency of the generated output signal to one or more threshold frequency ranges stored in a memory, and wherein said processor is configured to determine whether the feeding tube has no fluid, a clear fluid, or a non-clear fluid as a function of the determined frequency as compared to the threshold frequency ranges.