I.V. drip chamber with built-in pump activated by external means

• US 4,685,912 A
• Filed: 03/05/1986
• Issued: 08/11/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jones Paul J
• Original Assignee: Optical Research and Development Corporation
• Inventors: Jones, J. Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, C. Fred
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vinyard, Sherri
• Application Number:
  US06/836,503
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 604/51-53, 604/65, 604/8-9, 604/185, 604/246, 604/247, 604/251, 128/DIG. 12
• US Class Current: 604/247
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1411 Drip chambers A61M5/162, A61M5/1689, A61M5/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1689 Drip counters
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/12 Pressure infusion

Abstract

A flexible tube is mounted on top of the drip chamber. The top of the tube is connected to the spike via a one-way ball-type valve. The bottom of the tube is connected to the drip chamber via a duck-bill-type valve inside of the drip chamber. The duck-bill is held closed against head pressure by a metal spring clip acting on the lip. The duck-bill will open when the tube is squeezed and fluid will be injected into the drip chamber.

The drip chamber is charged bubble-free by the use of an output tube open to the chamber and joined to the flexible tubing carrying the hypodermic needle. During the initial fill the output tube is positioned above the fluid level and air in the chamber vented via the output tube, the flexible tubing and the hypodermic needle. When the desired level is reached, the output tube is submerged and bubble-free fluid fills the output tube, the flexible tubing, and the hypodermic needle.

Claims

1. In an intervenous infusion system, the combination of:

a source of fluid;

spike means having a fluid entrance passageway, the spike means being connected to said source to receive fluid therefrom;

means forming a hollow drip chamber to receive fluid from said spike means, the chamber having a top section and a bottom section;

a flexible tube to pass fluid from said spike to said drip chamber;

means including a one-way ball valve connecting one end of said flexible tube to said spike means, the one-way ball valve having an open condition where fluid can pass from said fluid entrance passageway into the flexible tube and a closed condition wherein passage of fluid therethrough is prevented;

means including a duck-bill valve connecting the opposite end of said flexible tube adjacent the top section of said drip chamber with the flexible tube extending away from the drip chamber and the duck-bill valve including a slit having an open condition wherein fluid can pass therethrough from the flexible tube into the drip chamber and a closed condition wherein passage of fluid therethrough is prevented;

spring means made of metal inside said drip chamber and engaging said duck-bill valve and exerting a closure force urging said slit to the closed condition and the spring means being disposed exterior to the duck-bill valve to avoid contact with fluid inside the valve and with fluid exiting from the slit;

means disposed between said valves and spaced from but positioned with respect to one side of said flexible tube to be interengaged therewith and support the one side when the opposite side of the tube is engaged by an actuator which operates to push the opposite side toward the one side and displace the fluid in the tube, one portion of the displaced fluid moving toward said one-way valve to cause the ball to close the valve and another portion of the displaced fluid moving toward said duck-bill valve to open said slit whereby a quantity of fluid enters said drip chamber;

the magnitude of said force generated by said spring means being great enough to maintain said closed condition against the head pressure of the fluid between said slit and said source and low enough so that the pressure of said displaced fluid causes the slit to assume said open condition; and

said spike means, said drip chamber, said flexible tube, said one-way valve, said duck-bill valve, all being formed of plastic material.

2. For an intervenous infusion system, the combination of:

means forming a hollow drip chamber having a top section and a bottom section, the top section having an opening by which fluid is passed into the chamber;

an elongated, flexible tube to pass fluid;

mounting means mounting one end of said flexible tube around said opening and to extend outwardly of the top section, the mounting means including a first passageway open to the tube;

a duck-bill valve disposed inside of said drip chamber and connected to said mounting means and open to said first passageway, the duck-bill valve having a slit section having an open condition wherein fluid can pass therethrough into the drip chamber and a closed condition wherein passage of fluid is prevented;

spring means made of metal inside of said drip chamber and engaging said duck-bill valve and exerting a closure force urging said slit to the closed condition, the spring means being disposed exterior to the duck-bill valve to avoid contact with fluid inside of the duck-bill valve and with fluid exiting from the slit;

a hollow, rigid, elongated extension connected to the top section of said drip chamber and surrounding and spaced from said flexible tube, the extension having at least one opening in communication with the flexible tube for use in permitting an actuator to enter the opening and move through said space to engage the flexible tube;

spike means mounted on said extension and including a second fluid passageway and the opposite end of said flexible tube being mounted on said spike means and open to said second fluid passageway;

one-way ball valve means formed in said second fluid passageway and having an open condition for passing fluid through the second fluid passageway into said flexible tube and a closed condition preventing fluid flowing from said flexible tube through said second fluid passageway; and

said drip chamber, said flexible tube, said mounting means, said duck-bill valve, said elongated extension, said spike means, and said one-way valve means all being made of plastic material to avoid fluid contacting metal.

3. For an intervenous infusion system, the combination of:

means forming a hollow drip chamber having a top section and a bottom section, the top section having an opening by which fluid is passed into the chamber;

an elongated output tube movable along its axis to a vent position wherein the tube carries air and to an operating position wherein the tube carries fluid;

an opening formed in said bottom section and having support means slidably mounting said output tube whereby part of the tube extends inside of the drip chamber and part of the tube extends outside of the drip chamber, the support means including an O-ring surrounding the output tube to permit sliding motion and forming a fluid seal, the end of the tube inside of the drip chamber being of greater diameter than said opening and forming a first abutment to engage the inside of the drip chamber around the opening to prevent the output tube from moving out of the opening, the engagement establishing said operating position of the output tube; and

a second abutment on the portion of the output tube exterior to the drip chamber to engage said bottom section of the drip chamber when the output tube is moved toward the interior of the chamber, the engagement establishing said vent position of the output tube.