The Challenge:

Need to monitor IV bags in hospitals, homes and doctors offices to:

• See if the IV bag is dispensing correctly.  Need to know if the bag still has liquids and is dispensing at the correct rate.
• Determine if the IV is empty and needs replacement?
• Check if the bag still has contents but is not dispensing correctly and needs attention from a nurse?

How it works:

The Remote IV-Monitoring System enables users to check the IV levels based on the weight of the IV bag and its contents.  This solution monitors the weight of an IV Bag and infers the amount of fluid present and the rate of dispensing of the fluid per minute via a user-friendly GUI interface on a PC and sends out alerts or alarms via SMS or email based on limits set by an authorized administrator.

Diagram:

Results:

Solution:

Use a miniature load cell connected to either a USB load cell interface or a wireless load cell interface. Hang the IV-bag from the load cell which is in turn fixed to an IV stand.  Conenct the interface to the PC and run LoadVUE Pro (LV-1000) software.

Parts Used for +/- 1% Accuracy IV Bag Monitoring Solution:
• 1 iLoad Mini 10 lb load cell
• 1 DQ-1000U
• 1 TX-125 Adapter
• 1 IV-125 Adapter
• LoadVUE Pro (LV-1000) software

Parts Used for +/- 0.1% high Accuracy IV Bag Monitoring Solution:
• 1 REB7 1 Kg (2.2 lb) load cell
• 1 DI-1000U USB or DI-1000ZP Wireless Interface
• LoadVUE Pro (LV-1000) software