Fluid transfer system and method

Abstract

Devices and methods for automatic monitoring of fluid of a patient are disclosed, comprising a patient line, a transfer disk which receives the fluid and controllably transfers the fluid to test substrates, and a sensor disk which houses the test substrates. The sterile transfer disk may be configured to maintain the sterility of the patient sampling assembly while transferring samples to non-sterile components, such as the sensor disk.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
         1 . A fluid monitoring system, comprising:
 a patient access interface configured to receive fluid from a patient;   a fluid pump configured to transfer fluid in the patient access interface;   a valve coupled to the patient access interface and the fluid pump and comprising a fluid dispensing opening, wherein the valve is configured to dispense a fluid sample at the fluid dispensing opening; and   a fluid inlet blocking structure adjacent to the fluid dispensing opening.   
     
     
         2 . The fluid monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the patient access interface, fluid pump, valve and fluid inlet blocking structure are coupled to a patient line housing. 
     
     
         3 . The fluid monitoring system of  claim 1 , further comprising an external fluid access interface configured to receive fluid from an external fluid source. 
     
     
         4 . A method of performing fluid monitoring in a patient, comprising:
 withdrawing fluid from a patient into a first housing coupled to a fluid monitoring system;   transferring a fluid sample from the withdrawn fluid in the first housing to a second housing;   changing the orientation of the second housing relative to the first housing;   pumping the fluid sample from the second housing to a test substrate.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein pumping the fluid sample from the second housing to the test substrate comprises pumping the fluid sample across an air gap between a fluid opening of the second housing and the test substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein pumping the fluid sample from the second housing to the test substrate comprises pumping the fluid sample from the second housing to a third housing, wherein the test substrate is located in the third housing. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising wiping a dispensing region of the second housing. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising blocking an opening of the second housing the first housing. 
     
     
         9 . A method for performing fluid monitoring in a patient, comprising:
 transferring fluid along a first fluid pathway from a patient to a fluid dispenser;   transferring a fluid sample from the fluid dispenser to a transfer reservoir along a second fluid pathway;   severing the second fluid pathway by displacing the transfer reservoir;   actively transferring at least a portion of the fluid sample from the transfer reservoir to a test substrate along a third fluid pathway.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising crossing an air gap between the transfer reservoir and the test substrate with the fluid sample. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein at least portion of the cross-sectional shape of the fluid sample is unrestrained in a transverse plane along a movement axis of the third fluid pathway. 
     
     
         12 . A method for performing blood monitoring of a patient, comprising:
 withdrawing blood from a patient into a fluid control system;   dispensing a blood sample from the sterile fluid control system to a sterile transfer reservoir;   transferring the blood sample from the sterile transfer reservoir to an non-sterile test substrate.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , moving the sterile transfer reservoir with respect to the fluid control system after dispensing the blood sample. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein moving the sterile reservoir occurs before transferring the blood sample. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein transferring the blood sample comprises pumping the blood sample from the sterile transfer reservoir to a non-sterile test substrate.