Patent ID: 7092797

Claim:
A flow control apparatus adapted to be loaded with an administration feeding set having an upstream side and a downstream side, said flow control apparatus comprising: a) a single ultrasonic sensor comprising a receiver assembly and an ultrasonic transmitter assembly, wherein the transmitter assembly transmits, to the receiver assembly, an ultrasonic signal through a portion of the administration feeding set, b) a microprocessor in operative association with the single ultrasonic sensor for receiving the ultrasonic signal from the receiver assembly, and further in operative association with a software subsystem executed on the microprocessor for detecting the presence or absence of fluid in the upstream side of said administration feeding set, and c) wherein the software subsystem is in operative association with the single ultrasonic sensor and configured to identify between an upstream flow occlusion and a downstream flow occlusion present within the administration feeding set, as a function of the received ultrasonic signal.