US 12,311,157 B2
Medical device with a thermal mass flow sensor for bubble detection
Francis Patrick O'Neill, Kissimmee, FL (US); Ronald Paul Consiglio, Clermont, FL (US); Mark Shih-Cheih Lin, Winter Park, FL (US); and Carolus Gerardus Thijssen, Maitland, FL (US)
Assigned to KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V., Eindhoven (NL)
Filed by KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V., Eindhoven (NL)
Filed on Jun. 29, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/215,869.
Application 18/215,869 is a division of application No. 16/333,289, granted, now 11,730,895, previously published as PCT/EP2017/074779, filed on Sep. 29, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/401,450, filed on Sep. 29, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2023/0338669 A1, Oct. 26, 2023
Int. Cl. A61M 5/36 (2006.01); A61M 5/168 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 5/365 (2013.01) [A61M 5/16886 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3334 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3368 (2013.01); A61M 2205/36 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of detecting bubbles in a medical device, the method comprising:
with an in-line thermal mass flow sensor, measuring a flow rate of a fluid flowing through the medical device, the in-line thermal mass flow sensor being vertically mounted in a device housing of the medical device with flow through the in-line thermal mass flow sensor being in one of an upward direction or a downward direction;
with at least one processor, reading the flow rate of the fluid measured by the in-line thermal mass flow sensor; and
with the at least one processor, detecting at least one bubble in the fluid based on one or more ratios of average flow rates measured at different times.