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Universal drip chamber and spike assembly

  • US 4,055,176 A
  • Filed: 05/24/1976
  • Issued: 10/25/1977
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1976
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. In a universal drip chamber and spike assembly for use with a source of liquid in a container having a neck with a permeable stopper disposed in the neck and for use with a tube connected to a patient, a drip chamber body defining the upper portion of a drip chamber, said body having a relatively rigid substantially transparent wall surrounding the upper portion of the drip chamber and being open at its lower end, a drip chamber booth formed of a flexible rubber-like material secured to the lower end of said drip chamber body and defining a lower portion of the drip chamber, said booth having an outlet flow passage in its lower extremity in communication with the drip chamber and adapted to be placed in communication with the tube connected to the patient and having means forming a valve seat in the drip chamber surrounding said outlet flow passage, said valve seat being in the form of an upstanding relatively thin self supporting annulus of a soft rubber-like material, a spike assembly mounted on the drip chamber body and being adapted to be inserted into the permeable stopper of the container to permit liquid to flow from the container into the drip chamber, said drip chamber being capable of receiving liquid from said container and a ball-like float member being capable of floating in said liquid in said drip chamber, said ball-like float member being of a size so that it is capable of seating within said annulus to a depth so that a major portion is disposed therein for closing off said outlet flow passage when substantially all of the liquid from the drip chamber has passed out of said drip chamber to form an air-tight seal between the ball-like member and said annulus to thereby prevent the flow of air from the drip chamber through the outlet flow passage, said booth having a sufficient length above the annulus when the ball-like float member is disposed in the annulus so that the booth can be squeezed by hand without dislodging the ball-like float member to pump liquid from the source into the drip chamber, said ball-like float member being retained by the annulus after it has seated in said annulus and after liquid has been pumped into the drip chamber to a level above the surface of the ball-like member, said booth being sufficiently compliant so that after the drip chamber has been filed to a desired level, it can be squeezed by hand to dislodge the ball-like float member from the annulus.

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