Pressure relief valve system for penile implant device

• US 4,441,491 A
• Filed: 08/13/1982
• Issued: 04/10/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alvin S. Evans Sr
• Original Assignee: Alvin S. Evans Sr
• Inventors: Evans, Alvin S. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellegrino, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US06/407,969
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 128/79, 128/79 A, 3/1, 604/99
• US Class Current: 600/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/26 Penis implants

Abstract

A pressure relief valve system for a prosthetic penile implant device where the penile implant device basically includes bladder means, a reservoir, and a pump and valve assembly. The bladder means is implanted in the penis while the reservoir, and the pump and valve assembly are implanted at a remote location thereto. The pump and valve assembly provide means for pumping water from the reservoir into the bladders to obtain a simulated erection and for pumping water from the bladders to the reservoir to obtain a flaccid penis. The pressure relief valve system of the instant invention is used in combination with the pump and valve assembly to prevent excessive pressure from developing within the bladder means so as to cause injury. The pressure relief valve system comprises a primary valve and a secondary valve. The primary valve enables water to pass from the pump means to the reservoir, bypassing the bladder means whenever the water pressure adjacent the pump means exceeds a predetermined threshold amount, while the secondary valve enables water to pass from the bladder means to the reservoir whenever the water pressure adjacent the bladder means exceeds a second, generally higher amount.

Claims

1. A pressure relief valve system for use in combination with a penile implant device which is used for simulating a natural erection, wherein said penile implant device includes bladder means which are implanted within the penis, a fluid containing reservoir and primary unidirectional valve means which are respectively, implanted at remote locations thereto and pump means which is implanted in the scrotum, said primary unidirectional valve means permitting fluid to pass from said pump means to said bladder means while precluding fluid from passing in the opposite direction, wherein said system comprises pressure relief valve means arranged to provide uni-directional fluid communication between said pump means and said reservoir, said pressure relief valve means being interposed in the path of fluid communication between said pump means and said primary unidirectional valve means, thus enabling fluid to bypass said primary unidirectional valve means and said bladder means by passing from said pump means to said reservoir whenever said fluid pressure adjacent said pump means is greater than a first predetermined amount and precluding fluid from passing therealong whenever said pressure is less than said first predetermined amount, said pressure relief valve means thus establishing a maximum amount of fluid pressure which can be pumped into said bladder means with said pump means, yet not limiting the amount of pressure which can otherwise be maintained in said bladder means.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second pressure relief valve arranged to provide uni-directional fluid communication between said bladder means and said reservoir, enabling fluid to pass therethrough in passing from said bladder means to said reservoir whenever the fluid pressure inside said bladder means is greater than a second predetermined amount and precluding fluid from passing therethrough whenever said pressure is not greater than said amount.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said second predetermined amount is greater than said first predetermined amount such that when said pump means is utilized to inflate said bladder means to said first predetermined amount of pressure, fluid passes through said second valve means only when said bladder means incurrs additional pressure with said additional pressure being generally attributable to compression of said bladder means.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said first and second valve means each comprises an inlet port, an outlet port and regulator means with said regulator means both controlling the passage of fluid from said inlet port to said outlet port and precluding the passage of fluid in the reverse direction.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said regulator means comprises a spring and a ball which communicates with said spring, such that when said spring is in an extended position, said ball is in a first location to preclude fluid from passing through said valve means and when said spring is compressed, said ball moves away from said first location to enable fluid to pass through said valve means.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising rotatable means for adjusting the tension of said spring.

7. A pressure relief valve system for use in combination with a penile implant device which is used for simulating a natural erection, wherein said penile implant device includes bladder means which are implanted within the penis, a fluid containing reservoir and valve means which are respectively, implanted at remote locations thereto and pump means which is implanted in the scrotum, wherein said system comprises first and second pressure relief valve means, said first pressure relief valve means is arranged to provide unidirectional fluid communication between said pump means and said reservoir and said second pressure relief valve means is arranged to provide unidirectional fluid communication between said bladder means and said reservoir, wherein said first valve means enables fluid to bypass said bladder means by passing from said pump means to said reservoir whenever said fluid pressure adjacent said pump means is greater than a first predetermined amount and precluding fluid from passing therealong whenever said pressure is less than said first predetermined amount so as to establish a maximum amount of fluid pressure which can be pumped into said bladder means with said pump means and said second pressure relief valve means enabling fluid to pass therethrough in passing from said bladder means to said reservoir whenever the fluid pressure inside said bladder means is greater than a second predetermined amount and precluding fluid from passing therethrough whenever said pressure inside said bladder means is not greater than said second predetermined amount, said second predetermined amount being greater than said first predetermined amount such that when said pump means is utilized to inflate said bladder means to said first predetermined amount of pressure, fluid passes through said second valve means only when said bladder means incurs additional pressure with said additional pressure being generally attributable to compression of said bladder means.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said first and second valve means each comprises an inlet port, an outlet port and regulator means with said regulator means both controlling the passage of fluid from said inlet port to said outlet port and precluding the passage of fluid in the reverse direction.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said regulator means comprises a spring and a ball which communicates with said spring, such that when said spring is in an extended position, said ball is in a first location to preclude fluid from passing through said valve means and when said spring is compressed, said ball moves away from said first location to enable fluid to pass through said valve means.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising rotatable means for adjusting the tension of said spring.