Surgical cassette

• US 20070172368A1
• Filed: 01/24/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Inventors: Williams, David, Salari, Kamran, Hopkins, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,775,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/477.300
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/72 Cassettes forming partially or totally the fluid circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/77 Suction-irrigation systems aspiration tips supplying fluids A61M1/85; specific for negative pressure wound therapy A61M1/92; combined with tracheal tubes A61M16/0463
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/82 Membrane pumps, e.g. bulbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/128 with incorporated valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0612 Eyes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0201 Cassettes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/0054 particularities of the flexible members
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/1269 the rotary axes of the rollers lying in a plane perpendicular to the rotary axis of the driving motor
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/14 having plate-like flexible members

Abstract

A cassette having an elastomeric sheet that is bonded or mechanically attached to a rigid substrate. A flow channel is molded into the rigid substrate that corresponds to a flow channel molded into the elastomeric sheet. The cassette is used in combination with a peristaltic pump having pump head rollers that are mounted radially from the axis of rotation of the pump motor so as to compress the elastomeric flow channels against the rigid substrate during operation. The flow channels molded into the rigid substrate have smooth, fluid lines free from sharp edges and abrupt direction changes and correspond with the fluid channels molded into the elastomeric sheet so as to provide a transition region with a relatively constant cross-section over its entire length that approximates the cross-sectional area of the flow channels molded into the rigid substrate and the fluid channel molded into the elastomeric sheet so that the entire fluid path is of relatively constant cross-sectional area.

Claims

1. A cassette, comprising:

a) a body having an exterior;

b) a relatively flexible sheet attached to the body, the sheet containing at least one first molded fluid channel, the fluid channel projecting outwardly from the exterior of the body and having a tapered section; and

c) at least one second molded fluid channel formed in the body and located so as to correspond with the tapered section of the at least one first molded fluid channel to form a transition fluid channel region, the transition fluid channel region being of relatively uniform cross-sectional area.

2. The cassette of claim 1 wherein the at least one first molded fluid channel and the at least one second molded fluid are fluidly connected to a pump inlet port.

3. The cassette of claim 1 wherein the at least one first molded fluid channel and the at least one second molded fluid are fluidly connected to a pump outlet port

4. The cassette of claim 1 wherein the sheet comprises a flexible, easily molded material.

5. The cassette of claim 3 wherein the sheet comprises silicone rubber or thermoplastic elastomer.

6. The cassete of claim 1 wherein the cross-section area of the transition fluid channel region approximates the cross-sectional area of the at least one first molded fluid channel.

7. The cassette of claim 1 wherein the at least one first mold fluid channel, the at least one second molded fluid channel and the transition fluid channel region all are of approximately the same uniform cross-sectional area.

8. The cassette of claim 1 wherein the at least one first mold fluid channel, the at least one second molded fluid channel and the transition fluid channel region comprise a fluid pathway that is of relatively constant cross-sectional area.