Patent ID: 8469050

Claim:
A medical device, comprising: a plurality of pairs of conductive plates electrically connected in parallel and forming a sensor positioned within a fluid maintaining device associated with the medical device; and a controller configured to receive data from the plurality of conductive plates forming the sensor; wherein the plurality of pairs of conductive plates are configured to sense fluid changes in the fluid maintaining device, each conductive plate has a planar shape, and the plurality of pairs of conductive plates are configured to provide data to the controller based on the sensed fluid changes, wherein the controller is configured to facilitate fluid evacuation from and fluid infusion to the fluid maintaining device associated with the medical device based on data received from the plurality of pairs of conductive plates and the equation: V O ( p )= V I ( p )*(1 −e −t/RC ) where V O (p) is the measured voltage between the pair of conductive plates, V I (p) is the voltage of a square wave provided across the pair of conductive plates, R is resistance of a resistor configured in series with the pair of conductive plates, C is capacitance of the pair of conductive plates, and t is time.