In the framework of the ongoing EMPIR Joint Research Project (JRP) 17IND13 Metrology for real-world domestic water metering (Metrowamet), a main task is to investigate the influence of realistic operation conditions, that is, typical water qualities (suspended particles, degree of hardness, and pH value), on the measurement accuracy. For this purpose, two representative types of cold water meters were investigated in more detail. Initially, the cold water meters were calibrated and then subjected to an accelerated wear test with water of different pH values and degrees of hardness. The accelerated wear tests were designed to reproduce the realistic use and service life of a cold water meter. Subsequently, the cold water meters were re-calibrated to assess the influence of the different water qualities on the measurement accuracy. One of the results was that the measurement accuracy of the water meters investigated was not strongly affected by the water quality. The practical realisation and the measurement results are reported in this paper.
Microfluidic devices are becoming increasingly important in various fields of pharmacy, flow chemistry and healthcare. In the embedded microchannel, the flow rates, the dynamic viscosity of the transported liquids and the fluid dynamic properties play an important role. Various functional auxiliary components of microfluidic devices such as flow restrictors, valves and flow meters need to be characterised with liquids used in several microfluidic applications. However, calibration with water does not always reflect the behaviour of the liquids used in the different applications. Therefore, several National Metrology Institutes (NMI) have developed micro-pipe viscometers for traceable inline measurement of the dynamic viscosity of liquids used in flow applications as part of the EMPIR 18HLT08 MeDDII project. These micro-pipe viscometers allow the calibration of any flow device at different flow rates and the calibration of the dynamic viscosity of the liquid or liquid mixture used under actual flow conditions. The validation of the micro-pipe viscometers has been performed either with traceable reference oils or with different liquids typically administered in hospitals, such as saline and/or glucose solutions or even glycerol-water mixtures for higher dynamic viscosities. Furthermore, measurement results of a commercially available device and a technology demonstrator for the inline measurement of dynamic viscosity and density are presented in this paper.
Almost every medical department in hospitals around the world uses infusion devices to administer fluids, nutrition, and medications to patients to treat many different diseases and ailments. There have been several reports on adverse incidents caused by medication errors associated with infusion equipment. Such errors can result from malfunction or improper use, or even inaccuracy of the equipment, and can cause harm to patients’ health. Depending on the intended use of the equipment, e.g. if it is used for anaesthesia of adults or for medical treatment of premature infants, the accuracy of the equipment may be more or less important. A well-defined metrological infrastructure can help to ensure that infusion devices function properly and are as accurate as needed for their use. However, establishing a metrological infrastructure requires adequate knowledge of the performance of infusion devices in use. This paper presents the results of various tests conducted with two types of devices.
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