Capacitive sensor for the detection of residual quantity of intravenous drip solution in a plastic intravenous bag

Intravenous(IV) drip therapy is extensively used for all kinds of treatments. It works by delivering medicine directly into the vein. When the medicine has been fully dispensed, a dangerous situation occurs since air in the IV drip bag could enter the patient's vein, which is hazardous to the patient’s safety. In this paper, using capacitive sensors to detect the residual quantity of a plastic IV drip pack is proposed. A simulation model of this technology was shown by a finite elements analysis(FEA) program to find out its feasibility and analyze the proper geometrical dimension of a capacitive sensor. According to the FEA simulation, 3 kinds of capacitive sensors were attached to the bottom surface of the plastic IV drip bag to detect the residual quantity in the experiment. Experimental data showed an agreement with the FEA simulation model estimation and confirmed that the sensor works.