Fluid control device

• US 20060155248A1
• Filed: 08/05/2003
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JMS Company Limited
• Original Assignee: JMS Company Limited, Satoru Hashimoto
• Inventors: Sawa, Kenji, Fujii, Ryoji, Hashimoto, Satoru
• Granted Patent: US 7,326,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/246
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1403 Flushing or purging
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/242 designed to open when a predetermined pressure or flow rate has been reached, e.g. check valve actuated by fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/2433 Valve comprising a resilient or deformable element, e.g. flap valve, deformable disc
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/2466 being fixed in its center
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/2473 Valve comprising a non-deformable, movable element, e.g. ball-valve, valve with movable stopper or reciprocating element
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/2486 Guided stem, e.g. reciprocating stopper
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/30 Blood pressure A61M2230/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/24 Check- or non-return valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16881 Regulating valves on-off valves, e.g. clamps A61M39/28

Abstract

A fluid control device is characterized in that the device is structured of a hollow first fluid path (21) and second fluid path (22), a housing portion (1) formed between the first fluid path and the second fluid path and having a hollow portion with a cross-sectional area larger than cross-sectional areas of both fluid paths, and a valve member (3) that has a main body (31) and a projection portion (32) that are installed in an opening portion where the first fluid path is connected to the hollow portion and that is formed of an elastic material. The fluid control device enables the circulation of liquid when the pressure of liquid flowing from the first fluid path toward the second fluid path is more than a predetermined level. The fluid control device enables accurate and safe measurement of pressure including blood pressure, and, when flushing operation of an infusion circuit etc. is finished, the device enables speedy lowering of pressure to a value that accurately reflects blood pressure of a patient and enables obtaining of a necessary flow rate in a region where pressure is relatively low.

Claims

1. A fluid control device, comprising:

a first fluid path and a second fluid paths each having of a hollow shape;

a housing portion formed between said first fluid path and said second fluid path and having a hollow portion with a cross sectional area larger than those of said first and second fluid paths; and

a valve member mounted at an opening portion at which said first fluid path communicates with said hollow portion, the valve member having a body and a projection portions

wherein;

the body of said valve member is formed of a tubular member which can be inserted into said first fluid path, the tubular member including a side portion having at least one communication portion to allow fluid flow from the first fluid path to the hollow portion; and

said projection portion is formed at a tip end portion of said tubular member on a side of the hollow portion, and is configured to project towards an inner wall face of said housing portion and have on an inner side of the body a hollow cavity portion which communicates with said communication portion, wherein at least a part of an outer edge portion of said hollow cavity portion sits on the inner wall face of said housing portion to close the fluid flow from the first fluid path to said hollow portion below a predetermined fluid pressure, but allows the fluid flow above a predetermined fluid pressure.

2. The fluid control device according to claim 1, wherein the valve member comprises an elastic material.

3. The fluid control device according to claim 2, wherein the elastic material is silicon rubber.

4. The fluid control device according to claim 1, wherein the communication portion of the valve member body portion is a concave portion formed in the side portion of the valve member body portion.

5. The fluid control device according to claim 1, wherein the projection portion of the valve member body portion has an approximately hemispherical shape on the second fluid path side thereof, and is formed with a cavity portion on the first fluid path side thereof.

6. The fluid control device according to claim 5, wherein the cavity portion has a hollow, approximately hemispherical shape.

7. The fluid control device according to claim 1, wherein the cavity shape of the hollow portion on the second fluid path side is of an approximately circular cone of which diameter is successively reduced from the first fluid path side toward the second fluid path side.

8. The fluid control device according to claim 1, wherein the housing portion is comprised of a first housing member formed by bulging an end of the first fluid path and a second housing member formed by bulging an end of the second fluid path, and is formed through a fitting of said two housing members without using adhesives.

9. The fluid control device according to claim 8, wherein the housing portion is configured such that the bulged portion of the second fluid path is fitted into the bulged portion of the first fluid path.

10. The fluid control device according to claim 8 wherein the material of the first housing member has a larger thermal contraction compared to the material of the second housing member.

11. The fluid control device according to claim 8, wherein the material of the first housing member is polypropylene resin and the material of the second housing member is polycarbonate resin.

12. The fluid control device according to claim 1, wherein mutually engageable engaging portions are provided in the end portion of the valve member on the side opposite to its projection portion and in the first fluid path, the valve member being to be placed in the first fluid path, so that the engagement of said both engaging portions cause the valve member to be placed under a tension in the lengthwise direction in the first fluid path.

13. The fluid control device according to claim 12, wherein the relationship between the length (c) of the body portion of the valve member and the length (d) from the engaging portion of the first fluid path to the hollow-portion base portion is from 1:

1 to 1;

1.25.

14. The fluid control device according to claim 12 wherein said (c) is 1.45 cm and said (d) is from 1.45 to 1.8 mm.

15. The fluid control device according to claim 1, wherein said valve member is opened by pressure (F) of the fluid flowing from the first fluid path to said valve member of below 0.2 Kgf/cm² so that the first fluid path and the hollow portion are communicated for a fluid flow.

16. A drug supply line, comprising the fluid control device of claim 1, the drug supply line further comprising:

a drug supply means;

a tubular member extending from said drug supply means and through which the drug flows;

a drug administering means for administering the drug to the human body via said tubular member;

a transducer for measuring the pressure inside said tubular member; and

a pressure-value display means for displaying the signal outputted from said transducer as a pressure value.

17. The drug supply line according to claim 16, wherein the drug supply line is an infusion line and the pressure-value display means is a blood-pressure-value display means.