VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR RESPIRATORY SYSTEMS

• US 20100024823A1
• Filed: 07/29/2009
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vyaire Medical 207 Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CareFusion 207, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Stenzler, Alex, Han, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 8,932,261 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/205.240
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0066 Blowers or centrifugal pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0463 combined with suction tubes, catheters or the like; Outside connections
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0465 Tracheostomy tubes; Devices for performing a tracheostomy; Accessories therefor, e.g. masks, filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0816 Joints or connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/208 Non-controlled one-way valves, e.g. exhalation, check, pop-off non-rebreathing valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1077 Adapters, e.g. couplings adapting a connector to one or several other connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/045 pre-slit to be pierced by blunt instrument

Abstract

An adapter assembly including a manifold and a valve assembly. The valve assembly includes a seat and a valve body having a circular base and a wall. The wall extends from a trailing side of the base to form a dome-like shape terminating at an end at which a slit is formed, with the wall defining opposing sealing edges at the slit. The seat has an upper circumferential surface and a lower circumferential surface. The upper surface engages a leading side of the base, whereas the lower surface engages a trailing side. At least one of the upper and lower surfaces forms a segment of increased height. Upon final assembly, the valve body is disposed across a passageway of the manifold, with the slit providing a selectively openable path. A force imparted by the segment of increased height flexes the base and biases the sealing edges into engagement.

Claims

1. An adapter assembly for connecting a respiratory device to an artificial airway of a patient, the adapter assembly comprising:

a manifold forming and fluidly interconnecting a ventilator port, a respiratory port, and an access port, the manifold further including a conduit forming a passageway extending from, and fluidly connected to, the access port;

a valve assembly for selectively closing the passageway, the valve assembly comprising;

a valve body having opposing first and second ends and an internal chamber, the valve body including;

a circular base having leading and trailing sides, wherein the leading side defines the first end of the valve body,

a wall extending from the trailing side of the base to form a dome-like shape terminating at the second end,

wherein a slit is formed through a thickness of the wall and open to the chamber at the second end, the wall defining opposing sealing edges at the slit,

a valve seat structure formed along the conduit and sealingly maintaining the base, the valve seat structure including;

an upper circumferential surface engaging the leading side of the base,

a lower circumferential surface engaging the trailing side of the base,

wherein at least one of the upper and lower surfaces forms a segment of increased height;

wherein upon final assembly, the valve body is disposed across the passageway with the slit providing a selectively openable path through the valve assembly, and a force imparted by the segment of increased height flexing the base and biasing the opposing sealing edges into engagement.

2. The adapter assembly of claim 1, wherein the valve seat imparts a pushing bias onto the wall of the valve body from the base to the second end in a direction parallel with a plane of the slit.

3. The adapter assembly of claim 1, wherein upon final assembly, the segment of increased height is offset from a plane of the slit.

4. The adapter assembly of claim 1, wherein the lower circumferential surface includes a rib having circumferentially spaced, first and second raised segments, the base caused to more overtly flex at regions in contact with the raised segments.

5. The adapter assembly of claim 4, wherein the upper circumferential surface includes a shoulder having circumferentially spaced first and second raised segments, the base caused to more overtly flex at regions in contact with the raised segments of the upper circumferential surface.

6. The adapter assembly of claim 5, wherein upon final assembly, the raised segments of the lower surface are longitudinally aligned with respective ones of the raised segments of the upper surface.

7. The adapter assembly of claim 1, wherein the wall has a first portion extending from the base and a second portion extending from the first portion to the second end, and further wherein a thickness of the wall in a region of slit is greater than a thickness of the wall along the first portion.

8. The adapter assembly of claim 1, wherein the valve body includes a finger projecting from the leading side of the base, and further wherein, upon final assembly, the finger is longitudinally aligned with the segment of increased height.

9. The adaptor assembly of claim 1, wherein the slit of the valve body is centered relative to the base and is linear.

10. The adaptor assembly of claim 1, wherein the valve body includes at least one finger extending perpendicular to a plane of the slit.

11. The adaptor assembly of claim 1, wherein the slit divides the second end of the wall into two halves, each half forming a respective one of the opposing sealing edges.

12. The adaptor assembly of claim 1, wherein the valve seat structure is formed by a housing of the manifold.

13. The adaptor assembly of claim 1, wherein the upper and lower circumferential surfaces of the valve seat structure are formed by separable parts of the manifold.

14. The adaptor assembly of claim 1, wherein upon final assembly, the base flexes in response to asymmetrical bias on an exterior face of the wall.

15. A method of connecting a respiratory device to an artificial airway of a patient, the method comprising:

connecting the respiratory apparatus of claim 1 within a breathing circuit fluidly connecting a respiratory device to an artificial airway of a patient.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the base asymmetrically flexes to seal opposing edges of the slit against one another.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

inserting a distal end of a medical instrument into the access port; and

directing the distal end through the slit and toward the respiratory port;

wherein the sealing edges of the slit separate about the distal end.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

withdrawing the distal end from the valve body;

wherein upon withdrawal of the distal end beyond the slit, the valve body self-transitions to a sealed state in which the opposing edges seal against one another.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein self-transitioning of the valve body includes the segment of increased height of the valve seat structure imparting a force onto the base.