FLUID CONVEYING CONDUIT

• US 20100006171A1
• Filed: 06/05/2006
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecoluminaire Limited
• Original Assignee: Ecoluminaire Limited
• Inventors: Malloy, James Raymond JR., Tomlin, Russell Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 8,443,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 138/104
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3941 Photoluminescent markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0875 Connecting tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0208 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/584 having a color code
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/587 Lighting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/00 Luminescent, e.g. electroluminescent, chemiluminescent materials

Abstract

A fluid-containing conduit (10,30,40,50) including at least one luminescent marker (14) whereby the fluid-containing conduit is visible in a low light condition. The marker may be in the form of one or more elongate ribs (16) containing luminescent material along interior wall surface (18), or may be elongate luminescent bands (52,54) adjacent the exterior wall (20) of the conduit, or may be indicia containing luminescent material such as ink (42).

Claims

1. A fluid conveying conduit comprising a conduit body including at least one luminescent marker, whereby the fluid conveying conduit is visible in a low light condition.

2. A fluid conveying conduit according to claim 1 wherein the conduit body defines a medical tube for administering fluids.

3. A fluid conveying conduit according to claim 1 wherein the or each luminescent marker includes an elongate, luminescent rib extending along the length of the conduit body, the or each elongate rib including a luminescent pigment.

4. A fluid conveying conduit according to claim 3 wherein at least one elongate rib lies adjacent to an inner surface of the conduit body.

5. A fluid conveying conduit according to claim 3 wherein at least one elongate rib lies adjacent to an outer surface of the conduit body.

6. A fluid conveying conduit according to claim 1 wherein the or each luminescent marker includes an elongate, luminescent band lying within the conduit body and extending along the length thereof, the or each elongate band including a luminescent pigment.

7. A fluid conveying conduit according to claim 6 wherein at least one portion of one or more of the elongate bands is coterminous with an outer surface of the conduit body.

8. A fluid conveying conduit according to claim 1 wherein the or each luminescent marker includes an ink lying on a surface of the conduit body, the ink including a luminescent pigment.

9. A fluid conveying conduit according to claim 1 wherein the conduit body includes one or more dyes or secondary pigments so as to emit or reflect incident light in a predetermined range of wavelengths.

10. A fluid conveying conduit according to claim 9 wherein the conduit body includes a translucent portion.

11. A fluid conveying conduit according to claim 1 wherein the conduit body includes a transparent portion.

12. A fluid conveying conduit according to claim 1 wherein the conduit body includes a luminescent pigment.

13. A fluid conveying conduit according to claim 3 wherein the luminescent pigment is or includes a phosphorescent pigment.

14. A fluid conveying conduit according to claim 3 wherein the luminescent pigment includes one or more dyes or secondary pigments so as to emit light in a predetermined range of wavelengths.

15. A fluid conveying conduit according to claim 1 wherein the conduit body includes an antimicrobial additive.