Valve means for enteral therapy administration set

• US 4,950,254 A
• Filed: 10/14/1988
• Issued: 08/21/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CORPAK MedSystems, Inc. (Avanos Medical, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Corpak Inc (Avanos Medical, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dillon, Charles, Andersen, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, C. Fred
• Assistant Examiner(s): GUTOWSKI, ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US07/257,726
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 604/246, 604/247, 604/256, 604/257, 604/905, 604/213, 604/151, 604/153
• US Class Current: 604/247
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 15/0003 Nasal or oral feeding-tubes, e.g. tube entering body through nose or mouth
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 15/0026 Parts, details or accessories for feeding-tubes external tubes from medical containers to a connector outside of the body A61M39/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 15/0092 Valves on feeding tubes tube valves A61M39/22
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 604/905 Aseptic connectors or couplings, e.g. frangible, piercable

Abstract

A one way valve means for incorporation into a fluid administration set for enteral therapy which arrests retrograde movement of fluid into the set to avoid flow rate interruption or, in the event of extreme fluid back pressure, rupturing of the tubing in the set. The one way valve means is responsive to fluid back pressure and is incorporated in a male connector disposed on a distal end of the administration set tubing. As a result retrograde fluid movement caused by either irrigation or patient originated, fluid back pressure is immediately arrested before fluid enters the administration set.

Claims

1. In a pump administration set for enteral feeding of therapeutic fluids, the set including at least a tubing segment connecting a source of therapeutic fluids with a nasogastric feeding tube, the tubing segment having a portion being compressible by a peristaltic pump, and a male connector on a distal end of the tubing segment for coupling with a female connector on a proximal end of the nasogastric feeding tube, the improvement to the set comprising:

one way valve means carried within the male connector, the valve means being responsive to fluid backflow pressure to arrest retrograde fluid movement from the feeding tube through the tubing segment of the administration set;

the one way valve means including a valve housing interposed along the tubing segment, the housing having a fluid inlet on one end joined to the tubing segment to receive fluid from the source and a fluid outlet on an other end joined to the tubing segment to transmit fluid to the feeding tube, the housing having an internal axial bore connecting the fluid inlet with the fluid outlet;

a valve chamber positioned along and coaxial with the bore, one side of the chamber opening to the fluid inlet and defining a valve seat thereon, an other side of the chamber opening to the fluid outlet; and

,

a valve member disposed within the valve chamber, the valve member being movably responsive to fluid pressure from the fluid outlet;

such that the valve member is urged against the valve seat by the fluid pressure thereby preventing fluid access to the fluid inlet and to arrest retrograde movement of fluid within the tubing segment.

2. The pump administration set for enteral feeding of therapeutic fluids described in claim 1 wherein the valve means includes a ball check valve.