The present application is based on, and claims priority from, Taiwan Application Number 105142461, filed on Dec. 21, 2016. The disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entity.
The disclosure is directed to a drug monitoring device for intravenous infusion and the method thereof.
In clinical medicine, the need of intravenous infusion admixture often occurs. For example, antibiotics are mostly powder; therefore, the antibiotics require to be mixed with normal saline or dextrose solution before injecting into a patient. Because the limitation on the infusion amount of a patient, it is necessary for mixing drugs when the patient needs to be injected with variety of drugs.
Sometime there may be no drug-drug interaction or adverse drug reactions. However, the intravenous infusion admixture of drug may cause particle coagulation, condense, and turbid in the intravenous infusion set. If the size of particles for the infusion medicine is too large, the particles may accumulate in human's organs such as heart, lung, liver, kidney, muscle, skin, capillary bore, vessel and so on. This may cause diseases like blood clot thrombosis, venous hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or even cancer.
The timing and the position of chemical reaction of mixed drugs may vary according to liquid density and medication characteristics of drugs. In order to avoid turbidity of intravenous infusion, the liquid needs to be detected in real time and monitored continuously. However, there are a variety of drugs, it is usually difficult to identify the occurrence of turbidity or precipitation after mixing drugs by naked eyes. Therefore, the medical risks increase when the turbidity of intravenous infusion is detected and monitored by the artificial judgment.
In one of the exemplary embodiments, the disclosure is directed to a drug monitoring device assembled to an intravenous infusion set for intravenous infusion. The drug monitoring device for intravenous infusion comprises a fastening assembly assembled on the intravenous infusion set, a monitoring sensor mounted on the fastening assembly, and a monitoring module. The monitoring sensor comprises at least one turbidity light transmitter for emitting first light beams and at least one light receiver. The first light beams change in directions when passing through the intravenous infusion set. The at least one light receiver receives a part of the first light beams, which change in directions, and generates a first sensing signal in response to receiving one of the first light beams. The monitoring module is configured to receive the first sensing signal, and generate a turbidity warning message when a number of the first sensing signals received during an estimation time period is greater than a turbidity warning threshold.
In one of the exemplary embodiments, the disclosure is directed to a drug monitoring method applied to a drug monitoring device for intravenous infusion. The drug monitoring device assembled outside an intravenous infusion set comprises at least one turbidity light transmitter, at least one light receiver and a monitoring module. The method comprises: emitting first light beams by the at least one turbidity light transmitter, wherein the first light beams change in directions when passing through the intravenous infusion set; receiving a part of the first light beams with changes in directions by the at least one light receiver; generating a first sensing signal by the at least one light receiver in response to receiving one of the first light beams; recording a number of the first sensing signals received by the monitoring module during an estimation time period; and generating a turbidity warning message by the monitoring module when the number of the first sensing signals received during the estimation time period is greater than a turbidity warning threshold.
The foregoing will become better understood from a careful reading of a detailed description provided herein below with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
Below, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail with reference to accompanying drawings so as to be easily realized by a person having ordinary knowledge in the art. The inventive concept may be embodied in various forms without being limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. Descriptions of well-known parts are omitted for clarity, and like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.
The disclosure is directed to a drug monitoring device for intravenous infusion and a method thereof.
The fastening assembly 11 is assembled on the intravenous infusion set (shown in
The monitoring sensor 12, mounted on the fastening assembly 11, comprises at least one turbidity light transmitter 121 and at least one light receiver 122. The at least one turbidity light transmitter 121 and the light receiver 122 are mounted on an inner surface of the fastening assembly 11 (that is, the surface facing to the intravenous infusion set), wherein the light receiver 122 is arranged at a monitoring angle with respect to the at least one turbidity light transmitter 121.
The at least one turbidity light transmitter 121 steadily emits first light beams, and the first light beams pass through the intravenous infusion set (shown in
The monitoring angle decides that the at least one light receiver 122 receives the first light beams which only within a certain angle range. For example, when the monitoring angle is 90 degrees, that is to say, when the two lines, from the at least one turbidity light transmitter 121 and the at least one light receiver 122 to a center of the intravenous infusion set (shown in
The number of the at least one turbidity light transmitter 121 and the at least one light receiver 122 may vary according to different design considerations for different sizes or types of intravenous infusion set (shown in
The monitoring module 13 is configured to receive the first sensing signal and to generate a turbidity warning message only when the number of the first sensing signals received during an estimation time period is not less than a turbidity warning threshold. The higher the turbidity in the intravenous infusion set is, the more degrees the first light beams change in directions. Therefore, when the monitoring module 13 receives the first sensing signal and the number of the first sensing signal received during the estimation time period (for example, 1 second) exceeds the turbidity warning threshold, it means that the turbidity in the intravenous infusion set (shown in
In one of the exemplary embodiments, to monitor the whole intravenous infusion set (shown in
The at least one liquid-level light transmitter 223 is used to steadily emit second light beams, and the second light beams may or may not pass through the intravenous infusion set (shown in
In an embodiment, the monitoring module 23 may determine that there is no liquid of a certain height in the intravenous infusion set when receiving a second sensing signal corresponding to the certain height. In the other hand, the monitoring module 23 may determine that there is liquid of a certain height in the intravenous infusion set when without receiving any second sensing signal corresponding to the certain height. Therefore, position information of the light receiver 222 in the drug monitoring device 2 and position information of the intravenous infusion set (shown in
In one of the exemplary embodiments, the at least one liquid-level light transmitter 223 and the at least one light receiver 222 are located on two opposite sides of the intravenous infusion set (shown in
The at least one liquid-level light transmitter 323 is used to steadily emit second light beams, and the second light beams may or may not pass through the intravenous infusion set (shown in
In one of the exemplary embodiments, the at least one liquid-level light transmitter 323 and the at least one liquid-level light receiver 324, both mounted on inner surface of a fastening assembly 31 of the drug monitoring device 3 (i.e. the surface facing to the intravenous infusion set), are located on two opposite sides of the intravenous infusion set (shown in
In an embodiment, the monitoring module 33 may determine that there is no liquid of a certain height in the intravenous infusion set when receiving a second sensing signal corresponding to the certain height. In the other hand, the monitoring module 33 may determine that there is liquid of a certain height in the intravenous infusion set when without receiving any second sensing signal corresponding to the certain height. Therefore, position information of the liquid-level light receiver 324 in the drug monitoring device 3 and position information of the intravenous infusion set (shown in
The monitoring module 33 compares the liquid level with a liquid-level threshold, and generates a liquid-level warning message to alarm people around when the liquid level is lower than the liquid-level threshold.
A fastening assembly 41 of the drug monitoring device 4 is installed on the intravenous infusion set (shown in
In one of exemplary embodiments, the fastening assembly 41 may be designed as two block entities crossover to each other. One of the block entities combined with a spring is steadily pushing against the other block entity, and users may pull the block entity combined with the spring slightly away from the other one and put the intravenous infusion set between the two entities so that the intravenous infusion set may be attached to the drug monitoring device 4.
In other words, the aforesaid clamping scheme to have the drug monitoring device being firmly fastened on the intravenous infusion set may be rotationally clamped or elastically clamped. Also, the fastening scheme may be, but not limited to a clamping scheme.
In one of exemplary embodiments under working conditions, first light beams 200, emitted from the turbidity light transmitter 721, change in directions due to reflection or refraction when there are turbid particles 300 in the intravenous infusion set 100, so that the light receivers 723 on two sides may receive part of the first light beams 721 and generate a first sensing signal in response to receiving the part of the first light beams. In the other hand, the first light beams 200 will pass through the intravenous infusion set 100 if the liquid inside is clear. To monitor the turbidity based on number of first light beams 200 which change in directions, the light receivers 723 on two sides need to avoid being arranged right in the connecting line between the turbidity light transmitter 721 and the central axis of the intravenous infusion set 100.
In one of exemplary embodiments under working conditions, the second light beams 400, emitted from the liquid-level light transmitters 823, are received directly by the liquid-level light receiver 824 when none of the second light beams 400 passes through liquid so that the liquid-level light receiver generates a second sensing signal in response to receiving the second light beams 400. In the other hand, the second light beams 400 are not received by the liquid-level light receiver 824 when the second light beams 400 enter and pass through the liquid in the intravenous infusion set.
Step S92 may include receiving part of the first light beams after changing in directions by at least one light receiver. Step S93 may include generating a first sensing signal by the at least one light receiver in response to receiving one of the first light beams. The at least one light receiver may be arranged at a monitoring angle with respect to the at least one turbidity light transmitter so that the at least one light receiver may receive the first light beams which change in directions only within certain an angle range.
Step 94 may include recording the number of the first sensing signals received during an estimation time period by the monitoring module. Step 95 may include generating a turbidity warning message by the monitoring module when the number of the first sensing signals received during the estimation time period is not less than a turbidity warning threshold.
The higher the turbidity in the intravenous infusion set is, the more amount of the first light beams change in directions, so when the monitoring module receive the first sensing signal and the number of the first sensing signal received during the estimation time period (for example, 1 second) exceeds a standard value, that is, the turbidity warning threshold, it means that the turbidity in the intravenous infusion set is getting higher and then the monitoring module alarms people around by the turbidity warning message.
In this exemplary embodiment, the monitoring drug method for intravenous infusion further monitors a liquid level in the intravenous infusion set. Step S96 may include emitting second light beams into the intravenous infusion set by the at least one liquid-level light transmitter. Step S97 may include receiving part of the second light beams by the at least one light receiver. That is, the at least one light receiver may receive both the first light beams and the second light beams.
Step S98 may include determining the liquid level in the intravenous infusion set by the monitoring module based on a sensing result of the at least one light receiver. The monitoring module determines that there is no liquid of a certain height in the intravenous infusion set when receiving a second sensing signal corresponding to the certain height. In the other hand, determines that there is liquid of a certain height in the intravenous infusion set when without receiving any second sensing signal corresponding to the certain height. In one of exemplary embodiments, the monitoring module further compares the liquid level with a liquid-level threshold, and generates a liquid-level warning message to alarm people around when the liquid level is lower than the liquid-level threshold.
In view of the aforementioned descriptions, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, adapted to an intravenous infusion set, may monitor both the turbidity and the liquid level and alarm the nursing people around to decrease medical risks.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the present disclosure. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary embodiments only, with a scope of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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105142461 | Dec 2016 | TW | national |