Abstract: A method and device for volumetric measurement of a drop of fluid administered in a gravity intravenous set. Radiation, preferable infrared light is passed through from the exterior of the drip chamber of the intravenous set and is detected and quantified by a receiver on the other exterior side of the chamber. The radiation passing through the chamber when a drop is not passing through the radiation path is taken as the background radiation level. When a drop passes through the chamber, a loss in radiation passing through the receiver occurs. This relative loss is converted into volume with the aid of a lookup table.

Abstract: A method and device for volumetric measurement of a drop of fluid administered in a gravity intravenous set. Radiation, preferably infrared light is passed through from the exterior of the drip chamber of the intravenous set and is detected and quantified by a receiver on the other exterior side of the chamber. The radiation passing through the chamber when a drop is not passing through the radiation path is taken as the background radiation level. When a drop passes through the chamber a loss in radiation passing through to the receiver occurs. This relative loss is converted into a volume with the aid of a lookup table. The lookup table is created by accumulating empirical data of drops passing through various infusion sets determining a relative loss of radiation during the passing of the drop through the radiation and then weighing the drops and determining the volume of each drop in proportion to its specific gravity. The device and method is suitable for use with any IV set and is non-invasive.