Automated fluid flow control system

1. A fluid control system, comprising:

a fluid pathway assembly defining a fluid pathway and having an inline flow sensor element received within said fluid pathway, said sensor element movable in response to a fluid flowing in said fluid pathway;

a flow control device removably attachable to said fluid pathway assembly and having a sensor for detecting movement of said inline flow sensor element;

said fluid pathway assembly having a variable flow resistor which is manually adjustable to regulate a rate of fluid flow in the fluid pathway when said flow control device is removed from said fluid pathway assembly;

a motor attached to the flow control device, said motor operably coupled to said variable flow resistor when said flow control device is attached to said fluid pathway assembly; and

said variable flow resistor adjustable by said motor under automatic control in response to electronically sensed interactions between said inline flow sensor element and said sensor.

2. The fluid control system of claim 1 , further comprising:

said variable flow resistor further being manually adjustable to regulate a rate of fluid flow in the fluid pathway when said flow control device is attached to said fluid pathway assembly.

3. The fluid control system of claim 1 , further comprising:

said fluid pathway assembly having a first inlet for fluidic coupling to a first fluid source and an outlet for fluidic coupling to a patient; and

a visual indicator of fluid flow fluidically coupled to said fluid pathway assembly.

4. The fluid control system of claim 3 , further comprising:

said flow control device having a processor for receiving signals from said sensor, the signals representative of movement of said inline flow sensor element; and

a display on said flow control device for displaying flow rate information in human-viewable form.

5. The fluid control system of claim 4 , further comprising:

said inline flow sensor element including an inline flow impeller rotatably mounted within said flow pathway and a magnet mounted on said inline flow impeller; and

said sensor including an electromagnetic sensor for generating signals in response to movement of said magnet.

6. The fluid control system of claim 5 , further comprising:

a second inlet for fluidic coupling to a second fluid source; and

said processor for receiving the signals generated by electromagnetic sensor in response to movement of said magnet and determining whether the fluid flowing in the fluid pathway is from the first fluid source or the second fluid source.

7. The fluid control system of claim 5 , further comprising:

a power supply electrically coupled to said electromagnetic sensor for applying a current to said electromagnetic sensor for generating an electromagnetic field, said magnet and inline flow impeller movable in response to the electromagnetic field.

8. The fluid control system of claim 7 , further comprising:

said processor for calculating flow rate information based on one or both of:

passive movement of said inline flow impeller sensed by said electromagnetic sensor; and

movement of said inline flow impeller responsive to an electromagnetic field generated by said electromagnetic sensor.

9. The fluid control system of claim 5 , further comprising:

said fluid pathway assembly maintaining a stable flow rate when said flow control device is removed from said fluid pathway assembly.

10. The fluid control system of claim 9 , further comprising:

said flow control device operable to automatically adjust said variable flow resistor to achieve a first target flow rate if the fluid flowing in the fluid pathway is from the first fluid source and a second target flow rate if the fluid flowing in the fluid pathway is from the second source.

11. A method for controlling a flow of fluid from a fluid source to a patient, said method comprising:

connecting a first fluid source containing a first fluid to be infused into a patient to a first inlet of a fluid pathway assembly having a manually adjustable variable flow resistor, the fluid pathway assembly defining a fluid pathway and having an inline flow sensor element received within the fluid pathway, the sensor element movable in response to fluid flowing in the fluid pathway;

providing a fluid control device which is removably attachable to the fluid pathway assembly, the fluid control device having a sensor for detecting movement of the inline flow sensor element;

calculating an actual flow rate based on sensed movement of the inline flow sensor element; and

if the fluid control device is attached to the fluid pathway assembly, monitoring the actual flow rate and automatically adjusting the variable flow resistor to achieve a first target flow rate.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

the variable flow resistor being manually adjustable to regulate a rate of fluid flow in the fluid pathway when the flow control device is removed from the fluid pathway assembly.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

providing one or both of a visual indicator of fluid flow for providing a visual indication of flow rate when the flow control device is removed from the fluid pathway assembly and a display on the flow control device for displaying flow rate information in human-viewable form when the flow control device is attached to the fluid pathway assembly.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

the inline flow sensor element including an inline flow impeller rotatably mounted within the flow pathway and a magnet mounted on the inline flow impeller; and

the sensor including an electromagnetic sensor for generating signals in response to movement of the magnet.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

sensing passive movement of the inline flow impeller using the electromagnetic sensor; and

calculating a flow rate based on the sensed passive movement.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

applying a current to the electromagnetic sensor to generate an electromagnetic field; and

sensing movement of the inline flow impeller responsive to the electromagnetic field; and

calculating a flow rate based on the sensed movement.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

connecting a second fluid source containing a second fluid to be infused into a patient to a second inlet of a fluid pathway assembly.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

receiving the signals generated by electromagnetic sensor in response to movement of the magnet;

determining whether the fluid flowing in the fluid pathway is from the first fluid source or the second fluid source.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

adjusting the variable flow resistor to achieve a first target flow rate if the fluid flowing in the fluid pathway is from the first fluid source; and

adjusting the variable flow resistor to achieve a second target flow rate if the fluid flowing in the fluid pathway is from the first second source.

20. A method for controlling a flow of fluid in a fluid flow control system, said method comprising:

connecting a fluid source to an inlet of a fluid pathway assembly, the fluid pathway assembly defining a fluid pathway and having an inline flow sensor element received within the fluid pathway, the sensor element movable in response to fluid flowing in the fluid pathway;

providing a fluid control device having a sensor for detecting movement of the inline flow sensor element;

applying a force to the inline flow sensor element;

detecting a response of the inline flow sensor element to the force applied to the inline flow sensor element;

calculating an actual flow rate based on the detected response of the inline flow sensor element to the force applied to the inline flow sensor element.