VOLUME ADJUSTMENT INFUSION SYSTEM AND METHOD

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an adjustment device and method for adjusting the volume of one or more medical infusion fluids. This device can comprise any of at least one first determining unit adapted to measure and/or determine the volume of the medical infusion fluid flowing through a delivery duct and adapted to provide a respective first signal, at least one second determining unit adapted to measure and/or determine the volume and/or weight of at least one released body fluid and/or a physiological parameter and further adapted to provide a respective second signal and at least one volume controlling unit adapted to control the flow of the medical infusion fluid through the delivery duct on the basis of the first and the second signals.

Claims

1. An adjustment device for adjusting the volume of one or more medical infusion fluids, comprising a. at least one first determining unit adapted to measure and/or determine the volume of the medical infusion fluid flowing through a delivery duct and adapted to provide a respective first signal, b. at least one second determining unit adapted to measure and/or determine the volume and/or weight of at least one released body fluid and/or determine a physiological parameter and further adapted to provide a respective second signal, and c. at least one volume controlling unit adapted to control the flow of the medical infusion fluid through the delivery duct on the basis of the first and the second signals.

2. The adjustment device according claim 1, wherein the second determining unit is adapted to measure and/or determine the volume and/or weight of at least one released body fluid selected from urine, sweat, wound liquid, blood, breath vapors, evaporation and/or liquid content of stools.

3. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the first determining unit and/or the second determining unit comprises one or more weight, flow and/or volume measuring unit, preferably adapted to measure and to provide the respective first signal and/or second signal.

4. The adjustment device according to claim 3, wherein the first determining unit and/or the second determining unit comprises at least one compartment or pouch for at least one fluid, such as infusion fluid or urine, and at least one associated flow rate sensor sensing the flow of one or more infusion and/or bodily fluid(s) out of and/or into the compartment or pouch and/or at least one associated volume sensor for measuring the volume of one or more infusion and/or bodily fluid(s) and/or one or at least one associated weight sensor weighing one or more infusion fluid and/or body fluid(s) and a transducer for providing the first signal and/or a transducer for providing the second signal.

5. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment device comprises at least one compartment or pouch for at least one fluid, such as infusion fluid or urine, and the first determining unit and/or the second determining unit comprises one force sensor for sensing the force, specifically the gravitational force, acting on the pouch and/or on the fluid.

6. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the first determining unit and/or second determining unit comprises an impeller sensor measuring flow rates, the impeller sensor comprising an impeller measuring flow rates by impeller rotations and a transducer for providing the first signal and/or a transducer for providing the second signal.

7. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the first determining unit and/or the second determining unit comprises an ultrasound propagation sensor and a transducer for providing the first signal and/or a transducer for providing the second signal.

8. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the first determining unit and/or the second determining unit comprises a differential pressure sensor, preferably a multiphase flow meter, and a transducer for providing the first signal and/or a transducer for providing the second signal.

9. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the first determining unit and/or the second determining unit comprises at least one induction element adapted to determine the level of infusion fluid and/or of urine in a container or pouch and a transducer for providing the first signal and/or a transducer for providing the second signal.

10. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the second determining unit comprises a urine weight determining element comprising a capacitive element adapted to determine the level of urine in a container or pouch and a transducer for providing the second signal on the basis of the capacitive element.

11. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the second determining unit comprises an evaporation and/or a sweat measuring device, preferably adapted to be attached onto a skin of a patient, and further comprising an evaporation and/or a sweat permeable membrane and an evaporation and/or a sweat impermeable membrane on the opposite side, both defining an evaporation and/or a sweat reservoir, and a measuring device for measuring and/or determining the amount of evaporation and/or sweat in the evaporation and/or sweat reservoir, and a transducer for determining the total evaporation and/or sweat of a patient on the basis of the amount in the sweat reservoir and providing the second signal.

12. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the second determining unit comprises a hydric loss sensor adapted to be attached onto skin of a patient and further comprising a swelling element being in direct contact with the skin and adapted to swell by absorption of the sweat and a measuring device measuring the increase in at least one dimension of the swelling element and a transducer for determining the total evaporation and/or sweat of a patient on the basis of the amount in the swelling element and providing the second signal.

13. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the second determining unit comprises an evaporation and/or a sweat measuring device comprising a signal supplier to generate an out-of-phase signal from a voltage signal obtained from a patient's skin and an in-phase signal from the voltage signal, a susceptance measurement unit to measure the susceptance of the voltage signal by synchronizing the voltage signal and the out-of-phase signal received from the signal supplier, a conductance measurement unit to measure the conductance of the voltage signal by synchronizing the voltage signal and the in-phase signal, and a transducer for determining the total sweat of the patient based on the measured conductance and skin moisture content information of the user based on the measured susceptance and providing the second signal.

14. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the second determining unit comprises at least one further hemodynamic sensor unit to measure and/or determine the hemodynamic status and a transducer for providing the second signal on the basis of the hemodynamic signal.

15. The adjustment device according to claim 14, wherein the hemodynamic sensor unit comprises an optical hemodynamic sensor unit signal comprising a light source for transmitting light corresponding to first and second wavelengths through a blood perfused tissue of a patient and a light detector for generating optical signals corresponding to an intensity of the detected light at the first and second wavelengths.

16. The adjustment device according to claim 14, wherein the hemodynamic sensor unit comprises at least one acoustical sensor for gaining acoustical data, preferably comprising a passive and/or an active acoustical sensor, further circuitry for filtering and amplifying and digitizing the acoustical data, and for providing the second signal.

17. The adjustment device according to claim 14, wherein the hemodynamic sensor unit further comprises ECG electrodes to gain ECG data and preferably circuitry to compute and/or interpret the ECG data for providing the second signal.

18. The adjustment device according to claim 14, wherein the hemodynamic sensor unit further comprises a vascular sensor adapted to measure and/or determine the vascular flow and/or the heart time volume and/or the saturation of blood and/or the central venous pressure, and/or at least one, or any combination of the hemodynamic parameters comprising the calibrated cardiac output, the calibrated stroke volume, the systemic vascular resistance, the stroke volume variation, the stroke volume index, and/or at least one or any combination of the volumetric parameters comprising the extravascular lung water, the pulmonary vascular permeability index, the global end diastolic volume, the global ejection fraction.

19. The adjustment device according to claim 14, wherein the volume control unit is adapted to increase flow of infusion fluid upon measurement or determination of reduced hemodynamic action by the hemodynamic sensor unit.

20. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the volume controlling unit is adapted to receive and/or compute a pre-selected fluid balance level and to keep the fluid balance level on the basis of the first and the second signals.

21. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein a. the adjustment device further comprises a fluid temperature unit for measuring and/or controlling the temperature of the medical infusion fluid and/or the temperature of an entity to be cooled and to deliver a third signal, and b. the volume controlling unit is configured to control the flow of the medical fluid additionally on the basis of the third signal in order to adjust the temperature and/or the flow volume of the medical infusion fluid (10).

22. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the second determining unit(s) comprise one or more sensor(s) for measuring at least one of temperature and/or humidity and to deliver a respective second signal on the basis of temperature and/or humidity.

23. The adjustment device according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature input device being connectable to a temperature sensor to monitor the temperature, preferably of a patient, the input device configured to receive a body temperature signal from the temperature sensor and to submit the signal to the volume controlling unit, wherein the volume controlling unit is configured to control the flow of the medical infusion liquid additionally on the basis of the body temperature signal.

24. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the volume controlling unit is adapted to determine normal and abnormal conditions and to further control the delivery of any medicament for compensating abnormal conditions.

25. The adjustment device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one third determining and or further determining unit(s) adapted to measure and/or determine the amount of electrolyte, shivering and/or intracranial pressure monitoring and adapted to provide at least one further respective third signal(s) and second controlling unit adapted to control the kind and dosage of the medical infusion fluid and/or any medicaments through the delivery duct on the basis of the third signal(s).

26. A hypothermia system for inducing hypothermia using the adjustment device according to claim 1.

27. A method of adjusting the volume of one or more medical infusion fluids, using the adjustment device according to claim 1, comprising the steps of a. measuring and/or determining the volume of the medical infusion fluid flowing through a delivery duct and providing a respective first signal, b. measuring and/or determining the volume and/or weight of at least one released body fluid and/or a physiological parameter and providing a respective second signal, and c. controlling the flow of the medical infusion fluid through the delivery duct on the basis of the first and the second signals.

28. The method according to claim 27, comprising the further steps of receiving and/or computing a pre-selected fluid balance level and essentially keeping the fluid balance level on the basis of the first and the second signals.

29. The method according to 28, wherein the fluid balance level is kept with maximum 1 l, tolerance.

30. A method of treating a mammal comprising the method according to claim 27.

Description

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0052] The present invention will become more fully understood from the description before and particularly below and the accompanying drawings that are given by way of illustration only and show and/or exemplify preferred aspects thereof, and wherein

[0053] FIG. 1 is a principal sketch of a first preferred aspect of the present invention with at least one adjustment device in a potential environment; and

[0054] FIG. 2 shows a principle and view into an embodiment of an adjustment device according to the present invention.

[0055] FIG. 1 exemplifies one aspect of the present invention. A source 10 of a medical infusion fluid is shown, in the example shown, a typical bag 10 of infusion fluid is hung up on a supporting device often used in hospitals. Any other source, such as fixed and/or flexible containers of almost any shape and material is possible. From the bag 10, a duct 11 leads the infusion fluid towards a patient or container.

[0056] According to the prior art, the duct 11 is connected to or integral with the further duct 22 conveying the infusion fluid to the patient (not shown) in a bed 30. According to the present invention, a controlling unit or volume controlling unit 20 controls the infusion fluid on the basis of at least two or more parameters. In FIG. 1, it is exemplified that a sensor 21 can measure the volume or amount of fluid leaving the bag 10 and can feed this information or signal 21a into the controlling unit 20. Any dotted line in the figures exemplify a signal 21a, 23a, 24a, 25a in one or more respective feed-in or feedback line from a sensor 21, 23, 24, 25 to the controlling unit 20. Also, wireless data transmission such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi or any other carrier can be chosen for this signal transfer. Further sensors 23, 24 and/or 25 with corresponding feedback lines can measure and/or determine other parameters and send them to the controlling unit 20. As mentioned before and below, the parameters can be body fluid(s) comprising a body fluid selected from urine, sweat, wound liquid, blood, evaporation, breath vapors, and/or liquid content of stools as well as other physiological parameters such as temperature, hemodynamic parameters, blood compositions, blood pressures etc.

[0057] FIG. 1 further exemplifies a pouch 40 for urine of a patient. In the embodiment shown, the volume and/or weight sensor 25 can sense the content in the pouch, and can deliver a respective signal 25a to the controlling unit 20.

[0058] FIG. 2 exemplifies a controlling unit 20 with the lines and/or ducts entering and/or leaving the controlling unit 20. In the embodiment shown, the duct 11 from the infusion fluid bag (not shown) enters the controlling unit 20. A pump 28 can then further convey and/or control amounts of volume to the exiting duct 22 towards a container or a patient (not shown). The pump can be any pump, such as a peristaltic pump or any other pump known.

[0059] The feed-in lines and/or the feedback lines feed their signals 21a,23a,24a,25a into a processing and/or a computing unit 26. As mentioned before, the signals 21a,23a,24a,25a can be conveyed by any means, such as by hard wiring or wireless technology or both.

[0060] In the computing unit 26, the appropriated control signal is generated, which controls the pump 28 via one or more control lines 27. The pump is then directed to either not convey infusion fluid or to convey infusion fluid and/or to modify flow rates in an appropriate amount from duct 11 to duct 22.

[0061] As used herein, including in the claims, singular forms of terms are to be construed as also including the plural form and vice versa, unless the context indicates otherwise. Thus, it should be noted that as used herein, the singular forms a, an, and the include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0062] Throughout the description and claims, the terms comprise, including, having, and contain and their variations should be understood as meaning including but not limited to, and are not intended to exclude other components.

[0063] The present invention also covers the exact terms, features, values and ranges etc. in case these terms, features, values and ranges etc. are used in conjunction with terms such as about, around, generally, substantially, essentially, at least etc. (i.e., about 3 shall also cover exactly 3 or substantially constant shall also cover exactly constant).

[0064] The term at least one should be understood as meaning one or more, and therefore includes both embodiments that include one or multiple components. Furthermore, dependent claims that refer to independent claims that describe features with at least one have the same meaning, both when the feature is referred to as the and the at least one.

[0065] It will be appreciated that variations to the foregoing embodiments of the invention can be made while still falling within the scope of the invention. Alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose can replace features disclosed in the specification, unless stated otherwise. Thus, unless stated otherwise, each feature disclosed represents one example of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

[0066] Use of exemplary language, such as for instance, such as, for example and the like, is merely intended to better illustrate the invention and does not indicate a limitation on the scope of the invention unless so claimed. Any steps described in the specification may be performed in any order or simultaneously, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0067] All of the features and/or steps disclosed in the specification can be combined in any combination, except for combinations where at least some of the features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. In particular, preferred features of the invention are applicable to all aspects of the invention and may be used in any combination.