Research
An Automated Locking System to Prevent Backflow
Intravenous (IV) therapy is a standard method of treatment in hospitals and clinics. However, the intravenous infusion system has its drawbacks, one of them being the reverse flow of blood back into the IV tube. The difference in pressure between the drip chamber and the venous pressure causes the reverse flow. To address the above issue, hospitals use a blood pressure cuff tied on the same arm where the infusion is given and, this cuff is inflated when backflow occurs. However, this technique requires constant monitoring which is difficult when the number of patients have to be monitored simultaneously. Although several automatic systems have been developed to make the monitoring of intravenous infusions easier for both clinicians and patients alike, there hasn’t been a system specifically designed to address this issue by locking the tube. In this paper, we propose a valve-controlled locking system aimed at preventing backflow using a load cell, a Hx711 amplifier module, a microprocessor and a solenoid valve. This system is simple and cost-effective making it accessible even in poor resource locations
