Sensor device for use in a medical fluid delivery system
View Patent ↗A sensor device for use in a medical fluid delivery system, or an infusion pump device, comprises a fluidic chamber with a deformable cover closing at least an area of the chamber and an optical detection system comprising at least one light emitter for emitting one or more incident light beams and a sensor unit for monitoring one or more reflected light beams is presented. In a pressurized state of the fluidic chamber, the deformable cover is deformed such that it forms an inflexion point area within the deformed cover. The one or more incident light beams emitted by the light emitter are directed on the cover such that the one or more incident light beams are reflected essentially in the inflexion point area.
1. A sensor device for use in a medical fluid delivery system, the sensor device comprising:
a fluidic chamber with a deformable cover closing at least an area of the fluidic chamber, wherein, in a pressurized state of the fluidic chamber, the deformable cover is deformed such that it forms an inflexion point area within the deformed cover; and
an optical detection system comprising at least one light emitter for emitting one or more incident light beams and a sensor unit for monitoring one or more reflected light beams, wherein the one or more incident light beams emitted by the light emitter are directed on the cover such that the one or more incident light beams are reflected in the inflexion point area.
2. The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more incident light beams are directed on the cover at an angle α.
3. The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the light emitter of the sensor device is located on a side of the cover which is curved in a convex manner in an increased pressure state of the fluidic chamber.
4. The sensor device according to claim 3 , wherein one side of the cover is in fluid contact and the light emitter is located on the other side of the cover.
5. The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the incident light beam is a parallel light beam.
6. The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the light emitter is a laser diode comprising an optical element for parallelizing emitted light beams.
7. The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the light emitter is a light emitting diode comprising an optical element for parallelizing emitted light beams.
8. The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit is a dual-element sensor with two photo-elements.
9. The sensor device according to claim 8 , wherein an optical element is provided in an optical path from the inflexion point area towards one or both of first and/or second photo-elements.
10. The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein a diameter of an overall incident light beam is selected such that an edge of the beam does not extend beyond a center point of the cover.
11. The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the cover covers an at least partially rounded opening of the fluidic chamber.
12. The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more incident light beams are reflected at an inflection point area located closest to the light emitter.
13. An infusion pump device for use in a medical fluid delivery system, the infusion pump device comprising a sensor device according to claim 1 .
14. A medical fluid delivery system, the medical fluid delivery system comprising a sensor device according to claim 1 .
15. The medical fluid delivery system according to claim 14 , wherein the optical detection system is part of a reusable unit of the delivery device and the fluidic chamber is part of a disposable unit of the delivery device and wherein the disposable unit comprises an optical element for directing the incident light beam in an angle α on the inflexion point area of the cover.
16. The medical fluid delivery system according to claim 15 , wherein the disposable unit comprises an optical element for directing the reflected light beam from the inflexion point area to the sensor unit.
17. A disposable unit for use with a medical fluid delivery system, wherein an optical element for directing an incident light beam of a sensor device in an angle α on an inflexion point area of a deformable cover of a fluidic chamber.
18. A method for monitoring a pressure change in a fluidic chamber of a medical fluid delivery system using a sensor device according to claim 1 , comprising:
directing one or more incident light beams on the inflexion point area of the deformable cover;
detecting one or more reflected light beams reflected from the deformable cover in a non-pressurized state and a pressurized state; and
comparing detection data of the non-pressurized state and the pressurized state to extract the pressure change value.