Patent · US Expired

Optical components for an I.V. flow detector

US5267980A · kind A · utility

113Cited by
1References
66Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 29, 1990
Grant dateDec 7, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 29, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S128/13
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Optical components and methods for an I.V. flow detector providing complete coverage of a drip chamber through the use of a single emitter and receiver. The optical components take the light of a single emitter and spread it uniformly across the entire drip chamber. Furthermore, the light is collimated as it passes through the chamber. In addition, the optics collimates the light at some point in its path from the emitter to the drip chamber. Similarly, it collimates the beam of radiation at some point in its path from the drip chamber to the receiver. Further, the optics creates a plane of symmetry for the light path passing through the center of the drip chamber and lies perpendicular to the path of the light. The design specifically takes into account the optical characteristics of the drip chamber itself.

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