Smart IV Blockage Detection and Nurse Alert System

Author

Prakash P,Vigneshkumar M ,Nandhini S, Narmatha K, Srimathi .P


Abstract

 Intravenous (IV) therapy is widely used in hospitals to deliver fluids and medicines, yet the infusion is still monitored mainly by manual observation of the IV bag and the drip chamber. Stoppage of flow caused by a blocked tube or catheter, or an IV bag that runs empty, may go unnoticed when a nurse is attending several patients. This paper presents a Smart IV Blockage Detection and Nurse Alert System built around an ESP32 microcontroller. A load cell with an HX711 amplifier measures the weight of the IV bag to estimate the remaining fluid level, while a YFS201 flow sensor generates pulses that indicate whether fluid is flowing through the IV line. The ESP32 compares these readings with predefined thresholds, declares a blockage when no flow pulses are detected for a defined period, and closes a relay-driven solenoid valve when the fluid level falls to the level set by the user. Local indication is provided through an LCD, green and red LEDs and a buzzer, while data and alerts are sent over Wi-Fi to the Blynk IoT platform so that nursing staff can monitor the infusion remotely. The prototype shows a simple, low-cost and practical approach for reducing the delay in identifying IV flow stoppage and for improving the safety of IV fluid administration.



Keywords

IV fluid monitoring; blockage detection; ESP32; load cell; flow sensor; Blynk; Internet of Things; nurse alert



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References


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