IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,333,545

Granted Patent B2

US 11,333,545 · App. 16/841,464 · Granted May 17, 2022

System and method for estimating an amount of a blood component in a volume of fluid

Inventors: Siddarth Satish (Redwood City, CA); Kevin J. Miller (Mountain View, CA); Peter S. Hyoung (Los Altos, CA); Andrew T. Hosford (Idaho Falls, ID); Eric W. Hsieh (Los Altos, CA)

Assignee: Gauss Surgical, Inc.

G01G17/04 A61M1/0001 A61M1/76 G01G21/28 G01N33/4925 H04N5/2253 H04N5/2257 A61M2205/3306 A61M2205/3393 A61M2205/3592 A61M2205/50 A61M2205/70 A61M2230/20 G01G19/52

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 11,333,545
App. No.: 16/841,464
Granted: May 17, 2022
Kind: B2

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Abstract

System and methods for analyzing the contents of a fluid canister are provided for use in healthcare settings. The system includes optical and weight sensors to analyze the canister contents.

Claims (140)

1. Apparatus comprising:

a canister receptacle to receive a canister, the canister to receive fluid from a patient;

a weight measurement element arranged to measure weight of the canister including the fluid;

an image capture device to capture of an image of the fluid, the capture device being triggered based on weight information from the weight measurement element; and

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to trigger the image capture device based on a change in the weight of the canister.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to receive the captured image in response to the image capture device being triggered based on a change in the weight of the canister.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a hemoglobin value of the fluid in the canister based on the image of the fluid, and to modify the hemoglobin value of the fluid.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to initiate a draining of the fluid from the canister, and to set a reference weight of the canister in response to completion of the initiated draining of the fluid.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to detect removal of the canister from the canister receptacle based on the weight information, and to store at least one of a fluid concentration value of the fluid in the canister or a fluid volume value of the fluid in the canister in response to the detected removal of the canister.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to detect removal of the canister from the canister receptacle based on the weight information, and to reset at least one of a counter corresponding to the fluid or a register corresponding to the fluid in response to the detected removal of the canister.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is integral with the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is remote from the image capture device and the weight measurement element.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image is of a sub-volume of the fluid in the canister.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to transform at least one of absolute color values in the image or color gradients across pixels in the image into a quantitative estimation of a concentration of a blood component in the fluid.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to trigger an optical emitter to assist the image capture device to capture the image.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the optical emitter is configured to illuminate a reflective insert in the canister, and the image capture device is configured to capture the image of the fluid between the reflective insert and a wall of the canister.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to estimate a concentration of a blood component in the fluid based on the weight.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a display is caused to be updated to visually indicate at least one of a current estimated volume of the fluid in the canister, a current estimated quality of the volume of the fluid, or a current estimated quantity of a blood component in the canister.

16. A system comprising:

a canister;

a scale;

an imaging device; and

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising:

a communication module configured to provide the weight information from the scale to the processor.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to cause the imaging device to capture the image of the fluid in the canister in response to the weight information from the scale indicating a change in a weight of the canister.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to initiate a draining of the fluid from the canister, and to set a reference weight of the canister in response to completion of the initiated draining of the fluid.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the imaging device is arranged to capture the image of the fluid through a first aperture in a wall between the canister and the imaging device.

21. The system of claim 20 , further comprising:

an optical emitter configured to illuminate the fluid through a second aperture in the wall, the second aperture being optically isolated from the first aperture in the wall.

22. A method comprising:

monitoring, by one or more processors, a weight of a canister that contains fluid based on weight information from a scale;

detecting, by the one or more processors, a change in the weight of the canister that contains the fluid;

causing, by the one or more processors, an imaging device to capture an image of the fluid in the canister in response to the change in the weight of the canister;

providing, by the one or more processors, an estimated volume of the fluid in the canister based on the image caused to be captured in response to the change in the weight of the canister; and

determining, by the one or more processors, a hemoglobin value of the fluid in the canister based on the weight and the image of the fluid.

23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising:

estimating an amount of a fluid component within the estimated volume of the fluid in the canister; and

providing the estimated amount of the fluid component.

24. Apparatus comprising:

a canister receptacle to receive a canister, the canister to receive fluid from a patient;

a weight measurement element arranged to measure weight of the canister including the fluid;

an image capture device to capture of an image of the fluid, the capture device being triggered based on weight information from the weight measurement element; and

25. A system comprising:

a canister;

a scale;

an imaging device; and

26. A method comprising:

monitoring, by one or more processors, a weight of a canister that contains fluid based on weight information from a scale;

detecting, by the one or more processors, a change in the weight of the canister that contains the fluid;

causing, by the one or more processors, an imaging device to capture an image of the fluid in the canister in response to the change in the weight of the canister;

providing, by the one or more processors, an estimated volume of the fluid in the canister based on the image caused to be captured in response to the change in the weight of the canister;

determining, by the one or more processors, a hemoglobin value of the fluid in the canister based on the image of the fluid; and

modifying, by the one or more processors, the hemoglobin value of the fluid.

27. Apparatus comprising:

a canister receptacle to receive a canister, the canister to receive fluid from a patient;

a weight measurement element arranged to measure weight of the canister including the fluid;

an image capture device to capture of an image of the fluid, the capture device being triggered based on weight information from the weight measurement element; and

a communication interface to communicate the weight information and image data to a processing unit that triggers the image capture device, the processing unit being configured to initiate a draining of the fluid from the canister, and to set a reference weight of the canister in response to completion of the initiated draining of the fluid.

28. A system comprising:

a canister;

a scale;

an imaging device; and

a processor configured to cause the imaging device to capture an image of fluid in the canister based on weight information from the scale, the processor being further configured to initiate a draining of the fluid from the canister, and to set a reference weight of the canister in response to completion of the initiated draining of the fluid.

29. A method comprising:

monitoring, by one or more processors, a weight of a canister that contains fluid based on weight information from a scale;

detecting, by the one or more processors, a change in the weight of the canister that contains the fluid;

causing, by the one or more processors, an imaging device to capture an image of the fluid in the canister in response to the change in the weight of the canister;

providing, by the one or more processors, an estimated volume of the fluid in the canister based on the image caused to be captured in response to the change in the weight of the canister;

initiating, by the one or more processors, a draining of the fluid from the canister; and

setting, by the one or more processors, a reference weight of the canister in response to completion of the initiated draining of the fluid.

30. Apparatus comprising:

a canister receptacle to receive a canister, the canister to receive fluid from a patient;

a weight measurement element arranged to measure weight of the canister including the fluid;

an image capture device to capture of an image of the fluid, the capture device being triggered based on weight information from the weight measurement element; and

a communication interface to communicate the weight information and image data to a processing unit that triggers the image capture device, the processing unit being configured to detect removal of the canister from a canister receptacle based on the weight information, and to store at least one of a fluid concentration value of the fluid in the canister or a fluid volume value of the fluid in the canister in response to the detected removal of the canister.

31. A system comprising:

a canister;

a scale;

an imaging device; and

a processor configured to cause the imaging device to capture an image of fluid in the canister based on weight information from the scale, the processor being further configured to detect removal of the canister from a canister receptacle based on the weight information, and to store at least one of a fluid concentration value of the fluid in the canister or a fluid volume value of the fluid in the canister in response to the detected removal of the canister.

32. A method comprising:

monitoring, by one or more processors, a weight of a canister that contains fluid based on weight information from a scale;

detecting, by the one or more processors, a change in the weight of the canister that contains the fluid;

causing, by the one or more processors, an imaging device to capture an image of the fluid in the canister in response to the change in the weight of the canister;

providing, by the one or more processors, an estimated volume of the fluid in the canister based on the image caused to be captured in response to the change in the weight of the canister;

detecting, by the one or more processors, removal of the canister from a canister receptacle based on the weight information; and

storing, by the one or more processors, at least one of a fluid concentration value of the fluid in the canister or a fluid volume value of the fluid in the canister in response to the detected removal of the canister.

33. Apparatus comprising:

a canister receptacle to receive a canister, the canister to receive fluid from a patient;

a weight measurement element arranged to measure weight of the canister including the fluid;

an image capture device to capture of an image of the fluid, the capture device being triggered based on weight information from the weight measurement element; and

a communication interface to communicate the weight information and image data to a processing unit that triggers the image capture device, the processing unit being configured to detect removal of the canister from the canister receptacle based on the weight information, and to reset at least one of a counter corresponding to the fluid or a register corresponding to the fluid in response to the detected removal of the canister.

34. A system comprising:

a canister;

a scale;

an imaging device; and

a processor configured to cause the imaging device to capture an image of fluid in the canister based on weight information from the scale, the processor being further configured to detect removal of the canister from a canister receptacle based on the weight information, and to reset at least one of a counter corresponding to the fluid or a register corresponding to the fluid in response to the detected removal of the canister.

35. A method comprising:

monitoring, by one or more processors, a weight of a canister that contains fluid based on weight information from a scale;

detecting, by the one or more processors, a change in the weight of the canister that contains the fluid;

causing, by the one or more processors, an imaging device to capture an image of the fluid in the canister in response to the change in the weight of the canister;

providing, by the one or more processors, an estimated volume of the fluid in the canister based on the image caused to be captured in response to the change in the weight of the canister;

detecting, by the one or more processors, removal of the canister from a canister receptacle based on the weight information; and

resetting, by the one or more processors, at least one of a counter corresponding to the fluid or a register corresponding to the fluid in response to the detected removal of the canister.

36. Apparatus comprising:

a canister receptacle to receive a canister, the canister to receive fluid from a patient;

a weight measurement element arranged to measure weight of the canister including the fluid;

an image capture device to capture of an image of the fluid, the capture device being triggered based on weight information from the weight measurement element; and

a communication interface to communicate the weight information and image data to a processing unit that triggers the image capture device, the processing unit being configured to transform at least one of absolute color values in the image or color gradients across pixels in the image into a quantitative estimation of a concentration of a blood component in the fluid.

37. A system comprising:

a canister;

a scale;

an imaging device; and

a processor configured to cause the imaging device to capture an image of fluid in the canister based on weight information from the scale, the processor being further configured to transform at least one of absolute color values in the image or color gradients across pixels in the image into a quantitative estimation of a concentration of a blood component in the fluid.

38. A method comprising:

monitoring, by one or more processors, a weight of a canister that contains fluid based on weight information from a scale;

detecting, by the one or more processors, a change in the weight of the canister that contains the fluid;

causing, by the one or more processors, an imaging device to capture an image of the fluid in the canister in response to the change in the weight of the canister;

providing, by the one or more processors, an estimated volume of the fluid in the canister based on the image caused to be captured in response to the change in the weight of the canister; and

transforming, by the one or more processors, at least one of absolute color values in the image or color gradients across pixels in the image into a quantitative estimation of a concentration of a blood component in the fluid.

39. Apparatus comprising:

a canister receptacle to receive a canister, the canister to receive fluid from a patient;

a weight measurement element arranged to measure weight of the canister including the fluid;

an image capture device to capture of an image of the fluid, the capture device being triggered based on weight information from the weight measurement element; and

40. A system comprising:

a canister;

a scale;

an imaging device; and

41. A method comprising:

monitoring, by one or more processors, a weight of a canister that contains fluid based on weight information from a scale;

detecting, by the one or more processors, a change in the weight of the canister that contains the fluid;

causing, by the one or more processors, an imaging device to capture an image of the fluid in the canister in response to the change in the weight of the canister;

providing, by the one or more processors, an estimated volume of the fluid in the canister based on the image caused to be captured in response to the change in the weight of the canister; and

estimating, by the one or more processors, a concentration of a blood component in the fluid based on the weight.

Assignments (3)

CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Dec 18, 2024

From: STRYKER CORPORATION

To: STRYKER CORPORATION

Reel/Frame 069737/0184 →

ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 27, 2024

From: GAUSS SURGICAL, INC.

To: STRYKER CORPORATION

Reel/Frame 068412/0122 →

ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 23, 2020

From: SATISH, SIDDARTH; MILLER, KEVIN J; HYOUNG, PETER S; HOSFORD, ANDREW T; HSIEH, ERIC W

To: GAUSS SURGICAL, INC.

Reel/Frame 052479/0226 →