Patent ID: 8253577

Claim:
A method for monitoring the use of medical gases at the point of use in a wireless medical gas management system, comprising: providing at least one medical gas source, at least one medical device, at least one medical gas outlet at the point of use that is configured to connect to and supply medical gas from the at least one medical gas source to at least one medical device, a plurality of medical gas conduits configured to distribute the medical gas from the at least one medical gas source to each of the medical gas outlets, and at least one wireless flow sensor fixed to the medical gas conduits, wherein at least one of the wireless flow sensors is in proximity to the each of the medical gas outlets; receiving, from the wireless flow sensor fixed to the medical gas conduit, a wireless signal indicating the presence of a flow of gas through the medical gas conduit, wherein the medical gas conduit carries gas to the gas outlet; determining whether the medical device is properly connected to the gas outlet; and if not, generating an alert communicating the existence of a potential leak at the gas outlet.