Apparatus for the insufflation of gas

• US 4,676,774 A
• Filed: 04/11/1985
• Issued: 06/30/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kurt Semm, Peter Neumann
• Original Assignee: Kurt Semm, Peter Neumann
• Inventors: Neumann, Peter, Semm, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Costantino, Mario
• Application Number:
  US06/722,131
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 604/23, 604/26, 128/747, 128/748, 128/DIG. 13, 128/DIG. 12
• US Class Current: 604/26
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 13/003 Blowing gases other than for carrying powders, e.g. for inflating, dilating or rinsing

Abstract

Apparatus for the insufflation of gas, particularly carbon dioxide, into the human or animal body, by means of which the gas is passed from a pressurized gas reservoir, preferably via one or more intermediate reservoirs and at least one pressure reducer, into a line and an insufflator, e.g. a Veress needle, the intraabdominal static pressure being measured by means of the apparatus. A gas flow regulator is positioned in the line between the pressure reducer and the insufflator. Downstream of the flow regulator is positioned a pressure gauge, whose measured value is fed as a function of time into an electronic evaluation circuit and is converted into the intraabdominal pressure.

Claims

1. An apparatus for the insufflation of gas, particularly carbon dioxide, into a human or animal body cavity, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a pressurized gas reservoir;

(b) insufflator means communicating with said gas reservoir through a main communicating line;

(c) pressure reducing means positioned in said main communicating line between said gas reservoir and said insufflator means for reducing the pressure of gas passing from said reservoir to said insufflation means;

(d) gas flow rate measuring means positioned in said main communicating line between said pressure reducing means and said insufflator means for measuring the gas flow rate through said main communicating line and for providing a flow rate signal;

(e) flow regulator means positioned in said main communicating line between said pressure reducing means and said insufflator means for regulating the rate of flow of gas to said insufflator means;

(f) pressure measuring means positioned in said main communicating line between said flow regulator means and said insufflator means for measuring the gas pressure and providing a pressure signal representing the gas pressure at a point in said main communicating line immediately upstream of said insufflator means;

(g) electronic evaluation circuit means connected with said pressure measuring means for receiving said pressure signal, said electronic evaluation circuit means including means for differentiating said pressure signal with respect to time to determine a line resistance reference pressure when the first time derivative of the pressure signal becomes zero immediately after the initiation of gas flow through said communicating line and before any substantial pressure increase in the body cavity, said electronic evaluation circuit means including means for receiving said flow rate signal and including display means for displaying the gas flow rate measured by said gas flow rate measuring means and for displaying intraabdominal static pressure, said electronic evaluation means further including means for determining intraabdominal static pressure by subtracting the line resistance reference pressure from the pressure measured by said pressure measuring means; and

(h) a branch line providing communication between said main communicating line at a point downstream of said flow regulator means and said flow regulator means, said branch line including branch line shutoff valve means for controlling gas flow through said branch line.

2. An apparatus acccording to claim 1, including main communicating line shutoff valve means, and wherein the branch line shutoff valve means automatically opens and closes synchronously when the main communicating line shutoff valve means opens and closes.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said main communicating line shutoff valve means is an electronically operable valve positioned downstream of the flow regulator means.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 including a flow rate indicator for the flowing gas, said flow rate indicator provided in the main communicating line downstream of the flow regulator means.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 including a safety valve provided in the main communicating line downstream of the flow regulator means.