Drip detecting device

Abstract: A drip detecting device for detecting drips dropping in a drip cylinder (4), comprises an image detecting portion (5) disposed in the vicinity of the outer wall surface of the drip cylinder (4) for detecting the state in the drip cylinder as an image, and drip detecting portion (6) for detecting a drip dripping in the drip cylinder on the basis of the image. Disclosed also is a drip alarming device which includes drip rate detecting portion for detecting the rate of dripping on the basis of the data detected by the drip detecting device (6), determining portion for determining whether the detected dripping rate is proper, and generating portion for generating an alarm in accordance with the result of determination. A drip rate control device also is disclosed comprising a drip rate detecting portion for detecting the rate of dripping on the basis of the data detected by the drip detecting device (6), and drip rate control portion for controlling the drip rate to a required rate. The drip detecting device (6) can detect drips without fail and without being affected by any change in the state of the drip cylinder (4) and has a light-receiving portion which does not receive external disturbance light.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a drip detecting device and also to a drip alarming device and a drip rate control device which incorporate the drip detecting device as defined in the preamble of the independent claims. 2. Description of the Related Arts As shown in Fig. 5, a known drip detecting device has a combination of a light-emitting diode 51 and a photodiode (or phototransistor) 54. A light emitted from the light-emitting diode 51 is collimated into a beam through the lens 52 which is introduced to a lens 53 through a drip cylinder, the lens 53 converging the light onto the photodiode or phototransistor 54. The drips are detected by the photodiode or phototransistor 54 through a change in the quantity of light which is caused by passage of the drip through the drip cylinder. Namely, as shown in Fig. 6A, the passage of the droplet, i.e., drip, is confirmed when the output level of the photodiode 54 has exceeded a predetermined threshold. However, since only one semiconductor element is used at the light-receiving side so as to receive converged light, the accuracy of detection tends to be degraded during long use. Namely, the quantity of light received by the light-receiving element is progressively reduced by deposition of fine liquid droplets to the inner surface of the drip cylinder due to splashing of liquid or by clouding of the wall of the drip cylinder due to change in temperature. In consequence, the difference between the output voltage level during a drip passing through the drip cylinder and the output voltage level with no drip becomes small to reduce the S/N ratio as shown in Fig. 6B, making it difficult to accurately detect the drips. In addition, detection error is often caused due to incidence of strong external disturbance light such as solar light into the light-receiving element. Another prior art drip detecting device for regulating the supply rate of medical fluids is known from US-A-4 173 224. This device discloses the features of the preamble of the independent claims. According to this prior art, the volume of supplied liquid is calculated by determining the silhouette and width of a drop from amounts of collimated light collected by means of two photo detectors positioned perpendicularly to each other and by determining the total number of drips by counting momentary pulse perturbations or reductions in the light arriving at the detector. However, the results of measurement obtained by this prior art are also subjected to influence by the above detection errors. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a drip detecting device which can detect drips without fail regardless of any change in the state of the drip cylinder, thereby overcoming the above-described problems of the prior art. Another object of the present invention is to provide a drip detecting device having a light-receiving portion which does not receive any external disturbance light. Other objects of the invention are to provide a drip alarming device and a drip rate control device which make use of the drip detecting device. According to the present invention, there is provided a drip detecting device for detecting drips dropping in a drip cylinder, comprising the features of claim 1. Preferred forms of the invention are defined in the subclaims. The invention also provides a drip alarming device comprising the features of claim 4 and a drip rate control device comprising the features of claim 5. According to these arrangements, the noise components such as clouding of the drip cylinder wall are picked up as images and removed so that presence of a drip can be detected accurately. In addition, by optimizing the position of the image sensor; it is possible to significantly restrict incidence of external disturbance light, thus improving anti-noise characteristic. The image sensor and the drip rate control means may be integrated so that control of drip rate is made possible only by setting the drip detecting device. Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following description of the preferred embodiments when the same is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1A is a top plan view of a drip control device in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 1B is a front elevational view of a drip control device shown in Fig. 1A; Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the construction of a drip control portion of the drip control device; Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing the control process performed by the drip control portion; Figs. 4A to 4C are illustrations of examples of operation for detecting drips, performed by an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 5 is a schematic illustration of a conventional drip detecting device; and Figs. 6A and 6B are illustrations of operation performed by the conventional drip detecting device. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1A is a top plan view and Fig. 1B is a front elevational view of an embodiment of the drip detecting device of the present invention which is adapted to be used in combination with a transfusion pump (not shown) connected thereto. The device has a case 1 encasing an LED 2, a collimator lens 3 for forming a collimated light beam, an image sensor 5 and a drip control portion 6 including a microprocessor. The case 1 can slide so as to pinch a drip cylinder 4 at both sides as illustrated. The LED 2 is adapted to be lit on in accordance with instructions given by the microprocessor of the drip control portion 6. Meanwhile, data from the image sensor 5 is delivered to the microprocessor of the drip control portion 6, so that the microprocessor determines whether a drip is passing through the drip cylinder on the basis of pattern matching. The microprocessor then compares detected time interval of dripping and the dripping time interval corresponding to a desired flow rate,and conducts the control of operation of the transfusion pump in accordance with the result of the comparison. Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the construction of the drip control portion 6. The data from the image sensor 5, in the form of digital data, is stored in an image storage area 64a of a RAM 64 through an input interface 62. A CPU 61 detects the rate of drip by using signals from a timer 61a, counter 61b and a count value 63a, in accordance with a control program stored in a ROM 63, and delivers a signal for controlling the drip rate to the transfusion pump (not shown) through an interface 65. Fig. 3 is a flow chart of a control process performed by the drip control portion 6. For the purpose of clarification, this figure shows only a drip-control sub-routine. In Step S30, the counter 61b is set to zero and then the timer 61a is started. Subsequently, in Step S31, the image sensor is scanned and the image data obtained through the scanning is stored in the image storage area 64a in Step S32. In Step S33,the presently-obtained image data is compared with the image data stored through the preceding scanning. In Step S34, a check is conducted as to whether there is any drip dropping through the drip cylinder. The method of detecting drip will be described with reference to Figs. 4A to 4C. Fig. 4A shows an input data as obtained from the image sensor 5 when there is no drip. Signals corresponding to tiny droplets attaching to the wall of the drip cylinder due to splashing of liquid and clouding of the cylinder wall are included in the data shown in Fig. 4A. Fig. 4B shows input data as obtained when drip exists. It will be seen that signal generated by the presence of the drip is added to the output shown in Fig. 4A. By determining the difference between the output shown in Fig. 4A and that shown in Fig. 4B, it is possible to obtain the output component which purely corresponds to the drip, i.e., the output which is devoid of the components corresponding to the tiny droplets attaching to the drip cylinder wall and clouding of the cylinder wall. According to this method, it is possible to detect the drip even when the cylinder wall is colored, although in the described embodiment the wall is transparent. Referring again to Fig. 3, when it is determined that a drip exists, the process proceeds to Step S35 in which the counter 61b is added by one. In Step S36, a judgment is conducted as to whether the time counted by the timer 61a has exceeded a predetermined time T. If the time T is not exceeded, the process returns to Step S31 to repeat Steps S31 to S36. Conversely, if the time T has been exceeded, the process proceeds to Step S37 which compares the content of the counter 61b with the count value C. If both values are equal, no control is conducted since in this case the dripping rate is proper. However, when the content of the counter 61b is smaller than the count value C, the process proceeds to Step S38 in which a signal is delivered to the transfusion pump so as to increase the transfusion rate. Conversely, if the count value C is exceeded by the content of the counter 61b, a signal is delivered to the transfusion pump so as to reduce the transfusion rate in Step S39. The process then proceeds to a returning step. The count value C may be externally adjustable so as to enable free setting of the transfusion rate. Showing in Figs. 1A and 1B, a slit of length "b" not smaller than a predetermined value and a height "a" not greater than a predetermined value is provided on the light-incident side of the image sensor 5 so that the image sensor 5 receives only collimated light, thereby excluding external disturbance light so as to enable a stable detection of drips. As will be understood from the foregoing description, according to the present invention, a drip detecting device is provided which is not affected by attaching of tiny droplets to the drip cylinder wall and clouding of the cylinder and which is not sensitive to external disturbance light, by virtue of the use of an image sensor for the detection and specific arrangement of the image sensor. By using this drip detecting device, it is possible to obtain a drip alarming device which can accurately determine whether the dripping rate is proper or abnormal. In addition, since the microprocessor is incorporated in the drip detecting device, it is possible to obtain a drip rate control device which can control the dripping rate always to the proper range only by the setting of the drip detecting device. Thus, the present invention provides a drip detecting device which can accurately detect the state of dripping regardless of any change in the state of the drip cylinder and which has a light-receiving portion which is free from the external disturbance light. In addition, the present invention provides a drip alarming device which can accurately determine whether the dripping rate is proper or not and which produces an alarm in the event of detection of an abnormal dripping rate. Furthermore, a dripping rate control device capable of accurately controlling the dripping rate is obtained according to the invention. It is understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of appended claims which delineates the inventive concepts of the present invention.

Claims: A drip detecting device for detecting drips dropping in a drip cylinder (4), comprising: light source means (2, 3) for directing collimated light to a position through which a drip drops in the drip cylinder (4); light detecting means positioned in an opposite side to said light source means (2, 3) over the drip cylinder (4) for detecting transmitted light of the collimated light; and drip detecting means (6) for detecting a drip dropping in the drip cylinder (4) based on the detected light; characterized in that said light detecting means comprises an image sensor (5), wherein the image sensor (5) is scanned, image data is obtained through the scanning and the image data is stored into an image storing area (64a), and said drip detecting means (6) detects the drip dropping in the drip cylinder (4) by determining the difference between the presently obtained image data with the image data stored in said image storing area (64a) through the preceding scanning to obtain an output which purely corresponds to the drip. A drip detecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that said light source means (2, 3) includes a light source (2) having a peak of light emission in the visible ray range and a collimator lens (3) combined with said light source (2) for generating said collimated light, and said image sensor (5) has a width similar to a diameter of the drip cylinder (4) for receiving collimated light from said collimator lens (3) which passes through said drip cylinder (4). A drip detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising a slit having a length (b) in a direction of collimated light not smaller than a predetermined value and a height (a) not greater than a predetermined value so as to restrict incidence of external disturbance light. A drip alarm device for generating an alarm signal when a dripping rate of drips in a drip cylinder (4) reaches a certain value, said device comprising: a drip detecting device for detecting drips dropping in a drip cylinder (4) and providing data indicative thereof, said drip detecting device including light source means (2, 3) for directing collimated light to a position through which a drip drops in the drip cylinder (4); light detecting means positioned in an opposite side to said light source means (2, 3) over the drip cylinder (4) for detecting transmitted light of the collimated light; drip detecting means (6) for detecting a drip dropping in the drip cylinder (4) based on the detected light; drip rate detecting means for detecting a rate of dripping on the basis of data detected by said drip detecting device; determining means for determining whether a dripping rate detected by said drip rated detecting means is equal to a predetermined value; and generating means for generating an alarm in accordance with the result of a determination by said determining means; characterized in that said light detecting means comprises an image sensor (5), wherein the image sensor (5) is scanned, image data is obtained through the scanning and the image data is stored into an image storing area (64a), and said drip detecting means (6) detects the drip dropping in the drip cylinder (4) by determining the difference between the presently obtained image data with the image data stored in said image storing area (64a) through the preceding scanning to obtain an output which purely corresponds to the drip. A drip rate control device for controlling a drip rate for drips in a drip cylinder (4), said device comprising: a drip detecting device for detecting drips dropping in a drip cylinder (4) and providing data indicative thereof, said drip detecting device including light source means (2, 3) for directing collimated light to a position through which a drip drops in the drip cylinder (4); light detecting means positioned in an opposite side to said light source means (2, 3) over the drip cylinder (4) for detecting transmitted light of the collimated light; drip detecting means (6) for detecting a drip dropping in the drip cylinder (4) based on the detected light; drip rate detecting means for detecting a rate of dripping on the basis of data detected by said drip detecting device; and drip rate control means for controlling said drip rate to a required rate in accordance with a drip rate detected by said drip rate detecting means; characterized in that said light detecting means comprises an image sensor (5), wherein the image sensor (5) is scanned, image data is obtained through the scanning and the image data is stored into an image storing area (64a), and said drip detecting means (6) detects the drip dropping in the drip cylinder (4) by determining the difference between the presently obtained image data with the image data stored in said image storing area (64a) through the preceding scanning to obtain an output which purely corresponds to the drip.

Inventors: SAKAI HIROSHI C O TERUMO KABUS, SAKAI, HIROSHI, C/O TERUMO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Applicants: TERUMO CORP, TERUMO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1991
Main classification: A61M5
IPC codes: A61M5