JPWO2017043437A1 - Infusion device - Google Patents

Abstract

A transparent drip tube and a nozzle having a drip port for dropping droplets intermittently inside the drip tube, wherein the nozzle has a mark identifiable from the outside of the drip tube. A drip device.

Description

  The present invention relates to an infusion device and an infusion device.

  When an infusion or the like is administered to a patient by infusion, it is necessary for the nurse to adjust the instillation amount (flow rate) by adjusting the opening of the infusion channel when setting the infusion bag. In addition, the drop amount may fluctuate due to bending of the tube during the drip, so the nurse has to regularly check the drop amount.

  In order to automatically control the amount of dripping, there is known an infusion system that counts the number of droplets falling from the lower end of the nozzle in the drip tube and controls the amount of dripping according to the count number. .

  For example, in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent No. 5131894), the total amount of drip liquid, the amount of drops per predetermined time, and the number of drops per milliliter are set, and the light illuminated by the light-emitting diode is set by a photodiode. A method is disclosed in which the number of drops in the infusion tube is counted by detection, and the opening degree of the conduit connected to the infusion tube is adjusted using a linear stepping motor (actuator) according to the counted number of drops. ing. Also, Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-125450) discloses an infusion monitoring device that detects a droplet falling in a light-transmitting infusion tube by a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and calculates the number of drops and an interval between drops. Is disclosed.

  However, when the size of the droplets varies depending on the viscosity and surface tension of the liquid, it is impossible to know the exact amount of droplets only by counting the number of droplets. That is, since the number of drops per milliliter differs depending on the type of liquid, it is necessary to change the setting accordingly, but the work is complicated and there is a risk of mistakes.

  In view of this, Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent No. 55893939) discloses a drip detection apparatus that can measure not only the number of drops but also the size (volume) of a drop. In the drip detection device disclosed in Patent Document 2, a state in which a droplet is separated from the lower end of the nozzle and dropped as a droplet by a two-dimensional image sensor is displayed as a series of moving images or a plurality of imaging data at predetermined time intervals. The image data of the droplet immediately after being dropped from the nozzle is specified, and the volume of the droplet is calculated from the image data.

Japanese Patent No. 5131894 Japanese Patent No. 55839939 JP 2012-125450 A

  However, the drip detection device disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a high-speed image processing capability (for example, 120 sheets) in order to correctly obtain the image data of the droplet immediately before dropping from the nozzle or immediately after dropping. There is a problem that an expensive camera having a large angle of view is required.

  The inventors of the present invention have found that the above-described problems can be solved by a dropping amount measuring device that measures the dropping amount from image data of growing droplets growing at the dropping port of the nozzle. According to such a drop amount measuring device, the growing droplet has a slower moving speed than the falling droplet, and therefore it is possible to measure the size (volume) of the droplet with an inexpensive camera or the like. is there. For this reason, it is possible to accurately measure the dripping amount without depending on the type of liquid without requiring an expensive camera.

  However, the shape of the drip tube, the thickness of the nozzle, the position of the drip port, etc. differ depending on the type of drip device equipped with the drip tube and drip nozzle, etc. There is a risk that it will not fit well in the field of view.

  As a countermeasure for this problem, a method of widening the field of view of the camera is conceivable, but the resolution of the image is lowered, so that the measurement accuracy of the drop amount is lowered. If a high-resolution camera is used, the resolution of the image can be maintained. However, since a large number of pixels are captured and the calculation load of image processing increases, the processing speed is reduced and the number of images per unit time required for measurement is reduced. It becomes difficult to obtain the image.

  Even if there is no problem with the field of view of the camera, if an infusion device of a type with a different nozzle thickness (opening area of the dripping port) is mistakenly attached, the amount of dripping cannot be correctly measured by an image.

  From these points, it is desirable to use a dedicated infusion device having a certain shape. However, even when a dedicated infusion device is used, when the drip amount measuring device is attached (fixed) to the infusion device, the attachment position may deviate from a predetermined position. If the mounting position is misaligned, droplets growing at the nozzle's dripping port do not fit well in the camera's field of view, making it impossible to measure the amount of dripping or measuring the amount of dripping accurately. Problem arises.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems newly found by the present inventors, can be equipped with a dropping amount measuring device at the correct position, and can accurately measure the dropping amount. It is an object to provide an infusion device and an infusion device. It is another object of the present invention to provide an infusion device and an infusion device that can accurately measure the amount of dripping regardless of the type of liquid to be dripped even when an inexpensive camera or the like is used.

[1]
A transparent drip tube, and a nozzle having a dripping port for dropping liquid droplets intermittently inside the drip tube,
The infusion device according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle has a mark identifiable from the outside of the infusion tube.

[2]
The infusion device according to [1], wherein the mark is an uneven shape provided on an outer peripheral surface of the nozzle.

[3]
The infusion device according to [1], wherein the mark has a tapered shape provided at a tip portion of the nozzle.

[4]
The infusion device according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle is water repellent.

[5]
The infusion device according to any one of [1] to [4];
A drip amount measuring device for measuring a drip amount of a droplet that grows at the dripping port of the nozzle and drops intermittently from the dripping port;
The dripping amount measuring device is
An imaging unit that acquires the image data of the nozzle and a plurality of image data at different time points of the growing droplet growing at the dropping port;
A data processing unit for calculating the drop amount by analyzing the plurality of image data at different time points of the growing droplet;
An infusion device comprising: a discriminating unit that discriminates whether or not the mark of the nozzle is disposed within a predetermined range from the image data of the nozzle.

  According to the present invention, the dropping amount measuring device can be mounted at a correct position. In addition, it is possible to eliminate the possibility of mounting a drip tube different from that of the present invention, and the size (volume) of the droplet can be accurately measured, so that the amount of dripping can be accurately measured. . In addition, by capturing a growing droplet whose moving speed is slower than that of a falling droplet, it is possible to accurately measure the amount of dripping regardless of the type of liquid to be dripped, even when using an inexpensive camera. Can do.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an enlarged nozzle periphery in the configuration of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is another schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the first embodiment. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of image data of a droplet in Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of image data of a droplet in the first embodiment. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a plurality of image data of a droplet in Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a plurality of image data of droplets in the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a circle fitted to a droplet in the plurality of image data of the droplet shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a circle fitted to a droplet in a plurality of image data of the droplet shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of another modified example of the first embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the outline of the identified droplet in the several image data of the droplet shown by FIG. It is a schematic diagram which expands and shows the nozzle periphery in the modification of Embodiment 1. FIG. (A) is a side view, (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged view of the periphery of a nozzle during growth of droplets in a modification of the first embodiment. (A) is a side view, (b) shows the picked-up image from a side surface.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals represent the same or corresponding parts. In addition, dimensional relationships such as length, width, thickness, and depth are changed as appropriate for clarity and simplification of the drawings, and do not represent actual dimensional relationships.

  Each embodiment is an exemplification, and needless to say, partial replacement or combination of configurations shown in different embodiments is possible. In the second and subsequent embodiments, description of matters common to the first embodiment is omitted, and only different points will be described. In particular, the same operation effect by the same configuration will not be sequentially described for each embodiment.

[Embodiment 1]
<Drip device>
With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the infusion device of this embodiment includes at least an infusion tube 11 and a nozzle 12. The infusion device may include members other than the infusion tube 11 and the nozzle 12. For example, an infusion set including a tube connected to the infusion tube 11 and the nozzle 12 is also included in the infusion device.

  The nozzle 12 has a dripping port 120 that communicates with the inside of the drip tube 11, and droplets can be dropped intermittently from the dripping port 120. The nozzle 12 is, for example, a cylindrical member.

  The drip tube 11 is transparent. For this reason, an image of the appearance of the nozzle 12 and an image of the growing droplet 13 a growing at the dropping port 120 can be taken by the camera 21 from the outside of the drip tube 11.

  And in the infusion instrument of this embodiment, the nozzle 12 has the mark which can be identified from the outside of the said infusion tube, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  The mark is not particularly limited as long as it can be identified from the outside of the drip tube, and examples thereof include a specific shape (including the shape of the nozzle itself), a pattern, a color, and a combination thereof. Note that the pattern and the color may be any pattern that can be identified (captured) by transmitted light or reflected light. The light source of the transmitted light and the reflected light may be external light, but is preferably light emitted from a lighting fixture in order to obtain stable imaging. The type of light may be any light as long as the mark can be identified, but may be visible light or light other than visible light (such as infrared light).

  When the mark has a specific shape, it is particularly preferable that the mark has an uneven shape or a tapered shape provided on the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle 12.

  Specifically, the concavo-convex shape is a convex portion 121 as shown in FIG. The convex portion 121 (a mark) is a portion that protrudes to the outside provided over the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle 12. In addition, the shape of only the convex part 121 is an annular shape concentric with the central axis of the cylindrical nozzle 12. As described above, when the uneven shape is an axisymmetric shape with respect to the central axis of the nozzle, the same image is obtained regardless of the horizontal direction of the nozzle 12 and the rotation of the nozzle 12. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to stably identify the mark by image analysis performed by a determination unit (data processing unit 4) described later.

  Further, the taper shape is a shape that tapers toward the tip of the nozzle 12 as shown in FIG. 12, and has a neck portion 122 where tapering starts. The neck portion 122 (mark) is provided over the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle 12. The shape of the neck 122 is an annular shape concentric with the central axis of the cylindrical nozzle 12. As described above, when the taper shape is axisymmetric with respect to the central axis of the nozzle, the same image can be obtained regardless of the horizontal direction of the nozzle 12 and the rotation of the nozzle 12. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to stably identify the mark by image analysis performed by a determination unit (data processing unit 4) described later.

  In the image analysis, for example, the two-dimensional shape of the convex portion 121 or the neck portion 122 (marker) is identified from the contour shape of the both sides of the nozzle in the two-dimensional shape image obtained by photographing the nozzle 12 from the side. preferable. When the nozzle 12 has a cylindrical shape or the like and the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle 12 is not at a constant distance from the camera 21, the camera 21 cannot be focused on the entire outer peripheral surface, and the outer periphery of the nozzle 12 It is difficult to obtain a clear image of the entire surface. However, even in such a case, by adjusting the focal length of the camera 21 to the lateral ends of the nozzle (by adjusting the focal length to the central axis of the nozzle 12), the contours of the lateral ends of the nozzle are focused. This is because a clear image can be obtained with respect to the two-dimensional shape of the convex portion 121 or the neck portion 122 in the contour.

  When the illuminating device 22 is installed on the side opposite to the camera 21 of the drip tube, it is backlit when illuminated from the back (opposite side of the camera 21), and the camera 21 images the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle 12 with the camera 21. May be difficult to do. Even in such a case, a two-dimensional shape such as the convex portion 121 or the neck portion 122 in the lateral contour of the nozzle 12 can be clearly identified.

  It is preferable that the mark is provided within a predetermined range from the dripping port 120 on the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle 12. Since the camera 21 images the growing droplet 13a growing at the lower end (droplet 120) of the nozzle 12, the nozzle 12 is positioned at the top of the image. For this reason, the closer the mark is to the dropping port 120, the more advantageous it is because it is not necessary to widen the field of view of the camera. However, if the position of the mark is too close to the dropping port, the liquid may get wet on the mark, and as a result, liquid may accumulate between the protrusions and the mark may be misidentified or not recognized. Therefore, it is preferable that the mark is provided at a position that is moderately separated from the lower end (droplet 120) of the nozzle 12.

  In FIG. 2 and the like, two annular convex portions 121 are provided close to each other. In this case, the convex portion 121 becomes highly discriminating as a mark, and the lower end of the nozzle 12 (droplet 120). The possibility of misidentifying the shape and the like is reduced, and the mark can be identified more accurately.

  Referring to FIG. 13, when the tapered neck portion 122 is used as a mark, the droplet 13a that grows at the dropping port 120 of the nozzle 12 wets from the dropping port 120 to the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle 12 during the growth. This reduces the risk of liquid accumulation.

  In addition, it is preferable that the inner wall of the drip tube 11 is subjected to a hydrophilic treatment for preventing water droplets from adhering. Thereby, the visual field of the camera during infusion can be ensured satisfactorily.

  On the other hand, the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle 12 is preferably water-repellent. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the droplet 13a growing at the dropping port 120 of the nozzle 12 from getting wet from the dropping port 120 to the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle 12 during the growth, and the shape of the droplet 13a is destroyed. The dropping amount can be accurately measured from the image of the inside droplet 13a.

<Drip device>
Referring to FIG. 3, the drip device 7 includes at least the drip device (an infusion tube 11, a nozzle 12, etc.) and a drip amount measuring device 1. The drip device 7 according to the present embodiment further includes a tube 15 for discharging a droplet dropped into the drip tube 11 from the drip tube 11 and a drip amount controller 6.

  The dropping amount measuring device 1 is a device for measuring the dropping amount of a droplet that grows at the dropping port 120 of the nozzle 12 and drops intermittently from the dropping port 120. The dropping amount measuring device 1 includes a camera 21 (imaging unit) and a data processing unit 4.

(Imaging part)
The camera 21 (imaging unit) captures the nozzle 12 and acquires image data of the nozzle 12. In addition, the growing droplet 13a growing at the dropping port 120 is photographed at a plurality of time points, and a plurality of image data of the growing droplet 13a is acquired.

  The camera 21 (for example, a two-dimensional image sensor) is instilled so that the angle of view of the camera 21 includes a space near the lower end of the nozzle 12 and includes the mark of the nozzle 12 and the droplet 13a that is growing at the dropping port 120. It is installed close to the side surface of the cylinder 11. Thereby, the camera 21 can image the nozzle 12 and the growing droplet 13a at the dropping port 120.

  Note that the camera 21 can capture a plurality of image data (for example, a series of moving images) by shooting the growing droplet 13a that has grown at the dropping port of the nozzle 12 and is growing until it drops. it can. Note that “growing” means a state in which a droplet is growing at the lower end of the nozzle, that is, a state in which the droplet is gradually growing while attached to the lower end of the nozzle.

  As described above, the nozzle 12 (dropping nozzle) is provided in the upper part of the drip tube 11, and the inside of the nozzle 12 communicates with the inside of the drip tube 11 through the dripping port 120. For example, the drip tube 11 is disposed in the middle of an infusion line from the infusion bag suspended from the stand at a position higher than the patient to the patient. Further, the upper end of the nozzle 12 is connected to a tube 16 constituting an infusion line on the infusion bag side. The lower end of the drip tube 11 is connected to a tube 15 that constitutes a patient-side infusion line.

  The infusion solution (chemical solution) in the infusion bag flows downward in the tube 16 due to gravity and reaches the inside of the nozzle 12. Then, a droplet 13a grows at the lower end (droplet 120) of the nozzle 12 (see FIG. 4), and drops (drops) in the drip tube 11 when the droplet 13a grows to a predetermined size (see FIG. 5). . In this way, the droplet can be dropped (dropped) from the dropping port 120 intermittently.

  Here, since the drip tube 11 is transparent, the convex portion 121 (a mark) of the nozzle 12 and the growing droplet 13a can be photographed by the camera 21 from the outside.

  In the image analysis performed by the determination unit (data processing unit 4), a mark such as a concavo-convex shape or a taper shape is obtained from the contour shape of the side ends of the nozzle in a two-dimensional image obtained by photographing the nozzle 12 from the side. When the two-dimensional shape is identified, the camera 21 is focused on both lateral ends of the nozzle (the focal length is matched with the central axis of the nozzle 12). Thereby, since the focus of the side edge of the nozzle is focused, it is possible to obtain a clear image of the two-dimensional shape of the mark in the contour. Therefore, it is possible to accurately identify a two-dimensional shape of a mark such as an uneven shape or a tapered shape.

  Further, by adjusting the focal length to the central axis of the nozzle 12 in this way, the outline of the growing droplet 13a is also focused at the dropping port 120 of the nozzle 12, so that the outline of the droplet 13a is also clear. Can be obtained. As a result, it is possible to accurately calculate the dripping amount by the data processing unit described later.

  In addition, although this embodiment demonstrated the form which has one camera 21, multiple cameras 21 (namely, an imaging part may contain a some camera) may be sufficient as each camera. It is also possible to obtain the dripping amount based on the obtained information (image data).

  Moreover, although not shown in FIG. 3, it is preferable that the drip apparatus 7 is provided with the lighting fixture 22 as FIG. 1 shows. Thereby, the change of the image data by the influence of external light etc. can be suppressed and stable image data can be obtained. However, the lighting fixture 22 is not necessarily provided as long as the amount of dripping and the identification of the mark can be identified with external light or the like. The type of light emitted from the luminaire 22 is not particularly limited as long as the mark can be identified, but may be visible light or light other than visible light (such as infrared light). .

  In FIG. 1, in order to take an image with transmitted light of light emitted from the lighting fixture 22, the lighting fixture 22 is provided on the side opposite to the camera 21 of the drip tube 11, but is irradiated from the lighting fixture 22. When imaging with reflected light of light, the luminaire 22 may be provided on the same side of the drip tube 11 as the camera 21.

(Determination part: Data processing part)
The data processing unit 4 calculates a drop amount (flow rate) by analyzing a plurality of image data obtained at different time points of the growing droplet acquired by the camera 21. Further, in the present embodiment, the data processing unit 4 also serves as a determination unit that determines whether the mark (nozzle 12) is arranged within a predetermined range from the image data of the nozzle. However, the determination unit may be provided separately from the data processing unit 4.

  In order to accurately measure the volume of a growing droplet that is growing at the dropping port of the nozzle, it is necessary to mount a predetermined drip tube having a specific shape at the correct position. For this purpose, a means for confirming whether or not the infusion tube can be mounted at the correct position is necessary.

  In the present embodiment, the determination unit (data processing unit 4) identifies a mark from the image data of the nozzle 12, and determines whether the mark is located within a predetermined range. As a result, a warning is issued when the mounting position of the drip tube is shifted beyond the allowable limit from the predetermined correct position (even when the predetermined drip tube is mounted on the drip amount measuring device). Is possible.

  In addition, when the mark cannot be identified from the image data of the nozzle 12, there is a possibility that another drip tube having a shape different from that of the predetermined drip tube is attached to the drip amount measuring apparatus by mistake, or the drip tube. Since there is a possibility that the mounting position of the cylinder is greatly deviated from a predetermined correct position and the mark is located outside the range of the angle of view of the camera 21, a warning can be issued even in such a case.

  Therefore, it is possible to prevent the drip tube from being mounted at an incorrect position with respect to the dropping amount measuring device, and to be mounted at the correct position. In addition, it is possible to prevent another drip tube having a shape different from that of the predetermined drip tube from being erroneously attached to the drip amount measuring device. For this reason, erroneous dripping amount measurement can be prevented and measurement accuracy of the dripping amount can be improved. Thereby, the safety | security of an infusion apparatus can be improved.

(Data processing unit: dripping amount calculation)
Further, the data processing unit 4 calculates a dripping amount by analyzing a plurality of image data acquired by the camera 21. Thereby, compared with the conventional infusion device, it is possible to perform infusion (infusion) with an accurate dropping amount (flow rate) and in an accurate time regardless of the type of liquid to be dropped. Hereinafter, details of the calculation of the dripping amount will be specifically described.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of image data acquired by the camera 21 while the growing droplet 13 a is growing at the dropping port of the nozzle 12. FIG. 5 shows an example of image data acquired by the camera 21 immediately after the droplet starts to drop.

  Note that an image as shown in FIG. 5 cannot always be acquired when dropped. Since the frame rate of the camera 21 is limited, there are cases where the falling droplet 13b is not photographed or only a part of the upper side of the falling droplet 13b is photographed. For this reason, in this embodiment, the drop amount is calculated based on the image data of the growing droplet 13a that can be stably photographed.

  6 and 7 by capturing a plurality of image data of the growing droplet by photographing the growing droplet 13a growing at the dropping port of the nozzle 12 at a plurality of time points by the camera 21. As shown in FIG. 5, it is possible to take an image of the droplet 13a gradually increasing in size. FIG. 6 shows an example of a liquid having a relatively small viscosity and a relatively large surface tension. FIG. 7 shows an example of a liquid having a relatively large viscosity and a relatively small surface tension. In FIG. 6, the size of the falling droplet 13b is relatively large.

  FIGS. 8 and 9 are schematic diagrams showing circles 41 created (detected) by Hough transform using the data processing unit 4 in the series of droplet growth images shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, respectively. By using an image processing technique such as Hough transform, it is possible to capture an arc-shaped portion including the lower end of the growing droplet 13a and create a circle fitted to the arc-shaped portion.

  Focusing on the center position of the circle 41, the center position gradually moves downward as the droplet 13a grows. After the droplet falls, the center position of the circle 41 returns to the upper side again. Therefore, since it can be determined that the dropping has occurred by detecting the upward movement of the center position of the circle 41, the data processing unit 4 can count the dropping from the image data. .

  In the Hough transform, the falling droplet 13b may be detected as a circle 42. In such a case, since the continuity of numerical values (such as the center position of the circle 41) is lost, abnormality detection is performed. It can be determined that Such image data should not be used.

  8 is compared with FIG. 9, the radius of the detected circle increases with the growth of the droplet 13 a in FIG. 8, but not so large in FIG. 9. In this way, it is possible to estimate the size (volume) of the falling droplet 13b using the detected radius change of the circle in one cycle from dropping to the next dropping. In other words, if the relationship between the change in radius and the size of the droplet is obtained for various liquids by a preliminary experiment, the volume of the falling droplet 13b can be estimated with reference to this relationship. .

  “Dropping” means a state before the liquid droplet comes off from the lower end of the nozzle and before coming into contact with another liquid (for example, the liquid reservoir 14 in the drip tube 11) or a solid.

  Further, comparing FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, in FIG. 8, the center position of the detected circle moves downward as the droplet grows, but in FIG. 9, it does not move much. In this way, it is possible to estimate the size (volume) of the falling droplet 13b by using the detected moving distance below the circle in one cycle from dropping to dropping. That is, if the relationship between the movement distance and the droplet size is obtained for various liquids by a preliminary experiment, the volume of the falling droplet 13b can be estimated with reference to this relationship. . The moving distance of the circle can be obtained from the moving distance of the center position of the circle 41.

  If the volume of the droplet and the dropping speed (the number of droppings per unit time) are known, the dropping amount (flow rate) can be obtained by multiplying both. Therefore, in order to measure the dropping amount, the dropping amount measuring device of the present embodiment not only measures the volume of the falling droplet 13b but also detects that the droplet has left the lower end of the nozzle, A counting unit that counts the number of drops dropped is necessary.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, an example in which dripping has occurred using the image data of the camera 21, that is, an example in which the data processing unit 4 also serves as the counting unit has been shown. In this case, there is an advantage that it is not necessary to provide a separate count unit.

  However, the count unit may be different from the data processing unit 4, and as shown in FIG. 10, a light emitting unit 51 and a light receiving unit 52 (for example, a photodiode) disposed in the vicinity of both sides of the drip tube 11 You may be comprised from. The light emitting unit 51 irradiates light to the droplet 13b that is falling. The light receiving unit 52 is irradiated from the light emitting unit 51 and detects a change in the amount of transmitted light or a light blocking by the falling droplet 13b.

  As described above, when a counting unit different from the camera 21 (imaging unit) is used, since the image data of the camera 21 is not used for counting the number of drops, it is not necessary to continuously shoot moving images with the camera 21. This is because the size of the droplet is determined by the type of the liquid and the type of the dropping nozzle, so that it may be considered that there is no change between a series of infusions, and it is sufficient to grasp once. For example, moving images for grasping the size (estimated volume) of a droplet may be taken for a short time immediately after the start of infusion or at another appropriate time, or may be periodically performed after a certain time. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the calculation load of the computer constituting the data processing unit, and it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the camera 21 and the lighting fixture 22, and thus the power consumption of the entire system can be reduced.

  In the present embodiment, the volume of the falling droplet 13b is estimated from the radius or center position of the circle 41 created by the Hough transform. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The volume of the droplet 13b may be estimated.

  For example, a circle fitted to an arc-shaped portion including the lower end of the growing droplet 13a is created by the Hough transform, and a boundary line (horizontal line) between the droplet 13a and the lower end of the nozzle 12 is created. From this distance, the volume of the falling droplet 13b may be estimated.

  As another preferred method for estimating the volume of the falling droplet 13b, the contour of the growing droplet 13a is specified in each of the plurality of image data, and the growing droplet is determined from the contour. There is a method in which the volume of 13a is calculated, and the estimated volume of the falling droplet 13b is calculated based on the volume of the growing droplet 13a.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the outline 43 of the droplet 13a identified (detected) by the data processing unit in the series of image data of the growing droplet 13a shown in FIG. If it is assumed that the droplet 13a has an axisymmetric shape, it is possible to calculate a three-dimensional volume from a two-dimensional image (a region surrounded by the outline 43). The volume of the droplet 13a can be calculated.

(Drip amount controller)
The drop amount controller 6 is a device for controlling the drop amount (flow rate) of a droplet that grows at the dropping port of the nozzle 12 and drops intermittently from the lower end of the nozzle 12. The drip amount controller 6 includes a drip amount measuring device 1 and an adjustment tool 3. The dropping amount is the amount (flow rate) of droplets dropped per unit time.

  The adjusting device 3 is a device for adjusting the dropping amount based on the dropping amount (dropping speed) of the droplets measured by the dropping amount measuring device 1. The adjusting device 3 includes an actuator 31 and a controller 32.

  The actuator 31 can press and crush the tube 15 connected to the downstream (downward) of the drip tube 11 from the outside to change the width (opening degree) of the flow path in the tube 15. The tube 15 is a soft tube made of a flexible material such as resin. The actuator 31 includes an encoder, and accurate position control can be performed by the encoder. Alternatively, the actuator 31 is driven by a stepping motor that can perform accurate position control. For this reason, the actuator 31 can crush the soft tube to an arbitrary width.

  When the drop amount of the droplet measured by the drop amount measuring device 1 is larger than the target value (set value), the controller 32 increases the crushing amount of the soft tube (decreases the opening degree) and decreases the dropping speed. Thus, the actuator 31 is driven. On the contrary, when the drop amount of the droplet measured by the drop amount measuring device 1 is smaller than the target value, the controller 32 drives the actuator 31 to reduce the crushing amount of the soft tube (increase the opening). The actuator 31 is driven so that the dropping speed increases.

  As described above, when the infusion device is provided with a drip amount controller, it is possible to automatically and accurately control the administration rate of infusion or the like. Thereby, the burden that a nurse etc. regularly looks around the state of infusion is reduced.

  In the present embodiment, “dropping” includes, for example, dropping of a droplet in the infusion tube 11 at the time of infusion for administering an infusion or the like to a patient. Dropping of droplets in applications and the like is also included.

  According to the present embodiment, as described above, the volume of the droplet can be measured by photographing the growing droplet 13a whose moving speed is slower than that of the falling droplet 13b. Therefore, even when an inexpensive camera or the like (for example, a camera or a data processing device with an image processing capability of about 30 sheets / second) is used, the droplet dropping amount is accurately measured regardless of the type of the dropping solution. be able to.

[Embodiment 2]
In this embodiment, the data processing unit of the drop amount measuring device directly calculates the volume increase rate of the growing droplet without analyzing the number of drops by analyzing the image data. Is different from the first embodiment in that the amount is a dropping amount.

  In the first embodiment, as described with reference to FIG. 11, the volume of the droplet 13a can be calculated from a two-dimensional image (region surrounded by the contour 43) in each image data.

  After the droplet dropping, the volume of the droplet 13a attached to the lower end of the nozzle 12 is greatly reduced. Therefore, one cycle from dropping to the next dropping can be cut out from a series of image data. The volume of each droplet 13a is calculated from one arbitrary image data and one arbitrary image data at another time among a series of image data cut out as one cycle from one dripping to the next dripping. To do. The volume change rate can be obtained by calculating the difference between the volumes (volume increase) and dividing the volume increase by the time interval at which the image data is acquired. This volume change rate is equal to the dropping amount (flow rate of infusion).

  In the present embodiment, in this way, the drop amount (flow rate) can be obtained directly from the volume increase rate of the growing droplet 13a. Therefore, the dropping amount measuring device of this embodiment is advantageous in that a counting unit for counting the number of drops is not necessary. Further, in the present embodiment, the flow rate can be obtained even during the period from one drop to the next drop regardless of the occurrence of the drop, so that higher-speed and high-precision control is possible.

  It should be thought that embodiment disclosed this time is an illustration and restrictive at no points. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Drop amount measuring device, 11 drip pipe, 12 nozzles, 120 dripping port, 121 convex part, 122 neck part, 13a (growing) droplet, 13b (dropping) droplet, 14 liquid reservoir, 15, 16 tube , 21 Camera, 22 Lighting device, 3 Adjustment device, 31 Actuator, 32 Controller, 4 Data processing unit, 41, 42 yen, 43 Contour, 51 Light emitting unit, 52 Light receiving unit, 6 Drip amount controller.

Claims (5)

A transparent drip tube, and a nozzle having a dripping port for dropping liquid droplets intermittently inside the drip tube,
The infusion device according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle has a mark identifiable from the outside of the infusion tube.   The infusion device according to claim 1, wherein the mark is an uneven shape provided on an outer peripheral surface of the nozzle.   The infusion device according to claim 1, wherein the mark has a tapered shape provided at a tip portion of the nozzle.   The infusion device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an outer peripheral surface of the nozzle is water-repellent. An infusion device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A drip amount measuring device for measuring a drip amount of a droplet that grows at the dripping port of the nozzle and drops intermittently from the dripping port;
The dripping amount measuring device is
An imaging unit that acquires the image data of the nozzle and a plurality of image data at different time points of the growing droplet growing at the dropping port;
A data processing unit for calculating the drop amount by analyzing the plurality of image data at different time points of the growing droplet;
An infusion device, comprising: a discriminating unit that discriminates whether or not the nozzle mark BR is placed within a predetermined range from the image data of the nozzle.

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