Apparatus for driving a medical appliance

• US 4,942,735 A
• Filed: 09/19/1988
• Issued: 07/24/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Kabushiki Kaisha Shinsangyokaihatsu
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Kabushiki Kaisha Shinsangyokaihatsu
• Inventors: Suzuki, Akira, Mushika, Sadahiko
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ryznic, John E.
• Application Number:
  US07/246,232
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 417/394, 417/395, 60/415, 60/416, 60/418, 60/468, 600/16, 91/265, 91/271, 91/275, 91/459
• US Class Current: 60/416
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/196 replacing the entire heart, e.g. total artificial hearts [TAH]
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/274 the inlet and outlet being the same, e.g. para-aortic counter-pulsation blood pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/295 Balloon pumps for circulatory assistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/43 using vacuum at the blood pump, e.g. to accelerate filling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/435 with diastole or systole switching by valve means located between the blood pump and the hydraulic or pneumatic energy source
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/497 for balloon pumps for circulatory assistance

Abstract

Apparatus for driving a medical appliance has a single compressor for generating both the positive and negative pressures. The switching valves are connected to the outlet and inlet terminals of the compressor. The outlet and inlet terminals of the compressor are also connected to the positive pressure accumulator and the negative pressure accumulator, respectively. The apparatus has the pressure sensors to sense the pressures in the positive and negative pressure accumulators. When the pressure in the accumulator reaches a set pressure, at least one of the switching valves is closed. The apparatus further has the relief valves connected to the outlet and inlet terminals of the compressor. These relief valves open when the pressures of the compressor become excessive.

Claims

1. An apparatus for driving a medical appliance comprising:

a positive pressure generating means having an outlet terminal;

a first one-way valve means having an inlet terminal connected to said outlet terminal of said positive pressure generating means;

a first accumulating means connected to an outlet terminal of said first one-way valve means;

a first switching valve means connected to said first accumulating means;

a first pressure sensing means for detecting a pressure between said first one-way valve means and said first switching valve means;

a second switching valve means connected to an outlet terminal of said first switching valve means;

a second accumulating means connected to said second switching valve means;

a second one-way valve means having an inlet terminal connected to said second accumulating means and an outlet terminal connected to an inlet terminal of said positive pressure generating means;

a second pressure sensing means for detecting a pressure between said second switching valve means and said second one-way valve means;

a third switching valve means connected between said pressure generating means and said first one-way valve means for controlling communication of said pressure generating means with the atmosphere;

a fourth switching valve means connected between said pressure generating means and said second one-Way valve means for controlling communication of said pressure generating means with the atmosphere;

an isolator means having an inlet connected between said first and second switching valve means and an outlet adapted to be connected to a medical appliance for the alternate application of positive and negative pressures thereto; and

an electronic control means connected to said valve means and said pressure sensing means for opening and closing said first and second switching valve means in accordance with predetermined timings to alternately apply positive and negative fluid pressures to said isolator means, for opening and closing said third and fourth switching valve means in accordance with both positive and negative pressure setting values provided in said electronic control means and output signals from said first and second pressure sensing means and for closing at least one of said third and fourth switching valve means when both of said output signals from said first and second pressure sensing means are above the setting values, respectively for regulating the pressures in said first and second accumulator means.

2. An apparatus for driving a medical appliance comprising:

a positive pressure generating means having an outlet terminal;

a first one-way valve means having an inlet terminal connected to said outlet terminal of said positive pressure generating means;

a first accumulating means connected to an outlet terminal of said first one-way valve means;

a first switching valve means connected to said first accumulating means;

a first pressure sensing means for detecting a pressure between said first one-way valve means and said first switching valve means;

a second switching valve means connected to an outlet terminal of said first switching valve means;

a second accumulating means connected to said second switching valve means;

a second one-way valve means having an inlet terminal connected to said second accumulating means and an outlet terminal connected to an inlet terminal of said positive pressure generating means;

a second pressure sensing means for detecting a pressure between said second switching valve means and said second one-way valve means;

a third switching valve means connected between said pressure generating means and said first one-way valve means for controlling communication of said pressure generating means with the atmosphere;

a fourth switching valve means connected between said pressure generating means and said second one-Way valve means for controlling communication of said pressure generating means with the atmosphere;

an isolator means having an inlet connected between said first and second switching valve means and an outlet adapted to be connected to a medical appliance for the alternate application of positive and negative pressures thereto; and

an electronic control means connected to said valve means and said pressure sensing means for opening and closing said first and second switching valve means in accordance with predetermined timings to alternately apply positive and negative fluid pressures to said isolator means, for opening and closing said third and fourth switching valve means in accordance with both positive and negative pressure setting values provided in said electronic control means and output signals from said first and second pressure sensing means, for closing said fourth switching valve means when said first pressure sensing means detects a positive pressure above the positive pressure setting value and said second pressure sensing means detects a negative pressure below said negative pressure setting value and for closing said third switching valve means when said first pressure sensing means detects a positive pressure below the positive pressure setting value and second pressure sensing means detects a negative pressure above the negative pressure setting value.

3. An apparatus for driving a medical appliance comprising:

a positive pressure generating means having an outlet terminal;

a first one-way valve means having an inlet terminal connected to said outlet terminal of said positive pressure generating means;

a first accumulating means connected to an outlet terminal of said first one-way valve means;

a first switching valve means connected to said first accumulating means;

a first pressure sensing means for detecting a pressure between said first one-way valve means and said first switching valve means;

a second switching valve means connected to an outlet terminal of said first switching valve means;

a second accumulating means connected to said second switching valve means;

a second one-way valve means having an inlet terminal connected to said second accumulating means and an outlet terminal connected to an inlet terminal of said positive pressure generating means;

a second pressure sensing means for detecting a pressure between said second switching valve means and said second one-way valve means;

a third switching valve means connected between said pressure generating means and said first one-way valve means for controlling communication of said pressure generating means with the atmosphere;

a fourth switching valve means connected between said pressure generating means and said second one-Way valve means for controlling communication of said pressure generating means with the atmosphere;

an isolator means having an inlet connected between said first and second switching valve means and an outlet adapted to be connected to a medical appliance for the alternate application of positive and negative pressures thereto; and

an electronic control means connected to said valve means and said pressure sensing means for opening and closing said first and second switching valve means in accordance with predetermined timings to alternately apply positive and negative fluid pressures to said isolator means, for opening and closing said third and fourth switching valve means in accordance with both positive and negative pressure setting values provided in said electronic control means and output signal means from said first and second pressure sensing means, and for closing said third and fourth switching valve means when said first and second pressure sensing means detect positive and negative pressures below said positive and negative pressure setting values, respectively.