Patent ID: 11872382
Assignee: BELMONT INSTRUMENT, LLC
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 19:
20. A disposable unit of a system for heating a fluid, the disposable unit comprising:
a conduit, defining a central opening;
one or more secondary inductors within the conduit;
an inflow tubing connected to the conduit;
a vacuum release valve; and
a sensor for measuring any deformation in the inflow tubing in order to detect fluid availability in the inflow tubing, the fluid out sensor comprising a transmitter and a receiver, the inflow tubing being disposed between the transmitter and the receiver, the fluid out sensor configured to measure a velocity of ultrasound waves from the transmitter to the receiver and thereby detect a presence of air in the inflow tubing along an ultrasound beam path when a change in the velocity occurs,
wherein, when pressure in the inflow tubing is lower than atmospheric pressure, the vacuum release valve allows flow of air into the inflow tubing in order to reduce a pressure difference between the inflow tubing and the atmospheric pressure, thereby preventing and/or reducing deformation of the inflow tubing, and
wherein, when deformation of the inflow tubing occurs, the vacuum release valve prevents an unavailability of fluid in the inflow tubing from being undetected by the fluid out sensor as a result of the flow of air into the inflow tubing.