EP0245272A1 - Dispositif de detection de la presence ou de l'absence d'un liquide dans un recipient - Google Patents

Dispositif de detection de la presence ou de l'absence d'un liquide dans un recipient

Info

Publication number
EP0245272A1
EP0245272A1 EP19860900811 EP86900811A EP0245272A1 EP 0245272 A1 EP0245272 A1 EP 0245272A1 EP 19860900811 EP19860900811 EP 19860900811 EP 86900811 A EP86900811 A EP 86900811A EP 0245272 A1 EP0245272 A1 EP 0245272A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
tube
liquid
vessel
sensor
absence
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP19860900811
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Anthony Holden Platt
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
University of Manchester
Original Assignee
Victoria University of Manchester
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Victoria University of Manchester filed Critical Victoria University of Manchester
Publication of EP0245272A1 publication Critical patent/EP0245272A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01F—MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
    • G01F23/00—Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm
    • G01F23/22—Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by measuring physical variables, other than linear dimensions, pressure or weight, dependent on the level to be measured, e.g. by difference of heat transfer of steam or water
    • G01F23/28—Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by measuring physical variables, other than linear dimensions, pressure or weight, dependent on the level to be measured, e.g. by difference of heat transfer of steam or water by measuring the variations of parameters of electromagnetic or acoustic waves applied directly to the liquid or fluent solid material
    • G01F23/284—Electromagnetic waves
    • G01F23/292—Light, e.g. infrared or ultraviolet
    • G01F23/2921—Light, e.g. infrared or ultraviolet for discrete levels

Definitions

  • THIS INVENTION concerns a device for detecting the presence or absence of liquid in a translucent vessel or tube, and has particular appl ication in the detection of air bubbles in pipelines carrying a stream of liquid.
  • medical appl ications for example, during infusions and transfusions where the presence of a large air bubble in the blood supply can present a danger to l i fe, it i s most important that the continuity of the liquid stream i s monitored to detect the presence of any air bubbles in the stream, if large enough to be dangerous.
  • the invention is based upon the principle that a beam of light passing into a translucent tube containing no liquid, will be sufficiently diffused for at least some of the light to pass through the tube in a generally straight line substantially al igned wi th the incident light beam, whilst a similar beam pas sed through a clear or largely translucent liquid within the tube would be deflected by refraction ? and that the presence of an opaque liquid in the tube would caus e the inc ident l i ght beam to be re flected thus preventing it from pas sing through the liquid.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide a simple device for detecting the present or absence of liquid in a translucent vessel or tube and accordingly the device comprises a light source adapted to transmit a beam of light through said vessel or tube to a photo-electric sensor, the light source and the photo-electric sensor being so disposed relative to one another and to the vessel or tube, that when the latter contains an opaque liquid the incident light path is obstructed thereby; when it contains a translucent liquid the incident light path is deflected by refraction away from said sensor? and when it contains air or other gas so that the incident light path is not obstructed or deflected, a signal is produced by the photo ⁇ electric sensor to provide an indication of the absence of liquid in the vessel or tube.
  • Fig. 1 illustrates in cross-section, a translucent tube through which a fluid substance is to pass, and a light system for detecting the presence or absence of liquid in the tube;
  • Fig. 2 shows the tube containing a translucent liquid
  • Fig. 3 shows the tube containing an opaque liquid.
  • a tube 10 having a translucent material wall contains no liquid and a beam of light transmitted by a light source 11 effectively passes in a straight path through the tube wall to be received by a photo-electric sensor 12.
  • the sensor 12 is adapted under these conditions to produce an electrical signal which can be used to drive a visual or audible indicator or a meter.
  • the distance 'X' between the centre line 'Y' of tube 10 and the path of the incident light beam from light source 11 is equal to about one quarter of the internal diameter of tube 10.
  • the tube 10 now contains a clear or translucent liquid 13 the path of the incident light beam entering the liquid 13 is deflected by refraction and emerges on the opposite side of the centre line of the tube 10 as indicated at 14. In this case the light beam is not received by sensor 12 and no signal is produced.
  • the incident light beam is substantially prevented from passing through the 1 liquid and is thus scattered, and again is not received by sensor 12, so that no signal is produced.
  • the presence or absence of liquid in the tube can be detected since no signal will be produced by the sensor unless the liquid level in the tube falls below that of the incident light beam from source 11.
  • the sensitivity of the device can be adjusted to ensure that the sensor receives no refracted light when the tube is filled or substantially filled with liquid.
  • the device can be produced by placing the light source 11 and sensor 12 on a small platform 16 across which the tube 10 can be placed, and preferably the positions of source 11 and sensor 12 on platform 16 are adjustable to accommodate tubes of different diameter and to vary the distance 'X'.
  • the device can be applied to existing pipelines provided that at least a portion of the pipe where it passes between the source 11 and sensor 12 is transparent or at least translucent.
  • An advantage of the device in accordance with the invention when used in conjunction with toxic, corrosive or contaminatable liquids, is that no parts are caused to come into contact with the liquid within the tube, and it is simple and inexpensive to produce and maintain when compared with systems using, for example, ultrasonics. If the device is exposed to ambient light its sensitivity and reliability can be effected. Therefore, it is preferable in some cases for the light source 11 to emit a beam of infra-red light and for the sensor to detect same, so that ambient light cannot interfere with its operation.
  • the invention has particular application in the medical field for the delivery of blood or other fluids to patients for introduction intravenously where the injection of a large air bubble might be dangerous.
  • the device can be applied to monitoring the flow of liquid in many forms of apparatus, for example, in sight glasses on tanks, in manometers, and it might be used in some instances to replace the conventional ball cock in a liquid storage tank.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Infusion, Injection, And Reservoir Apparatuses (AREA)

Abstract

Dispositif de détection de la présence ou de l'absence d'un liquide dans un récipient ou tube translucide, consistant en une source lumineuse (11) et un photocapteur (12) monté de manière réglable sur une plate-forme (16) sur laquelle est situé le tube (10) à travers duquel s'écoule la substance fluide. Si le tube (10) ne contient pas de liquide, le capteur (12) reçoit le faisceau lumineux et produit un signal indicatif. Si le tube (10) est rempli d'un liquide opaque ou translucide, le faisceau lumineux est dévié par réfraction ou diffusé de manière à l'empêcher d'activer le capteur (12).
EP19860900811 1985-01-18 1986-01-20 Dispositif de detection de la presence ou de l'absence d'un liquide dans un recipient Withdrawn EP0245272A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8501367 1985-01-18
GB858501367A GB8501367D0 (en) 1985-01-18 1985-01-18 Detecting presence/absence of liquid in vessel

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0245272A1 true EP0245272A1 (fr) 1987-11-19

Family

ID=10573089

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19860900811 Withdrawn EP0245272A1 (fr) 1985-01-18 1986-01-20 Dispositif de detection de la presence ou de l'absence d'un liquide dans un recipient

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0245272A1 (fr)
AU (1) AU5355486A (fr)
GB (1) GB8501367D0 (fr)
WO (1) WO1986004409A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB8720454D0 (en) * 1987-08-28 1987-10-07 Bellhouse Techn Ltd Bubble detector
US4920336A (en) * 1988-11-22 1990-04-24 Fisher Scientific Company Method and apparatus for monitoring the level of the contents in a container
GB8918596D0 (en) * 1989-08-15 1989-09-27 Bass Plc The detection of bubbles in flowing liquids
GB2272972B (en) * 1992-11-28 1997-05-14 Hargreaves Harold James Safety device for outboard motor
US5672887A (en) * 1995-11-29 1997-09-30 Shaw; Benjamin G. Optical detector for air in fluid line the same
GB0417337D0 (en) * 2004-08-04 2004-09-08 Chu Andrew C Low cost air bubble detector and alarm system for fluid administrative applications
WO2018129600A1 (fr) * 2017-01-11 2018-07-19 RIBEIRO, Emilio Carlos Sonde de précision pour la détection d'une variation de niveau ou de présence de liquides au moyen d'une lumière non infrarouge ou d'une lumière visible
CN110108676B (zh) * 2019-04-08 2022-03-18 中南大学湘雅三医院 肠道清洁度检测装置及检测方法
CN112146725A (zh) * 2020-09-14 2020-12-29 武汉深蓝恒业数码科技有限公司 一种管道液位的检测方法及装置

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2061821A5 (fr) * 1969-05-06 1971-06-25 Commissariat Energie Atomique
GB1359161A (en) * 1971-02-10 1974-07-10 Jobling & Co James A Liquid level detecting apparatus
DE2522095B1 (de) * 1975-05-17 1976-05-13 Braun Melsungen Ag Vorrichtung zur Kontrolle des Fuellstandes von Fluessigkeiten in durchsichtigen Rohren

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO8604409A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU5355486A (en) 1986-08-13
GB8501367D0 (en) 1985-02-20
WO1986004409A1 (fr) 1986-07-31

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Inventor name: PLATT, ANTHONY, HOLDEN