Patent ID: 7669471

Claim:
A medical infusion pump analyzer, which comprises: an input port for receiving therethrough fluid from an infusion pump under test; a drain port for draining fluid from the analyzer; a tubular fluid flow rate measuring column in fluid communication with the input port for measuring the flow rate of the fluid received by the analyzer through the input port, the fluid flow rate measuring column defining an interior axial bore for the passage of fluid therethrough, the bore having a predetermined and known volume; a plurality of sensors situated in proximity to and at least along a portion of the axial length of the fluid flow rate measuring column, the plurality of sensors including adjacent sensors, the adjacent sensors being spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance along the axial length of the measuring column, the sensors detecting the flow of fluid through the fluid flow rate measuring column and generating signals in response thereto; a first valve in fluid communication with the fluid flow rate measuring column, the first valve being controllable to direct the fluid to flow into the fluid flow rate measuring column; at least a second valve in fluid communication with the drain port, the at least second valve being controllable to direct fluid from the fluid flow rate measuring column to the drain port; a circuit for measuring the time interval it takes for the fluid to flow from a first position in the measuring column which is in alignment with a first sensor of the plurality of sensors to a second position in the measuring column which is in alignment with a second sensor of the plurality of sensors which is adjacent to the first sensor, and for calculating the flow rate of the fluid in the measuring column based on the measured time interval and the known volume of the bore of the fluid flow rate measuring column and wherein the sensors of the plurality of sensors are sequentially energizable along the axial length of the fluid flow rate measuring column, and wherein only one sensor of the plurality of sensors is energizable at any one time.