DRIP CHAMBER AND METHOD

• US 3,664,339 A
• Filed: 04/09/1970
• Issued: 05/23/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Louis S. Santomieri
• Original Assignee: Louis S. Santomieri
• Inventors: Santomieri, Louis S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truluck, Dalton L.
• Application Number:
  US05/027,040
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 137/399 128/214,214.2,214C 210/92,94,136 137/399
• US Class Current: 604/185
• 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 39/24 Check- or non-return valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1411 Drip chambers A61M5/162, A61M5/1689, A61M5/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7326 Low level safety cut-off
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7436 Float rigid with valve

Abstract

A drip chamber having a flexibly resilient sleeve with memory and one-way inlet and outlet valves in each end of the sleeve, the valves respectively being in communication with a fluid source and an infusion tube. A control unit can be fingeractuated to determine a continuous drip at a constant rate from the inlet to the outlet valve. The method includes squeezing the sleeve to force fluid through the outlet valve into the infusion tube and thereafter allowing the sleeve to expand to draw fluid through the inlet tube into the sleeve.

Claims

1. A drip chamber for use with intravenous infusion apparatus comprising:

an elongated tube of flexible material with memory in fluid communication with a source of infusion fluid through an upper end coupling and in fluid communication with an infusion tube through a lower end coupling, a first one-way valve delivering fluid from the source to the interior of the tube, second one-way valve delivering fluid from the interior of said tube to the infusion tube, and flow rate regulating means located within said tube interposed between said upper end coupling and said first one-way valve and formed with upper and lower radial flanges extending transversely of said tube and a central portion of lesser diameter than said flanges extending longitudinally of said tube between said flanges formed with axial and transverse intersecting bores and having a finger-positionable flow regulating member positioned within said transverse bore to regulate the rate of flow of fluid to said first one-way valve.

2. The drip chamber of claim 1 wherein said tube is manually deformable intermediate said first and second one-way valves to permit manual pumping of fluid through said drip chamber.

3. A drip chamber for use with intravenous infusion apparatus comprising:

an exterior wall of flexible material with memory formed into a closed sleeve, the sleeve being adapted to be in fluid communication with a source of intravenous fluid through an upper end coupling and adapted to be in fluid communication with an infusion tube through a lower end coupling, the upper and lower end couplings forming a fluid-tight seal in the respective sleeve ends;

a first one-way valve delivering fluid from the source to the interior of the sleeve;

a second one-way valve delivering fluid from the interior of the sleeve to the infusion tube;

at least one of said one-way valves comprising a unidirectional flap valve, the lumen of which is normally occluded and is selectively additionally occluded by collapsing of the walls of the flap valve as a result of pressure on the outside of the walls of the flap valve, the lumen being selectively dialated by pressure on the inside of the walls of the flap valve, and flow rate regulating means located within said sleeve interposed between said upper end coupling and said first one-way valve and formed with upper and lower radial flanges extending transversely of said tube and a central portion of lesser diameter than said flanges extending longitudinally of said tube between said flanges formed with axial and transverse intersecting bores and having a finger positionable flow regulating member positioned within said transverse bore to regulate the rate of flow of fluid to said first one-way valve.

4. A chamber is defined in claim 3 wherein the second valve comprises a ball check valve and the first valve comprises said flap valve.

5. A chamber as defined in claim 3 wherein each one-way valve comprises one said flap valve.