Patent ID: 6517512
Filing Date: 2003-02-11
Classification: A61M,F04B,G01F,G01N,Y10S

Abstract:
A medical device, comprising:a heart-lung machine; an aspirator; a suction line and a suction pump coupled between the aspirator and the heart-lung machine; and a sensor in the form of an optical element, which has an effect upon the suction pump via an optical signal line and a sensor unit, connected in series, having an optical transmitter and an optical receiver and connected to the suction pump, wherein the optical transmitter and the optical receiver are connected to the optical element via a same optical light guide as the optical signal line, where with air as a surrounding medium the optical element totally reflects light coming in on a coupling surface adjacent to a front face of the optical light guide on its interface spanning the coupling surface, and guides the light back via the coupling surface, and with liquid as the surrounding medium diverts the light at least partially via an interface into the liquid wherein a transmitter and a receiver are connected to a front face of the light guide via a Y coupler.