U.S. patent number 3,664,339 [Application Number 05/027,040] was granted by the patent office on 1972-05-23 for drip chamber and method.
Invention is credited to Louis S. Santomieri.
United States Patent |
3,664,339 |
Santomieri |
May 23, 1972 |
DRIP CHAMBER AND METHOD
Abstract
A drip chamber having a flexibly resilient sleeve with memory
and one-way inlet and outlet valves in each end of the sleeve, the
valves respectively being in communication with a fluid source and
an infusion tube. A control unit can be finger-actuated to
determine a continuous drip at a constant rate from the inlet to
the outlet valve. The method includes squeezing the sleeve to force
fluid through the outlet valve into the infusion tube and
thereafter allowing the sleeve to expand to draw fluid through the
inlet tube into the sleeve.
Inventors: |
Santomieri; Louis S. (Benecia,
CA) |
Family
ID: |
21835342 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/027,040 |
Filed: |
April 9, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
604/185; 210/446;
604/249; 137/433; 137/399; 604/213; 604/252 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61M
39/24 (20130101); A61M 5/1411 (20130101); Y10T
137/7436 (20150401); A61M 2039/242 (20130101); A61M
2039/2433 (20130101); Y10T 137/7326 (20150401) |
Current International
Class: |
A61M
39/00 (20060101); A61M 5/14 (20060101); A61M
39/24 (20060101); A61m 005/16 () |
Field of
Search: |
;137/399
;128/214,214.2,214C ;210/92,94,136 ;137/399 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,235,482 |
|
May 1960 |
|
FR |
|
1,118,247 |
|
Mar 1956 |
|
FR |
|
Primary Examiner: Truluck; Dalton L.
Claims
What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters
Patent is:
1. A drip chamber for use with intravenous infusion apparatus
comprising:
an elongated tube of flexible material with memory in fluid
communication with a source of infusion fluid through an upper end
coupling and in fluid communication with an infusion tube through a
lower end coupling,
a first one-way valve delivering fluid from the source to the
interior of the tube,
second one-way valve delivering fluid from the interior of said
tube to the infusion tube, and
flow rate regulating means located within said tube interposed
between said upper end coupling and said first one-way valve and
formed with upper and lower radial flanges extending transversely
of said tube and a central portion of lesser diameter than said
flanges extending longitudinally of said tube between said flanges
formed with axial and transverse intersecting bores and having a
finger-positionable flow regulating member positioned within said
transverse bore to regulate the rate of flow of fluid to said first
one-way valve.
2. The drip chamber of claim 1 wherein said tube is manually
deformable intermediate said first and second one-way valves to
permit manual pumping of fluid through said drip chamber.
3. A drip chamber for use with intravenous infusion apparatus
comprising:
an exterior wall of flexible material with memory formed into a
closed sleeve, the sleeve being adapted to be in fluid
communication with a source of intravenous fluid through an upper
end coupling and adapted to be in fluid communication with an
infusion tube through a lower end coupling, the upper and lower end
couplings forming a fluid-tight seal in the respective sleeve
ends;
a first one-way valve delivering fluid from the source to the
interior of the sleeve;
a second one-way valve delivering fluid from the interior of the
sleeve to the infusion tube;
at least one of said one-way valves comprising a unidirectional
flap valve, the lumen of which is normally occluded and is
selectively additionally occluded by collapsing of the walls of the
flap valve as a result of pressure on the outside of the walls of
the flap valve, the lumen being selectively dialated by pressure on
the inside of the walls of the flap valve, and flow rate regulating
means located within said sleeve interposed between said upper end
coupling and said first one-way valve and formed with upper and
lower radial flanges extending transversely of said tube and a
central portion of lesser diameter than said flanges extending
longitudinally of said tube between said flanges formed with axial
and transverse intersecting bores and having a finger positionable
flow regulating member positioned within said transverse bore to
regulate the rate of flow of fluid to said first one-way valve.
4. A chamber is defined in claim 3 wherein the second valve
comprises a ball check valve and the first valve comprises said
flap valve.
5. A chamber as defined in claim 3 wherein each one-way valve
comprises one said flap valve.
Description
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to medical infusion apparatus and more
particularly to a novel infusion fluid drip chamber and method.
2. The Prior Art
It is well known to use drip chambers with infusion apparatus for
accommodating visual observation of the rate at which infusion
fluid is conducted into a patient. Conventional drip chambers are
normally a generally cylindrical enlargement of an infusion tube
and are in direct open communication simultaneously with a source
of infusion fluid and with the end of the infusion tube used to
penetrate the patient's circulatory system. A constricted opening
in the drip chamber causes the fluid to flow through the chamber in
droplets. It has been common practice to place a filter within the
drip chamber to filter the fluid droplets as they fall by gravity
through the chamber.
The rate at which the fluid drips through the chamber is most
frequently determined by a pinch valve or the like located on a
portion of the infusion tube between the drip chamber and the fluid
source.
Frequently, it is necessary or desirable to force infusion fluid
such as blood into the patient at a rapid rate. This is
particularly true where physical injury to the patient has caused
loss of a dangerous volume of blood. Until this present invention
it has be necessary to use auxiliary pumping apparatus for
delivering the fluid to the patient. For example, a hypodermic
syringe can be used to rapidly inject the fluid. If the fluid is
plasma, isotonic saline or the like, it becomes necessary to
perform repeated venipunctures in order to rapidly inject the
increased fluid volume. The use of the hypodermic syringe is not a
safe way of rapidly infusing a large volume of whole blood because
use of the hypodermic syringe causes hemolysis of the blood
cells.
BRIEF SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The present invention, including apparatus and method, includes a
flexible drip chamber having an interiorly confined control unit
and spaced unidirectional valves so that infusion fluid is pumped
when the chamber is finger-squeezed to force fluid within the
chamber into an attached infusion tube and thereafter expanded to
draw fluid from the source into the chamber.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to
provide an improved drip chamber and method.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel
drip chamber and method which accommodate safe, forceful pumping of
infusion fluid into a patient.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will
become more fully apparent from the following description and
appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings
wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of infusion apparatus shown
infusing fluid into a patient's arm;
FIG. 2 is a perspective illustration of a presently preferred drip
chamber embodiment of the invention;
FIGS. 3-6 are longitudinal cross sections respectively taken along
lines 3--3, 4--4, 5--5 and 6--6 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 7 is a cross sectional illustration of another presently
preferred unidirectional valve embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 8 schematically illustrates the method of pumping fluid
through the drip chamber; and
FIG. 9 is still another unidirectional valve embodiment of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Reference is now made to the several embodiments of the invention
as illustrated in the Figures, like parts being designated with
like numerals throughout.
THE STRUCTURE
The infusion apparatus generally designated 16 conveys infusion
fluid from a source such as a bottle 18 through a conventional
infusion tube 20 to an intravenous needle 22 which has previously
been properly placed within the vein of a patient's arm 24.
Infusion fluid, as used herein, means isotonic saline, blood,
plasma or any other biologically acceptable fluid used for medical
treatment of patients. The bottle 18 is normally suspended in the
air so that the fluid contained thereby falls by force of gravity
through the infusion tube 20. Preferably, a drip chamber generally
designated 26 is interposed between the infusion tube 20 and the
bottle 18.
The drip chamber 26 is best illustrated in FIG. 2 and preferably
comprises a cylindrically shaped sleeve 28 which is formed of
transparent plastic material with memory, the sleeve 28 being
elongated and terminating in upper and lower ends 30 and 32
respectively. An annular collar 34 is situated adjacent the end 30,
collar 34 having four radially projecting ribs 36. The sleeve 28 is
heat sealed or otherwise connected to the collar 34 and ribs 36 in
a fluid-tight relation.
The collar 34 circumscribes a portion of conduit 38. A portion of
the conduit 38 projects out of the sleeve 28 through the collar 34
and comprises a conically tapered tip 40 which is used to penetrate
the rubber seal (not shown) in the neck 42 (FIG. 1) of the bottle
18. The exposed portion of conduit 38 has at least one elongated
slot 44 which allows fluid within the bottle 18 to enter the
interior of conduit 38. Conduit 38 is integrally connected to and
in fluid communication with the interior of a control unit
generally designated 46. The control unit has spaced annular discs
48 and 50 which urge the sleeve 28 outwardly away from the
cylindrical central portion 52 of the unit 46. Central portion 52
has opposed annular bosses 58 and a transverse bore 54 opening to
the exterior of the unit central of each boss 58.
A spool valve 56 is reciprocably situated within the bore 54, the
spool valve 56 having a transverse through-bore (not shown) which
is incrementally displaced into and out of alignment with the
hollow interior of conduit 38. Thus, the amount of fluid flowing
from the bottle 18 through the conduit 38 to the interior of sleeve
28 may be selected by finger-squeezing the sleeve 28 between discs
48 and 50 to axially displace the spool valve 56 until the desired
drip rate is achieved, as will be subsequently more fully
described.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the interior of central portion 52 is in
open communication with the open end 39 of a terminal projection 60
disposed through an aperture 62 in the disc 50. The projection 60
has opposed inwardly tapered sides 64 which converge to a point 66.
The projection 60 is annularly reduced adjacent the tapered sides
64 so as to form a recess 68. A length of highly flexible rubber
tubing 70 is concentrically surmounted upon the recess 68 and
preferably bonded to the projection 60 in the position illustrated
in FIGS. 3 and 4. The tube 70 is substantially longer than the
recess 68 so that the free end 72 is allowed to flex and bend.
The sloping sides 64 cause the flexible tube 70 to converge toward
the free end 72. The projection 60 and tube 70 cooperate to form a
unidirectional flutter or flap valve which closes to the solid line
position illustrated in FIG. 3 when the pressure exterior of the
valve is greater than the pressure exerted by the fluid within
projection 60 and which opens to the dotted line position of FIG. 3
when the pressure exterior of the tube 70 drops below the pressure
exerted by the fluid within the projection 60. When the tube 70
opens to the dotted line position, fluid is allowed to flow through
the opening 74 in the free end 72 of the tube.
Reference is now made to FIGS. 5 and 6 wherein a second
unidirectional valve assembly generally designated 76 is
illustrated. Valve assembly 76 comprises a valve housing 78 which
is cylindrical in configuration and which is adapted to
telescopically receive the sleeve 28. An annularly enlarged flange
80 integral with the housing 78 provides a seat for the sleeve 28
and, preferably, the sleeve 28 is bonded or otherwise sealed in
fluid-tight relation to the housing 78. Housing 78 has a conically
tapered intermediate portion 82 which merges with an outwardly
projecting boss 84. The tapered intermediate portion 82 defines an
annular shoulder 86 upon which a filter cone 88 is disposed. The
filter cone 88 is preferably formed of a mesh fabric material
having a cylindrical base 90 which telescopes tightly over the boss
84. Cone 88 also has outwardly directed corners 92, the sides of
the cone converging to an apex 94. The configuration of the filter
is particularly advantageous because maximum filtration can be
accomplished with a minimum of exposed surface area of the filter
material. The filter removes fibrin and clot material which may
exist in blood communicated through the drip chamber 26 and also
serves to insure that foreign particles which may exist in other
intravenous fluid material do not enter the infusion tube 20.
The housing 78 is interiorly hollow comprising cylindrical bore 96
in the boss 84 which diverges outwardly at 98 to the diametrally
enlarged cylindrical bore 100. The bore 100 is in open
communication with a hollow conduit 102 interior of a downwardly
projecting male coupling 104. The infusion tube 20 is press-fit
upon the male coupling 104 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 6.
A highly flexible synthetic tube 106, which may be substantially
the same as rubber tube 70 above described, is bonded to the
periphery of the bore 96 so as to project into the bore 100. The
tube 106 functions as a flutter valve so that when fluid pressure
within the bore 100 is greater than the fluid pressure conducted
through the bore 96, the valve 106 will be collapsed, thereby
preventing fluid from backing to the interior of sleeve 28.
Conversely, when the pressure within the sleeve 28 is greater than
pressure in the bore 100, fluid will flow freely through the
opening 108 to the infusion tube 20.
Alternatively, the unidirectional valve embodiment illustrated in
FIG. 7 and generally designated 110 could be used. The valve 110
differs from the valve 76 in that the rubber tube 106 has been
replaced with a buoyant spherical ball 112. The ball 112 has a
diameter which is smaller than the diameter of bore 100 and larger
than the diameter 96. Thus, as fluid 114 is backed up into the bore
100, the ball 112 will seat at the juncture of bore 96 and
diverging bore 98 as shown in FIG. 7 thereby preventing the fluid
114 from flowing interior of the sleeve 28.
Another presently preferred unidirectional valve embodiment is
illustrated in FIG. 9 and is generally designated 116. The valve
116 differs from the valve embodiment 76 in that elongated male
coupling 104 is replaced with a shorter male coupling 118 upon
which is telescoped the infusion tube 20. If desired, the infusion
tube may be bonded or otherwise permanently attached to the male
coupling 118. The opening 120 between the bore 100 and the exterior
of male coupling 118 provides a location for bonding the rubber
tube 106 in a manner substantially identical to the bonding of tube
106 in the bore 96 as above described. In the FIG. 9 embodiment,
the tube 106 projects directly to the interior of the infusion tube
20 and assumes an "open" or "closed" position depending upon the
pressure within the tube 20.
THE METHOD
With continuing reference to FIGS. 1-6 and with particular
reference to FIG. 8, the method of the present invention will now
be described. The described embodiments of the invention
accommodate a regulated, continuous drip from the flutter valve 70
into the interior of sleeve 28. The rate at which the fluid drips
into the sleeve 28 will depend upon the particular position of
spool valve 56 within the bore 54. Once the position has been set,
it is protected from inadvertent displacement by the radially
projecting discs 48 and 50.
When it is desired to change or otherwise adjust the setting of
spool valve 56, the fingers may be positioned between the discs 48
and 50 and the sleeve 28 thereafter squeezed between the fingers
until the spool valve 56 can be manually displaced in either axial
direction to adjust the drip rate.
Frequently, it is desirable to accelerate the flow of fluid through
the infusion tube 20 into the patient's arm 24 (FIG. 1). This is
accomplished by first partially filling the sleeve 28 with fluid
114 as shown in FIG. 8. Thereafter, the thumb and forefinger 122
and 124, respectively, may be placed on opposite sides of the
sleeve 28 and the sleeve squeezed as shown in FIG. 8.
As the sleeve 28 is forcefully collapsed, the pressure interior of
sleeve 28 will be sufficiently great to force open flutter valve
106 (FIGS. 5 and 6) or to force the ball 112 (FIG. 7) away from its
seated position so that fluid will be forced into the tube 20. At
the same time, the increased pressure within the sleeve 28 will
force the flutter valve 70 to the collapsed or closed position as
shown in solid lines in FIG. 3, thereby preventing air within
sleeve 128 from being conducted to the interior of the bottle 18.
Thus, since air is confined within the sleeve 28, substantial
pressure can be developed within the sleeve 28 by collapsing the
sleeve only a relatively small amount.
After a volume of fluid has been forced into the infusion tube 20,
the fingers may be removed from the sleeve 28 thereby allowing the
sleeve, by force of the memory of the material forming sleeve 28,
to return to the configuration illustrated in FIG. 2. As sleeve 28
expands to the FIG. 2 configuration, the pressure interior of
sleeve 28 will be substantially reduced thereby allowing fluid to
flow through conduit 38 and valve 70 in a stream to the interior of
sleeve 28. At the same time, the reduced pressure within the sleeve
28 will cause the flutter valve 106 to collapse as shown in FIGS. 5
and 9 or, if the FIG. 7 embodiment is used, the ball 112 will seat.
Thus, fluid within the valve 20 cannot be drawn again into the
interior of the sleeve 28.
When equilibrium pressure is reached within the sleeve 28, fluid
will again assume a continuous constant drip from the flutter valve
70 to the interior of sleeve 28 and flutter valve 106 will allow
fluid to pass slowly into the tube 20. Alternatively, the ball 112
will be unseated at equilibrium pressure so that fluid will flow
into the tube 20 as described above. It is clear that repeatedly
squeezing and releasing the sleeve 28 will cause the fluid to flow,
pulsating under pressure through the infusion tube 20 into the
patient's arm 24. Thus, the present invention provides unitary
structure and simplified method for pumping infusion fluid through
an infusion tube under pressure and, when pumping is no longer
necessary, a uniform drip flow will be conducted through the
infusion tube 20.
The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without
departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The
present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all
respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the
invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the
foregoing description, and all changes which come within the
meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore to be
embraced therein.
* * * * *