Density analysis for flow sensor-based fluid control system

1. A method for determining a density of a fluid relative to a density of a flow object in a flow control system of a type having a flow rate sensor including the flow object movably received in an axially extending flow passageway, the flow object being axially movable within the flow passageway in response to a first force exerted on the flow object by the fluid as it passes through the flow passageway and a second force exerted on the flow object in a direction opposite the first force by a spring member received within the flow passageway, the flow object reaching an equilibrium position within the flow passageway when the first and second forces are equal, the equilibrium position corresponding to an axial position within the flow passageway which varies with varying flow rate, said method comprising:

sensing an acceleration of the flow rate sensor with an accelerometer;

monitoring a change in position of the flow object responsive to the acceleration;

determining a direction of movement of the flow object; and

determining the relative density of the fluid relative to the flow object.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of determining the density of the fluid relative to the density of the flow object includes determining whether the density of the fluid is equal to, greater than, or less than the density of the flow object.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

prior to sensing the acceleration, causing a movement of the flow rate sensor.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acceleration is sensed using a three-axis accelerometer and wherein the relative density is sensed using a component of the acceleration which is a parallel to a direction of fluid flow in the flow passageway.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acceleration is sensed using a single-axis accelerometer which is oriented to sense acceleration in a direction parallel to a direction of fluid flow in the flow passageway.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the density of the flow object is known.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

determining a magnitude of the change in position of the flow object responsive to the acceleration, wherein said magnitude of the change in position is proportional to a magnitude of the difference between the density of the flow object and the density of the fluid.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

inputting fluid density information including an expected density of the fluid;

comparing the relative density of the fluid to the expected density of the fluid; and

if the relative density of the fluid is inconsistent with the expected density, of the fluid, generating an alert.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

if the flow object does not move responsive to a sensed acceleration, inferring that the density of the fluid is substantially the same as the density of the flow object;

if the flow object moves in a direction of fluid flow responsive to an acceleration of the flow rate sensor in the direction of fluid flow, inferring that the density of the fluid is greater than the density of the flow object;

if the flow object moves in a direction opposite the direction of fluid flow responsive to an acceleration of the flow rate sensor in the direction of fluid flow, inferring that the density of the fluid is less than the density of the flow object;

if the flow object moves in the direction of fluid flow responsive to an acceleration of the flow rate sensor in the direction opposite the direction of fluid flow, inferring that the density of the fluid is less than the density of the flow object; and

if the flow object moves in the direction opposite the direction of fluid flow responsive to an acceleration of the flow rate sensor in the direction opposite the direction of fluid flow, inferring that the density of the fluid is greater than the density of the flow object.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is an intravenous infusion fluid.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

passing light from a light source in a direction that is perpendicular to the direction of fluid flow in the passageway;

sensing the light from the light source passing through the flow passageway using a light sensor;

determining a wavelength of the light sensed by the light sensor; and

determining the fluid in the flow passageway based on the wavelength.

12. An apparatus for determining a density of a fluid relative to a density of a flow object in a flow control system, said apparatus comprising:

a flow sensor for fluidic coupling between a source of the fluid and a target object for receiving the fluid, said flow sensor including the flow object movably received within an axially extending flow passageway and an optical sensor for monitoring an axial position of the flow object within the axially extending flow passageway and for generating a signal representative of the axial position of the flow object in the flow passageway;

an accelerometer coupled to the flow control system for generating a signal representative of an acceleration of the flow sensor; and

a processor operably coupled to the accelerometer and the optical sensor for receiving the signal from the optical sensor representative of the axial position of the flow object in the flow passageway and the signal from the accelerometer representative of the acceleration of the flow sensor and determining the density of the fluid relative to the density of the flow object.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said fluid is an intravenous infusion fluid.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the flow object is selected from a cylindrical flow object and a spherical flow object.

15. A method for inferring density of a fluid in a flow control system, the flow control system controlling a flow of the fluid, the flow control system having a flow passageway, a flow object movably positioned in the flow passageway and a sensor for sensing a position of the flow object in the flow passageway, wherein a position of the flow object in the flow passageway is responsive to a flow rate of the fluid in the flow passageway, further wherein the flow rate is responsive to a fluid driving pressure and a systematic flow resistance in the flow control system, said method comprising:

causing movement of the flow control system to impart an acceleration to the flow control system;

measuring an acceleration experienced by the flow object with an accelerometer attached to the flow control system;

monitoring the position of the flow object in the flow passageway and calculating any one or both of: (a) a direction of movement of the flow object in the flow passageway responsive to the acceleration; and (b) a direction and distance of movement of the flow object in the flow passageway responsive to the acceleration; and

inferring a density of the fluid relative to a known density of the flow object.