Surgical system pump with flow sensor and method therefor
First Claim
1. An automatic pump system for irrigating a surgical site, said pump system adapted to be coupled to a source of surgical fluid via an input line and adapted to deliver a pressurized supply of surgical fluid to a fluid control valving system via an output line, the pump system adapted to be disposed at an elevated position with respect to said fluid control valving system, said pump system comprising:
- a motor and a housing therefor;
a pump mounted to said housing and mechanically driven by said motor, said pump having a first and a second fluid port respectively adapted to be coupled to said input and output line;
an electrical system for said motor with at least one battery supplying electrical power to said motor;
a flow sensor with an optical switch fluidly coupled to one of said first and second fluid ports to determine fluid flow therethrough, said flow sensor including a flow chamber with a small flow segment and a large flow segment adjacent thereto, a poppet movably disposed in said flow chamber and sized to permit nominal flow in said small flow segment and large flow in said large flow segment;
said optical switch configured to accept, as a control input, at least one predetermined poppet position in said flow chamber, said optical switch having a controlled electrical output which is electrically coupled to said electrical system and effective to control application of said electrical power to said pump based upon fluid flow through said flow chamber.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The automatically controlled pump supplies pressurized irrigation fluid via an output line to a surgical site. The pump is coupled to a fluid source via an input line. The pump system includes a motor, a motor housing, a pump disposed within a pump housing and fluid input and fluid output ports defined by the pump housing. The pump has a rotatably disposed impeller coupled to the motor. The input and output lines are respectively coupled to the fluid input and output ports. The motor is powered by at least one battery and preferably a plurality of batteries. A switch turns ON and OFF the motor and is controlled by fluid flow above a system minimal flow. The system operates in conjunction with a manual flow control valve (a fluid control valving system) actuated by an operator downstream of the battery powered pump. The fluid flow sensor is typically mounted downstream of the pump output, fluid flow is monitored at the pump output and, based upon fluid flow above a system minimal flow, a negative buoyancy poppet leaves a “leaky” valve seat, moves into a large flow segment of a valve chamber pressure and turns ON the motor and the pump due to a changed state of a position sensor (preferably, an optical sensor) and the application of battery power to the motor driving the pump. The method of automatically controlling a pump includes providing a battery powered motor mechanically coupled to the pump, the step of monitoring fluid flow above a system minimal flow and turning ON and OFF the motor based upon fluid flow above the system minimum.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An automatic pump system for irrigating a surgical site, said pump system adapted to be coupled to a source of surgical fluid via an input line and adapted to deliver a pressurized supply of surgical fluid to a fluid control valving system via an output line, the pump system adapted to be disposed at an elevated position with respect to said fluid control valving system, said pump system comprising:
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a motor and a housing therefor;
a pump mounted to said housing and mechanically driven by said motor, said pump having a first and a second fluid port respectively adapted to be coupled to said input and output line;
an electrical system for said motor with at least one battery supplying electrical power to said motor;
a flow sensor with an optical switch fluidly coupled to one of said first and second fluid ports to determine fluid flow therethrough, said flow sensor including a flow chamber with a small flow segment and a large flow segment adjacent thereto, a poppet movably disposed in said flow chamber and sized to permit nominal flow in said small flow segment and large flow in said large flow segment;
said optical switch configured to accept, as a control input, at least one predetermined poppet position in said flow chamber, said optical switch having a controlled electrical output which is electrically coupled to said electrical system and effective to control application of said electrical power to said pump based upon fluid flow through said flow chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An automatic pump system for irrigating a surgical site, said pump system adapted to be coupled to a source of surgical fluid via an input line and adapted to deliver a pressurized supply of surgical fluid to a fluid control valving system via an output line, the pump system adapted to be disposed at an elevated position with respect to said fluid control valving system, said pump system comprising:
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a motor and a housing therefor;
a pump mounted to said housing and mechanically driven by said motor, said pump having a first and a second fluid port respectively adapted to be coupled to said input and output line;
an electrical system for said motor with at least one battery supplying electrical power to said motor;
said flow sensor having a flow chamber with a small flow segment and a large flow segment fluidly coupled to one of said first and second fluid ports, a poppet movably disposed in said flow chamber and sized to permit nominal flow in said small flow segment and large flow in said large flow segment;
a position sensing switch configured to accept, as a control input, at least one predetermined poppet position in said flow chamber, said position sensing switch having a controlled electrical output which is electrically coupled to said electrical system and effective to control application of said electrical power to said pump based upon fluid flow through said flow chamber. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of automatically controlling a pump and supplying pressurized fluid via an output line to a fluid control valving system and to a surgical site, said pump adapted to be coupled to a fluid source and adapted to be disposed at an elevated position with respect to said fluid control valving system, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a battery powered motor mechanically coupled to said pump;
monitoring fluid flow at or near the pump'"'"'s output and turning ON said motor and pumping fluid based upon fluid flow above a predetermined amount in said output line coupled thereto, said predetermined amount being greater than a system minimal flow; and
,permitting fluid flow at or below said system minimal flow without turning ON said motor and pump. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification