US 11,911,594 B2
Systems and apparatus for drip rate measurement for medical fluid administration
Niranjan Lekkala, Chinchwad (IN); Kanjimpuredathil Muralikrishna Menon, Bangalore (IN); and Thotapalli Suryakiran, Bangalore (IN)
Assigned to CareFusion 303, Inc., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed by CareFusion 303, Inc., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 30, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/085,816.
Prior Publication US 2022/0133995 A1, May 5, 2022
Int. Cl. A61M 5/168 (2006.01); A61M 5/14 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 5/1689 (2013.01) [A61M 5/1411 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3327 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3334 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3379 (2013.01); A61M 2205/583 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for measuring drip rate, comprising:
a drip chamber device configured to couple to a container containing an IV fluid, the drip chamber device comprising an elongated body including an inner surface defining a chamber, a load cell transducer mounted in the elongated body and extending laterally into the chamber, and a load cell transducer terminal point, the drip chamber device configured to receive drip droplets of the IV fluid into the chamber; and
a drip rate measurement device comprising;
a housing configured to be mounted to the elongated body of the drip chamber device;
a drip rate measurement device terminal point to electrically couple with the load cell transducer terminal point when the elongated body is detachably mounted to the housing, wherein the load cell transducer configured to measure a weight of the droplets of the IV fluid and convert the weight into an electrical signal; and
a controller electrically coupled to the load cell transducer to process the electrical signal and output at least one parameter associated with the IV fluid.