Fluid control apparatus

• US 5,466,228 A
• Filed: 11/24/1993
• Issued: 11/14/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: California State University Fresno Foundation Incorporated
• Original Assignee: California State University Fresno Foundation Incorporated
• Inventors: Evans, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCDERMOTT, CORRINE MARIE
• Application Number:
  US08/157,647
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 604/32, 604/246, 604/248, 137/625.41, 137/625.47
• US Class Current: 604/248
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/772 operating alternately
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/223 Multiway valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/0853 having all the connecting conduits situated in a single plane perpendicular to the axis of the plug
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86871 Plug

Abstract

A fluid control apparatus comprising a housing having a plurality of discrete ports; conduits individually interconnecting the ports and discrete sources of, and receptacles for, fluid; and a valve member positionable in the housing in preselected fluid transferring positions relative to said ports whereby, in a first fluid transferring position, fluid can be transferred by the valve member from one of the fluid sources to one of the fluid receptacles through the ports thereof and, in a second fluid transferring position, fluid can be transferred by the valve member from the one of the fluid receptacles to a second of the fluid receptacles through the ports.

Claims

1. A fluid control apparatus for interconnecting at any one time any two, but not more than two, of a plurality of individual sources of fluid and receptacles for fluid, the fluid control apparatus comprising a housing having a wall enclosing a substantially cylindrical interior substantially concentric to a longitudinal axis and having four housing ports extending through the wall and communicating with the interior of the housing, said housing ports spaced from each other ninety degrees (90°

) about the wall relative to said longitudinal axis so that each of said housing ports is in axial alignment with a housing port on the opposite side of the housing through said interior thereof;

means for individually connecting each of said housing ports to one of the sources of fluid or receptacles for fluid; and

a valve member mounted in said interior of the housing for movement therewithin substantially about said longitudinal axis and having a substantially cylindrical external surface disposed in facing engagement with said wall of the housing, a first valve port, individually positionable in fluid transferring relation with each of said housing ports, an elongated second valve port, extending approximately ninety degrees (90°

) about the periphery of the valve member to opposite ends and disposed on the opposite side of the valve member from said first valve port, and a passage extending through the valve member interconnecting the first valve port and the second valve port and wherein said passage has a "Y" shaped configuration having two portions thereof disposed at a right angle to each other interconnecting the opposite ends of the second valve port whereby said valve member can selectively be positioned in a plurality of fluid transferring positions but in each of said fluid transferring positions can connect only two of said four housing ports at any one time through the passage thereof.

2. The fluid control apparatus of claim 1 wherein said passage includes three sections thereof individually extending from said first valve port and from both ends of said second valve port inwardly of the valve member and intersecting with each other substantially coincident with said longitudinal axis.

3. The fluid control apparatus of claim 2 wherein said sections of the passage extending from both ends of said second valve port are disposed substantially at right angles to each other.

4. The fluid control apparatus of claim 3 wherein said housing has a closure overlaying the valve member in substantially fluid sealing relation and a control member is mounted externally of said closure and has a portion extending through the closure connected to said valve member whereby the valve member is selectively positionable in said fluid transferring positions using the control member.

5. The fluid control apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fluid control apparatus is to be employed with a patient and a syringe, wherein said individual connecting means includes a first conduit interconnecting a first of said four housing ports and the patient, a second conduit interconnecting a second of said four housing ports and the syringe, a third conduit interconnecting a third of said four housing ports and a source of irrigating fluid and a fourth conduit interconnecting a fourth of said four housing ports and a fluid receptacle whereby said valve member can be moved to a first fluid transferring position interconnecting the third conduit and the first conduit to permit irrigating fluid to pass through the valve member from the source of irrigating fluid to the patient, the valve member can subsequently be moved to a second fluid transferring position interconnecting the first conduit and the fourth conduit to permit irrigating fluid to pass through the valve member from the patient into the fluid receptacle.

6. The fluid control apparatus of claim 5 wherein the valve member can be moved to a third fluid transferring position interconnecting the third conduit and the second conduit to permit irrigating fluid to be drawn into the syringe through the valve member from the source of irrigating fluid, the valve member can subsequently be moved to a fourth fluid transferring position interconnecting the second conduit and the first conduit through the valve member to permit the irrigating fluid to be forced from the syringe to the patient and subsequently drawn by the syringe back into the syringe from the patient through the valve member and the valve member can subsequently be moved to a fifth fluid transferring position interconnecting the second conduit and the fourth conduit through the valve member permitting the irrigating fluid to be forced by the syringe through the valve member into the fluid receptacle.