IV Bag Monitoring Solution
IV Bags are commonly used to administer intravenous therapy (I.V.) of life-sustaining fluids, electrolytes, and medications. The simplest and most common ones are gravity fed. For those cases we offer a very elegant and simple IV Bag monitoring solution using load cells, USB or wireless interfaces and software to monitor the weight of the IV bag.
The Challenge
Need to monitor weight of IV bags in hospitals, homes and doctors offices to:
- See if the IV bag is dispensing correctly at the correct rate
Find out if the bag still has fluid and how much is in it - Determine if the IV is empty and needs replacement
- Check if it needs attention from a nurse
Digital Load Cell Solution for IV Monitoring
Our solution, uses a miniature load cell (REB7 or RES2) connected to either a USB load cell interface or a wireless load cell interface. The load cell has a rod-end or eye-bolt at both ends to make it easier to mount the IV bag. Hang the IV-bag from the load cell which is in turn fixed to an IV stand. Connect the interface to the PC and run LoadVUE Pro (LV-1000) software. You can then display, log and plot data on a Windows PC or Tablet. One can use the DI-1000BLE wireless interface to display things on an iPhone (IOS) or use our DS-3000-Pro touch screen LCD to display values on a simple LCD display.
USB and Wireless Options
We offer the IV Bag Monitoring solution in two configurations - USB Output and Wireless Output. An optional kit with Analog (0 - 5 VDC) output is also available. Please contact us if you are looking for the Analog kit.
USB Kit:
1 REB7 1 Kg (2.2 lb) Load Cell
DI-1000U USB Load Cell Interface
LV-1000 LoadVUE Pro Software
Add Tension Calibration
Add Accessories
Optional:
DS-3000-Pro 1 or 4 Channel Display
Wireless Kit:
1 REB7 1 Kg (2.2 lb) Load Cell
DI-1000ZP Wireless Load Cell Interface
LV-1000 LoadVUE Pro Software
Add Tension Calibration
Add Accessories
Optional:
DS-3000-Pro 1 or 4 Channel Display
How Does IV Bag Monitoring Solution Work?
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.
Case Study
In the neo-natal pediatric surgery division of the St. John Hospital & Medical Center, a tiny premie baby needed to be infused with an IV therapeutic. But the procedure called for careful monitoring of the amount of IV that was infused to make sure that what went in also came out and did not affec the body weight of the premie baby. The process needed careful monitoring to make sure the right amount of fluid went in and then an equal amount was removed. The hospital needed a solution that could be used by an average nurse without significant training and complexity to use.
The chief nurse of the neo-natal unit, purchased a 1 Kg REB7 load cell connected to a DI-1000U USB Interface, Calibrated in Tension mode with two rod-ends and S-hooks to easily hang the bag from the load cell and the load cell to a stand. A Surface Go Tablet was used with LoadVUE Pro software installed on it. The email id of the nurse was input as the person to be alerted in case the weight exceeded certain limits.
The sensor solution enabled the procedure to be administered smoothly and allowed the team to monitor the infusion process closely with unprecedented visibility, graphical data display and alerting capabilities.
