VARIABLE FLOW RESHAPABLE FLOW RESTRICTOR APPARATUS AND RELATED METHODS
First Claim
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1. A flow restrictor comprising:
- at least one reshapable lumen;
wherein each lumen reshapes as a function of pressure within the lumen.
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Abstract
A novel apparatus and associated methods for controlling the flow through a flow restrictor using a reshapable lumen. The lumen reshapes as a function of the pressure differential over the flow restrictor. Because flow rate is proportional by the fourth order of magnitude to the diameter of the lumen, small changes in the pressure differential allow for large changes in the flow rate over conventional flow restrictor systems and provides for real time, fine-tuned adjustments to the flow rate.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A flow restrictor comprising:
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at least one reshapable lumen; wherein each lumen reshapes as a function of pressure within the lumen. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15)
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14. The flow restrictor of claim 14, wherein the at least one lumen extension is at least one rugae.
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16. A method of varying the flow rate through a flow restrictor comprising the steps of:
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providing a flow restrictor having at least one reshapable lumen, wherein the lumen reshapes as a function of the pressure within the lumen; allowing for the pressure of a flow material to vary within each lumen, the variance in pressure causing each lumen to reshape resulting in increased or decreased flow rate of the flow material. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of varying flow rate through a flow restrictor comprising the step of providing a flow restrictor having a reshapable lumen, wherein the flow rate varies as a combination of the diameter of the lumen and the pressure within the lumen.
- 28. A method of varying a flow rate of a flow material through a flow restrictor by providing a reshapable lumen, wherein the flow rate of the flow material varies as a) a function of pressure within the reshapable lumen and b) a function of the diameter of the reshapable lumen.
Specification