Opto-electronic system for intravenous infusion monitoring

Intravenous (IV) infusion is the administration of fluids directly into the blood stream through the vein. Gravity fed IV-infusion can be affected by errors and requires constant monitoring. The opto-electronic system presented here accurately tracks the fluid flow and assists the user in monitoring the infusion sessions by generating alerts on detection of errors. The system generates alerts upon detecting significant deviation from set drip rate. The system keeps track of total volume infused and alerts when a desired volume is about to be administered. Prototype system was tested in laboratory conditions and was found to be accurate within 4% of independently measured infusion volume. Such a device offers a potential solution to reduce the risks associated with the IV infusion therapy especially in low-resource setting or during delivery of IV therapy at home.