Intravenous (IV) therapy is a standard form of administration of fluids and drugs to those individuals for whom oral administration cannot be done. It is used for several purposes like transfusion of blood, to treat dehydration and to fix electrolyte imbalance. However, the IV setup used in hospitals requires constant monitoring of several parameters by the clinicians such as the flow rate and level of liquid in the IV bag. A failure to do so will result in several complications which can be difficult to deal with, especially in large clinical settings. To facilitate easier monitoring of the infusion process, several systems have been developed over the years. Although the overall purpose of these systems is to monitor the flow rate and raise a warning in case of any anomaly, the techniques used to develop these systems and the functionalities fulfilled by them are subject to considerable variation. In this survey, we discuss the various systems developed to monitor the intravenous infusion process. Keyword-Intravenous therapy, Backflow, Automatic locking, Flow Rate, IV tube I. INTRODUCTION Intravenous therapy is a form of treatment where essential fluids and drugs are passed into the body through the veins [1]. It is a routine method of infusion for individuals for ingestion of food or drugs is not possible. It is commonly used to tackle ailments leading to electrolyte imbalance, in the management of dehydration, fever, anaemia and also to administer chemotherapy [1], [2]. It is usually administered in the upper limbs due to an increased risk of thrombophlebitis during line placement in the lower limbs [3]. An intravenous (IV) setup consists of drip bottle, drip chamber, an IV tube and a roller clamp. The drip bottle is suspended from a stand at a height from the patient. The drip chamber is connected to the bottle at its' opening. The roller clamp enables the regulation of flow rate measured in drops per unit time. The infusion in the drip chamber reaches the patient as a result of the pressure difference between the drip chamber and the venous pressure [2]. Once the volume of liquid in the bottle goes below a certain level, the pressure is reversed causing backflow of blood into the capillary tube which has several adverse effects such as blockage of tube, loss of blood, swelling, infection hypothermia [4] and blood leakage [5]. Another severe effect is air embolism which is caused by emptying of the reservoir or any openings in the IV system [6] this causes an air lock in the pulmonary valve which restricts blood flow causing tissue hypoxia, reduced cardiac output and in extreme cases cause death. Other drawbacks of IV include contamination due to microbes and backflow of patient fluids and changes in the drip rate [2], [7], [8]. Changes in the infusion rate both ways can cause adverse effects. If the patient receives less fluid than needed, it can result in dehydration and metabolic imbalance. Otherwise, if more fluid reaches the patent, it can cause hypertension, electrolyte imbalance and metabolic disturba...
