Patent · US Expired

Pressure monitoring and leak detection method and apparatus

US4441357A · kind A · utility

110Cited by
15References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 4, 1982
Grant dateApr 10, 1984
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 4, 2002

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01M3/26
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A closed pressure monitoring system (20) is disclosed in which a pump (27) delivers gas on a supply line (22, 29) through a first accumulator chamber (30) to a load device (21) and returns the gas on a return line (23, 28) through a second accumulator chamber (34) to the pump (27). After pressures in the first and second chambers stabilize, the pressures are compared, and a leak warning signal is given if the compared pressures changed with respect to one another over time. The system is particularly adapted to use a pressure sensor as the load (21) which is implanted within a human patient. The pressure sensor receives air from a restrictor (32) in the supply line (22, 29) and is operative to maintain the pressure in the supply line substantially equal to the pressure surrounding the sensor.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.