Evaluation of Accuracy of an Indigenous Cost-Effective and User-Friendly Alarm System for Monitoring of Intravenous Infusion- IV ALERT

Abstract

“IV ALERT” is a portable and light-weight device for monitoring the volume of fluid delivered from a gravity-fed infusion bottle and activating an alarm at 80%, 90% and 100% of the preset target volume. A load cell with a high accuracy strain gauge is used to activate a microcontroller and an internal timer. We hypothesized that the accuracy of the device to sound an alarm will be unaffected by the viscosity of the fluid suspended. The experimental set-up was established after ethical approval. Normal saline, Ringer’s Lactate, Dextrose 5% and Dextrose Normal Saline were suspended with different settings of target volume from the device. The drained volume of fluid was collected in the measuring cylinder and the experiment terminated on activation of the alarm. Calculation of the percentage error {difference between the measured volume and theoretical value (preset target volume), divided by the theoretical value and multiplied by 100} was used to assess the accuracy of the device to sound the alarms. Total of 1818 observations were made and the percentage error was 0.017 ± 0.016 (mean ± SD) which was comparable at 80%, 90% or 100% of set target volumes for all the four types of fluids. Using the same principle in the reverse order, it is being tested as a urinometer where increase in weight of the urobag suspended from it due to the collection of urine is displayed as volume. IV Alert has also been made Wi-Fi-enabled for remote monitoring from the nursing station.

Keywords:

• Drug delivery systems
• Equipment design
• Infusions
• Infusion pumps
• Intravenous

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi under “Biomedical Instruments and Devices Hub”.

Notes on contributors

Goverdhan Dutt Puri

Goverdhan Dutt Puri is the head of department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India. He completed his MBBS from MDU, Rohtak, in 1979, MD and PhD in anaesthesia from PGIMER in 1982 and 1994, respectively. He was a professor and the head of Department of Anaesthesia at SGPGIMS, Lucknow, for about 2 years. He has numerous awards like British Journal of Anaesthesia scholar for 2 months in the UK in 1989 and has been a visiting scientist under PN Berry Scholarship for 2 months at Cardiothoracic Centre, AIIMS New Delhi in 1993, Cornell Medical Centre and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Institute, New York, in June–July 1997 and June 2000, Klinikum Kassel, Kassel, Germany, May 2001 and December 2004, and Fellow of National Academy of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. He is also involved in the development of automated closed loop arterial pressure control system funded by DST, Delhi. Email: [email protected]

Tanvir Samra

Tanvir Samra is associate professor in the Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, PGIMER, Chandigarh. She completed her MBBS from Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi in Jan 2005 and MD anaesthesia from PGIMER, Chandigarh in December 2008, respectively. She subsequently completed her senior resident training from Dr RML Hospital, New Delhi and PGIMER Chandigarh. She subsequently was appointed as assistant professor in Lady Hardinge Medical College (Delhi University). She joined PGIMER as faculty in December 2013. She is a certified ATLS instructor and has more than 50 national and international publications. She has been a guide and co-guide for various thesis candidates undergoing MD anaesthesia and supervised numerous projects.

Arvind Jindal

Arvind Jindal is an OT technician, working in the Advanced Cardiac Centre in the Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, PGIMER, Chandigarh since 2010. He has done diploma in OTA and BSc Medical Laboratory Technology from PGIMER, Chandigarh, respectively in 2007 and 2010 followed by MSc Biotechnology in 2013. He has been awarded first prize in the poster presentation on “Evaluation of IV ALERT” at Second international conference on Bridging Innovations in Pharmaceuticals, Medical and Bio Sciences (INNOPHARMA 2) organized by Paramita Health Care Society in association with Innovare Academic Sciences, MP Council of Science Technology, Vigyan Bhavan, held at Nehru Nagar, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India during February 11–12, 2017. Email: [email protected]

Harshit Singla

Harshit Singla has completed his MBBS from AIIMS Rishikesh and is a junior resident in the Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. Email: [email protected]

Sushant Konar

Sushant Konar holds a master’s degree in engineering and currently is a PhD scholar with the Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. Email: [email protected]