Patent ID: 7952710

Claim:
A method for use with a transparent intravenous drip line, and for use with a clip having opposed first and second jaws urged toward each other, each jaw having a respective groove, the grooves opposing each other, each groove having therewithin an end of a respective light path, the method comprising the steps of: clipping the clip onto the transparent intravenous drip line with the transparent intravenous drip line seized within the groove of the first jaw and the groove of the second jaw; wherein the transparent intravenous drip line is cylindrical in cross section and the light paths are disposed relative to the grooves so that each light path impinges upon the drip line normal thereto, and so that the light paths are diametrically opposed across the transparent intravenous drip line; passing a liquid through the transparent intravenous drip line and into a vein of a human being; after the clipping, passing light through the light path of the groove of the first jaw, and through the transparent intravenous drip line and through the liquid, and through the light path of the groove of the second jaw, and to a spectrometer, and carrying out a spectrometric analysis upon the light passing to the spectrometer; wherein the clip further comprises a sensor sensing the relative positions of the first and second jaws, wherein the sensor communicates to the spectrometer information indicative of a diameter of the transparent intravenous drip line, and wherein the spectrometric analysis is carried out making use of the information indicative of the diameter of the transparent intravenous drip line; and removing the clip from the transparent intravenous drip line.