Patent ID: 11877983
Assignee: KPR U.S., LLC
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A flow control apparatus comprising:
a housing configured to receive a feeding set;
a pumping device configured to produce a fluid flow in the feeding set;
an ultrasonic sensor configured to produce a sensor signal indicative of a condition of the feeding set based on a first ultrasonic signal or a second ultrasonic signal, wherein the ultrasonic sensor comprises a plurality of sensor components, the ultrasonic sensor being further configured to emit the first ultrasonic signal through a portion of the feeding set in a first direction from a first sensor component of the plurality of sensor components, and to emit the second ultrasonic signal through the portion of the feeding set in a second direction opposite the first direction from a second sensor component of the plurality of sensor components; and
a control circuit in communication with the ultrasonic sensor configured to receive the sensor signal from the ultrasonic sensor indicative of the condition of the feeding set;
wherein the sensor signal is produced based on a comparison between the first ultrasonic signal and the second ultrasonic signal;
wherein the comparison compares an amplitude of the received first ultrasonic signal and an amplitude of the received second ultrasonic signal, and determines a higher amplitude; and
wherein the pumping device is further configured to operate only the first sensor component of the plurality of sensor components or the second sensor component of the plurality of sensor components based on the determined higher amplitude.