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Abstract

An infusion system capable of intravenous administration of fluid to a patient has a drop chamber, including a plurality of drop tubes having drop forming orifices of different preselected cross-sectional areas for forming droplets of different sizes and volumes of the same given fluid, selection means for selecting the drop tube through which the administered fluid will pass and a metering chamber to allow the rate of droplet flow to be observed. The drop tube having a drop orifice capable of producing droplets of the desired size and volume appropriate for the viscosity and purpose of the fluid being administered is selected and a conventional fluid flow rate control device is adjusted, while the drop rate is observed, to set the fluid flow rate. The present invention allows a change of the fluid being administered, without disassembling the apparatus or removing it from the patient by replacing the fluid resevoir, or by valving a different fluid reservoir to the drop chamber and by operating the selection means in order to select the drop tube capable of forming the size and volume droplet appropriate for the viscosity and purpose of the substituted fluid. The flow rate control device may then be adjusted to set the flow rate for the substituted fluid.

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First Claim