Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PREWARNING DEVICE FOR INSTILLATION OF MEDICAL LIQUID
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to = prewarning device
for instillation of medical liquid and more
particularly to a prewarning device that buzzes and
stops air from passing thereth--rough to en'ter a
patient's vessel when a medical liquid being transfused
to the patient via instillation is used up.
3ACKGROUND OF THE TNVEi'vTTION
It is a very common practice in a hospital to transfuse
a medical liquid from a botL-le into a patient's vessel
via an instillation kit that usually includes a duct
connected at an end to the medical li_quid bottle and at
another end to an injection needle. A patient's
attendant family andJor a nurse has to visually check
from time to time the medical liquid remained i.n the
bottle, in order to timely replace a-riew bottle of
medical liquid to continue the transfusion. It is,
however, time and labor corisuming for the patient's
attendant family and the nurse to do such constant
visual check of rernGined medical liquid being
transfused via instillation.
The present invention discloses a prewarning device for
instillation of inedical. liquid in an attempt to solve
the above-mentioned problem. it ~s desirable the
present invention is helpful in assisting nurses in
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looking after the patients and reducing the burdens of the
attendant family. In the modern society that requires high
efficiency in time and money, good and reasonable allocation
of manpower is particularly important. Therefore, the
present invention is eventually cost-effective when viewing
from the standpoint of economics.
BACKGROUND ART
Taiwanese Patent Application No. 87218082
published on August 1, 2000 under publication number 400736
discloses an auto alarm for quantitative intravenous
injection via instillation. The auto alarm includes a
sensing means, a warning means, and a shutting means. When
a distillation device is hung on a rack, a specific medical
liquid is allowed to flow via a duct into a measuring
cylinder, below which a fixing clamp is provided. When the
level of the specific medical liquid in the measuring
cylinder gradually lowered during the instillation, a float
in the measuring cylinder descends at the same time to
finally actuate a sensing switch to close a circuit thereof
and allow an electric current to flow therethrough,
resulting in sounding of a buzzer and lighting of a light-
emitting diode. At this point, a current flows via a signal
socket to the shutting means, and a hook is pulled through
control of an electromagnetic valve to bend the duct and
thereby shut the flow of the medical liquid. With the above
arrangements, a nurse or an attendant family of the patient
is reminded to timely replenish the medical liquid to avoid
entrance of air into the
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vessel to endanger the Datient. A disadvantage of the
above-described auto alarm of prior art is it is not
conveniently portable and usable because the measur-ing
cylinder, the duct, the medical liquid container, and
all other accessories thereof are serially connected.
Moreover, since the shutting means must be addit~_onally
provided to achieve the effect of shutting the medical
liquid, additional inanufacturing cost for the shutting
means is required. The operating of the independent
shutting means is also troublesome.
It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop a
prewarning device for instillation of inedical liquid,
so that the device automatically buzzes and stops air
from passing therethrough to enter a patient's vessel
when the medical liquid being transfused to the patient
via instillation is used up.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTyON
The prewarning device for instillation of medical
liquid according to the present invention mainly
includes a throttling cylinder, a transparent tubul_ar
needle fixedly connected at a lower end to an open top
of the throttling cylinder, a clamp provided with a
sensor for clamping around a lower part of the tubular
needle, and a warrLing unit connected to the sensor on
the clamp via a wire. The tubular needle has a forward
tapered head portion with a plurality of spaced slits
and defines a downward tapered inner space in which a
float is disposed. When the head oortion of the
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tubular needle is inserted into a bottle containing a
medical liquid to be transfused into a patient's vessel by
way of instillation, the medical liquid flows from the
bottle into the downward tapered inner space of the tubular
needle via the slits and the float is normally located at a
wider upper part of the tubular needle. When the medical
liquid in the bottle is used up, the float lowers to clog a
narrower lower part of the downward tapered inner space of
the tubular needle. At this point, air is stopped from
passing the clogged tubular needle to enter the patient's
vessel, and the sensor senses the float at the lowered
position and actuates the warning unit to buzz, informing
the patient's attendant family or a nurse to remove the
empty bottle or replace a new bottle of medical liquid.
An aspect of the invention provides a prewarning
device for instillation of medical liquid, comprising: a
throttling cylinder; a transparent tubular needle being
fixedly connected to said throttling cylinder and provided
at a forward tapered head portion with a plurality of spaced
slits for inserting into a bottle containing a medical
liquid to be transfused into a patient's vessel by way of
instillation, and said tubular needle defining a downward
tapered inner space in which a float is disposed; a clamp
having two front claw ends adapted to clamp around a lower
part of said tubular needle, and a sensor provided at an
inner surface of one of said two front claw ends; and a
warning unit electrically connected to said sensor on said
clamp; and said float gradually moving downward to a bottom
of said tubular needle when the medical liquid in the bottle
is used up in the instillation, and said sensor being able
to sense said float at the bottom of said tubular needle and
actuate said warning unit to emit a warning sound.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The structure and the technical means adopted by
the present invention to achieve the above and other objects
can be best understood by referring to the following
detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the
accompanying drawings, wherein
Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a
prewarning device for instillation of medical liquid
according to the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a partially assembled perspective view
of the prewarning device of Fig. 1, showing a tubular needle
has been connected to a throttling cylinder thereof;
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Fig. 3 shows a clamp of the prewarning device of Fig. 1
has been attached to a lower part of the tubular
needle;
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show a. float in the tubular needle
moves downward with the decreasing medical liquid being
transfused to a patient by -Way of instillation;
Fig. 7 shows a first embodiment of the present
invention; and
Fig. 8 shows a second embodimertit of the present
invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Please refer to Fig. 1 that is an e:xploded perspective
view of a prewarning device for _nstillation of inedical
liquid according to the present invention. As shown,
the prewarning device mainly includes a throttling
cylinder 1, a tubular needle 2 fixedly connected to a
top of the throttling cylinder I. a clamp 3 adapted to
clamp around the tubular needle 2 at a predetermined
position, and a warning unit 4 connected to the clamp 3
via a wire.
The throttling cylinder '! is a hollow cylindrical
member having an open top 11 and a closed bottom
provided with a hole 12. Other related medical
appliances, such as duct setting button, needle
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cannula, instillation duct, etc:., are externally
connected to the throttling cylinder 1 via the hole 12.
The tubular needle 2 is provided at, a lower end with a
disc portion 23 configured to securely _f4-t into the
open top 11 of the throttling cylinder 1, and a
filtering bag 25 made of a web-like dense fabric
connected to a lower periphery of the disc portion 23.
When the tubular needle 2 is fitted in the top opening
11 of the throttling cylinder 1, the filtering bag 25
is located inside the throttling cy.linder, as shown ?n
Fig. 2, to serve as means for filtering a liquid
flowing therethrough. However, the filtering bag 25 is
not a necessary constituent element. That is, om:_ssion
of the filtering bag 25 from the present invention does
not adversely affect the implementation of the present
invention at all. A head portion of the tubular needle
2 opposite to the disc portion 23 anca the filtering bag
is coniigured for inserting into a sealed mouth 51
20 of a bottle 5 containing a medical liquid 52 (see Figs.
4 to 6). The head portion of the tubular needle 2 is
forward tapered and lengChwise provided with a
plurality of spaced slits 21, via which the medical
liquid 52 contained in the bottle 5 flows into the
25 tubular needle 2. The tubular needle defines a
downward tapered inner space in which an oblong float
22 is disposed. When there is a sufficient amount of
the medical liquid 52 flowing from the bottle 5 into
the tubular needle 2 via the slits 21; the float 22 is
always in a floating state and located at an upper
position in the tubular needle 2. The tubular needle 2
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is also provided around an outer wall at a position
higher than the disc portion 23 by a predetermined
distance with an. annular stopper 24 adapted to press
against the mouth 51 of the bottle 5 when the tubular
needle 2 is inserted into the bottle 5 by a suitable
depth. At least a portion of the tubular needle 2
between the disc portion 23 and the annular stopper 24
is transparent.
Please refer to Fig. 3. The clamp 3 includes a left
handle 31a and a right handle 31b t':_~.a-t have front claw
ends and are pivotally connected. to each other by means
of a tension spring 32, such that t'cae claw ends of the
left and the right har.dles 31a, 31b are normally forced
by the tension spring 32 to close to each other and
define an opening 33 between them. The opening 33 is
dimensioned for fitly clamping around the transparent
portion. of the tubul ar needle 2 between the disc
portion 23 and the annular stopper 25 and. is formed
from two semicircular surfaces 33a, 33b that are inner
wall surfaces of the claw ends of the handles 31a,, 31b.
A sensor 34 is attached to the semicircular surface 33b
of the right handle 31b and electricall-y connected to
the warning unit 4. A. spot lamp 35 is set in the claw
end of the left handle 31a opposite to the sensor 34,
so as to project a l_gh't beam from the semicircular
surface 33a toward the sensor 34.
The warning unit 4 is electrically connected to the
sensor 34 via a wire and includes at least a buzzer 41
and a plurality of warning lights 42. The buzzer 41
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could be actuated by a s-1.gnal from the sensor 34 to
emit warning sounds and cause a relevarit warning light
42 to flash, so as to inform the pa-tient's attendant
family or a nu-rse when the medical liquid to be
transfused is used up.
Please refer to Fig. 4. When the tapered head portion
of the tubular needle 2 is inserted into the mouth 51
of the bottle 5 that is now turned upside down, the
medical liquid 52 in the bottle 5 flows into the
tubular needle 2 via the plurality of slits 21 at the
head portion of the tubular needle and drops into the
filtering bag 25 located in the throttling cylinder 1.
The medical liquid 52 in the filt-ering bag 25
penetrates the bag and drops into the throttling
cylinder 1 to flow to, for example, a needle cannula
via the hole 12 on the closed bottom of the throttling
cylinder 1.
When the medical liquid 52 continuously flows through
the tubular needle 2 to fill the same, the float 22 is
kept in a floating state in the tubular needle 2, as
shown in Fig. 4. As mentioned above, the tubular
needle 2 is particularly configcired to define a
downward tapered inner space and ari inner diameter of
an upper part of the inner space is slightly larger
than an outer diameter of the oblong f,_oat 22. This
configuration prevents the float 22 floating in the
tubu'Lar needle 2 from sealing the slits 21 and clogging
the tubular needle 2, and therefore allows the medical
liquid 52 to continuously flow into the tubular needle
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2 via the slits 21. The spot lamp 35 on the clamp 3
clamped around the transparent porcion of the tubular
needle 2 between the disc portion 23 and the annular
stopper 25 keeps projecting the light beam that passes
through the medical liquid 52 and is received by the
sensor 34, enabling the sensor 34 connected to the
warning unit 4 to lighten a relevant warning light 42
on the warning unit 46 ind.icating the instillation of
the medical liqLlid 52 ~_s in a normal and safe
condition.
Please further refer to Figs. 5 and G. When a level of
the medical liquid 52 in the bottle 5 becomes lower
than the slits 21 after the instillation has been done
over a long time, the medical liquid 52 no longer flows
from the bottle 5 into the tubular needle 2.
Meanwhile, the medical liquid 52 already flown into the
tubular needle 2 keeps dropping into the filtering bag
to gradually lower a level ef tl-ie medical liquid 52
20 in the tubular needle 2 and cause the float 22 to move
downward at the same time. Since the tubular needle 2
is configured to have a downward tapered inner space,
the lowering float 22 would finally clog a narrower
lower part of the tubular needle 2 when all the medical
25 liquid 52 in the tubular needle 2 has dropped into the
filtering bag 25, stopping any air from entering into
the patient's vessel via the empty tubular needle 2 to
endanger the patient.
When the float 22 clogs the lower part of- the tubular
needle 2, it also blocks the light bea.m emitted from
t..
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the spot lamp 35. The sensor 34 that does not receive
the light beam would immediately actuate the buzzer 41
on the warning unit ~'~ to emit warning sounds and cause
another warning light 42 indicating an empty bottle 5
to flash, so that the patient's attendant family or the
nurse is timely informed of the err~pty bottle 5 to
replace the same with a new one. The warning unit 4
may also be additionally wired to a nursing station for
the nursing attendants at a remote position to know the
empty bottle 5 in a ward, so that treatment-related
matters, such as replaci.nc; the empty medical liquid
bottle, may be taken care in real ti;ne.
Figs. 7 and 8 show two embodiments of the present
invention.
The following are some of the advantages of the
prewarning device for instillation of inedical liquid
according to t-ne present invention:
1o The device provides the function of stopping air
from entering into the patient's vessel and enables
omission of the conventional shutting means for the
same ai_r-blocking purpose. This is achieved by way
of fixedly connecting the tubular needle 2 to the
throttling cylinder i and disposing the float 22 in
the tubular needle 2 to contro~ the flow of the
medical liquid 52 and block any ai.r.
2. The tubular needle 2 is fixedly connected to the
throttling cylinder 1 to form an integral unit that
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could be more easily handled. A user needs only to
hold the throttling cylinder 1 and insert the head
portion of the tubular needle 2 into the mouth of
the medical liquid bottle 5 to complete the
preparatory work for instillation of the medical
liquid.
An alternate form of the prewarning device of the
present invention allows the device to be used with,
for example, a blood transfusion bag that is not in the
form of a typical bottle and contains light-impervious
blood. In the alternate form of the prewa.rning device
of the present invention, only the clamp 3 and the
warning unit 4 are included, and the warning unit 4 is
additionally provided with a. selector switch 43. When
the clamp 3 is ciamped onto a transparent duct extended
from the blood transfusion bag for delivering blood to
a cannula, the selector switch 43 on the warning unit 4
is switched from a position corresponding to a normal
instillation mode using the typical bottle 5 to a
position corresponding to a blood transfusion mode
using the blood transfusion bag. Since the blood is
not impervious to light, the light beam emitted from
the spot lamp 35 on the clamp 3 is not received by the
2.5 sensor 34 and the buzzer 41 on the warning unit 4 is
not actuated to sound. However, when the blood has
been fully delivered from the blood transfusion bag and
the duct becomes transparent again, the light beam
emitted from the spot lamp 35 is directly projected
onto the sensor 34 with.out being blocked by the blood.
Thus, the buzzer 41 of the warning unit 4 is actuated
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by the sensor 34 to sound. In brief, the provision of
the selector switch 43 allows the present invention to
include only the clamp 3 and the warning unit 4 for use
in transfusion of blood or other light-impervious fluid
to prewarn an attendant family or a nurse of an empty
blood transfusion bag.
The present invention has been described with a
preferred embodiment thereof and it is understood that
many changes and modifications in the described
embodiment can be carried out without departing from
the scope and the spirit of the invention that is
intended to be Limited only by the apperided clairns a
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