Reciprocating infusion pump and directional adapter set for use therewith

• US 4,065,230 A
• Filed: 10/24/1975
• Issued: 12/27/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hare & Associates
• Original Assignee: Hare & Associates
• Inventors: Gezari, Walter A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Freeh, William L.
• Application Number:
  US05/625,581
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 417/317, 417/515, 417/507, 417/342, 417/63, 128/214 F
• US Class Current: 417/317
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14513 with secondary fluid driving or regulating the infusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1422 with double acting or multiple pistons
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 25/063 the auxiliary valve being actuated by the working motor-piston or piston-rod
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 25/066 piston or piston-rod being used as auxiliary valve
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 7/0216 and having an oscillating movement
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 9/1378 the movement in the other direction being obtained by an hydraulic connection between the fluid motor cylinders

Abstract

A reciprocating infusion pump is presented having a pair of syringes activated by individual actuating cylinders. The actuating cylinders are interconnected with a hydraulic fluid, and the cylinders and alternately pneumatically actuated whereby the cylinders alternately act as drive and follower cylinders whereby one syringe delivers fluid to a patient while the other is refilled from a reservoir. A directional adapter set is affirmatively actuated in synchronism with the actuating cylinders to control the direction of fluid flow from the reservoir to the syringes and from the syringes to the patient.

Claims

1. An infusion pump including:

a first cylinder;

a second cylinder;

first piston means in said first cylinder dividing said first cylinder into first and second chambers;

second piston means in said second cylinder dividing said second cylinder into first and second chambers;

first rod means connected to said first piston means and extending out of said first cylinder, said first rod means being adapted for connection to the plunger of a syringe;

second rod means connected to said second piston means and extending out of said second cylinder, said second rod means being adapted for connection to the plunger of a syringe;

hydraulic conduit means connecting said first chamber of said first cylinder to said first chamber of said second cylinder for fluid communication therebetween;

incompressible fluid means in said first chamber of each of said cylinders and in said hydraulic conduit means;

actuator means for positioning valve means to control the flow of a fluid to and from said syringes;

third cylinder means;

third piston means in said third cylinder means, said third piston means being operatively connected to said actuator means;

delivery means for delivering fluid under pressure to said second chambers of said first and second cylinders and to said third cylinder means; and

control means for alternately delivering fluid through said delivery means to the second chamber of one of said cylinders to activate the piston means associated therewith and transfer fluid from the first chamber of said one cylinder to the first chamber of the other cylinder and then to the second chamber of the other of said cylinders to activate the piston means associated therewith and transfer fluid from the first chamber of said other cylinder to the first chamber of said one cylinder, said control means further alternately delivering fluid under pressure to opposite sides of said third piston means to cause said third piston means to operate said actuator means in synchronism with said first and second piston means.

2. An infusion pump as in claim 1 including:

control means in said hydraulic conduit means for selectively varying the rate of transfer of hydraulic fluid between said first chambers.

3. An infusion pump as in claim 1 wherein said control means includes:

pilot operated valve means for directing pneumatic fluid under pressure to one or the other of said second chambers; and

sensing means for sensing the movement of said first and second piston means to actuate said pilot operated valve means to switch the direction of pneumatic fluid to one or the other of said second chambers.

4. An infusion pump as in claim 1 wherein:

said delivery means includes first delivery line means connected between said control means and said second chamber of said first cylinder and one side of said third piston means, and second line means connected between said control means and said second chamber of said second cylinder and the other side of said third piston means; and

wherein

said pilot operated valve means alternately connects said first and second delivery line means to a source of pressurized pneumatic fluid.

5. An infusion pump as in claim 1 including:

sensing means for sensing the movement of said first and second piston means, said sensing means actuating said control means upon the sensing of predetermined positions of said pistons to repeatedly switch the delivery of said fluid from one of said second chambers to the other of said second chambers, and to switch the delivery of said fluid to said third cylinder means.

6. An infusion pump as in claim 5 wherein :

said positions of said first and second piston means are commensurate with the states of fluid containment of the syringes to which said rod means are adapted for connection.

7. An infusion pump including:

a first cylinder;

a second cylinder;

first piston means in said first cylinder dividing said first cylinder into first and second chambers;

second piston means in said second cylinder dividing said second cylinder into first and second chambers;

first rod means connected to said first piston means and extending out of said first cylinder, said first rod means being adapted for connection to the plunger of a syringe;

second rod means connected to said second piston means and extending out of said second cylinder, said second rod means being adapted for connection to the plunger of a syringe;

hydraulic conduit means connecting said first chamber of said first cylinder to said first chamber of said second cylinder for fluid communication therebetween;

incompressible fluid means in said first chamber of each of said cylinders and in said hydraulic conduit means;

a pair of rotatably mounted actuators, each of said actuators having a part shaped to engage a part of a valve to be actuated to control the flow of a fluid to and from said syringes;

power means for operating said actuators;

delivery means for delivering fluid under pressure to said second chambers of said first and said second cylinders and to said power means; and

control means for alternately delivering fluid through said delivery means to the second chamber of one of said cylinders to activate the piston means associated therewith and transfer fluid from the first chamber of said one cylinder to the first chamber of the other cylinder and then to the second chamber of the other of said cylinders to activate the piston means associated therewith and transfer fluid from the first chamber of said other cylinder to the first chamber of said one cylinder, said control means also delivering fluid to said power means to operate said actuators in synchronism with said piston means.

8. An infusion pump as in claim 7 wherein:

said power means moves linearly; and

including

means to convert the lineal motion of said power means to rotary motion for said actuators.

9. An infusion pump as in claim 7 further including:

control means in said hydraulic conduit means for selectively varying the rate of transfer of hydraulic fluid between said first chambers.

10. An infusion pump as in claim 7 wherein said control means includes:

pilot operated valve means for directing pneumatic fluid under pressure to one or the other of said second chambers; and

sensing means for sensing the movement of said first and second piston means to actuate said pilot operated valve means to switch the direction of pneumatic fluid to one or the other of said second chambers.

11. An infusion pump as in claim 7 including:

sensing means for sensing the movement of said first and second piston means, said sensing means actuating said control means upon the sensing of predetermined positions of said pistons to repeatedly switch the delivery of said fluid from one of said second chambers to the other of said second chambers, and to switch the delivery of said fluid to said power means.

12. An infusion pump as in claim 11 wherein:

said positions of said first and second piston means are commensurate with the states of fluid containment of the syringes to which said rod means are adapted for connection.

13. An infusion pump including:

a first cylinder;

a second cylinder;

first piston means in said first cylinder dividing said first cylinder into first and second chambers;

second piston means in said second cylinder dividing said second cylinder into first and second chambers;

first rod means connected to said first piston means and extending out of said first cylinder, said first rod means being adapted for connection to the plunger of a syringe;

second rod means connected to said second piston means and extending out of said second cylinder, said second rod means being adapted for connection to the plunger of a syringe;

hydraulic conduit means connecting said first chamber of said first cylinder to said first chamber of said second cylinder for fluid communication therebetween;

incompressible fluid means in said first chamber of each of said cylinders and in said hydraulic conduit means;

actuator means for positioning valve means to control the flow of a fluid to and from said syringes;

power means for operating said actuator means, said power means including;

a third cylinder;

a linearly movable piston disposed in said third cylinder;

an actuating rod extending from said linearly movable piston and out of said third cylinder;

first gear means mounted for rotation and having a radial slot engaged by said actuating rod; and

second gear means driven by said first gear means, said second gear means being connected to said actuator means for controlling the operation of said actuator means;

delivery means for delivering fluid under pressure to said second chambers of said first and second cylinders and to said third cylinder of said power means to cause movement of said power means linearly movable piston;

control means for alternately delivering fluid through said delivery means to the second chamber of one of said cylinders to activate the piston means associated therewith and transfer fluid from the first chamber of said one cylinder to the first chamber of the other cylinder and then to the second chamber of the other of said cylinders to activate the piston means associated therewith and transfer fluid from the first chamber of said other cylinder to the first chamber of said one cylinder, said control means also delivering fluid to said power means third cylinder to operate said power means linearly movable piston thereby operating said actuator means in synchronism with said piston means; and

means for mounting directional adapter set means on said pump, said directional adapter set means including the valve means which controls fluid flow to and from said syringes;

said actuator means having shaped parts to operatively engage corresponding parts on said valve means.

14. An infusion pump including:

a first cylinder;

a second cylinder;

first piston means in said first cylinder dividing said first cylinder into first and second chambers, said first piston means including;

a first cylindrical piston element;

a radial bleed from the periphery of said first cylindrical piston element; and

seal means on the periphery of said first cylindrical piston element, said seal means straddling said radial bleed;

second piston means in said second cylinder dividing said second cylinder into first and second chambers, said second piston means including;

a second cylindrical piston element;

a radial bleed from the periphery of said second cylindrical piston element; and

seal means on the periphery of said second cylindrical piston element, said seal means straddling said radial bleed;

first rod means connected to said first piston means first cylindrical piston element, said first rod means extending out of said first cylinder, said first rod means including a passage for venting the radial bleed in said first cylindrical piston element to atmosphere, said first rod means being adapted for connection to the plunger of a syringe;

second rod means connected to said second piston means cylindrical piston element, said second rod means extending out of said second cylinder, said second rod means including a passage for venting the radial bleed in said second cylindrical piston element to atmosphere, said second rod means being adapted for connection to the plunger of a syringe;

hydraulic conduit means connecting said first chamber of said first cylinder to said first chamber of said second cylinder for fluid communication therebetween;

incompressible fluid means in said first chamber of each of said cylinders and in said hydraulic conduit means;

actuator means for positioning valve means to control the flow of a fluid to and from said syringes;

power means for operating said actuator means;

delivery means for delivering fluid under pressure to said second chambers of said first and second cylinders and to said power means; and

control means for alternately delivering fluid through said delivery means to the second chamber of one of said cylinders to activate the piston element associated therewith and transfer fluid from the first chamber of said one cylinder to the first chamber of the other cylinder and then to the second chamber of the other of said cylinders to activate the piston element associated therewith and transfer fluid from the first chamber of said other cylinder to the first chamber of said one cylinder, said control means also delivering fluid to said power means to operate said actuator means in synchronism with said piston elements.

15. An infusion pump as in claim 14 wherein said second gear means includes:

a pair of spaced apart gears attached to a pair of spaced apart actuators.

16. A directional adapter set for use with an infusion pump, the directional adapter set including:

a first three way valve, said first valve including a valve element rotatable 180°

between first and second positions, said first valve having a flow passage therethrough;

a second three way valve, said second valve including a valve element rotatable 180°

between first and second positions, said second valve having a flow passage therethrough;

handle means connected to each of said valve elements for moving said valve elements;

first conduit means connected to said first valve and adapted to be connected to a syringe through the flow passage therethrough;

second conduit means connected to said second valve and adapted to be connected to a syringe through the flow passage therethrough;

third conduit means connected to said first and second valves and adapted to be connected to a patient;

fourth conduit means connected to said first valve and adapted to be connected to a fluid reservoir through said first valve flow passage; and

fifth conduit means connected to said second valve and adapted to be connected to a fluid reservoir through said second valve flow passage;

said first conduit means being connected to said third conduit means through said first valve flow passage and blocked from fluid communication with said fourth conduit means when said first valve is in the first position, said second conduit means being connected to said fifth conduit means through said second valve flow passage and being blocked from fluid communication with said third conduit means when said second valve is in the first position, said first conduit means being connected to said fourth conduit means through said first valve flow passage and being blocked from fluid communication with said third conduit means when said first valve is in the second position, said second conduit means being connected to said third conduit means through said second valve flow passage and being blocked from fluid communication with said fifth conduit means when said second valve is in the second position.

17. The directional adapter as in claim 16 wherein said handle means includes:

shaped handle means connected to each of said valve elements to move said valve elements, said handle means being adapted to engage a shaped valve actuator.

18. A directional adapter set as in claim 17 wherein:

said shaped handle means are each in the form of an arrow, with the head of each arrow pointing to a conduit with which fluid communication is established through the valve.