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Pressure infuser apparatus

  • US 5,824,000 A
  • Filed: 03/21/1994
  • Issued: 10/20/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. Pressure infuser apparatus for supporting a flexible bag containing fluid and for applying pressure to the bag to thereby facilitate the dispensing of the fluid from the bag, the apparatus comprising, in combination:

  • a cuff formed of an inner sheet and a superposed outer sheet, each sheet being of a generally rectangular configuration with longer, parallel, horizontal upper and lower edges and with shorter, parallel, vertical side edges extending between the upper and lower edges, the cuff being bendable about a vertical fold line intermediate the side edges, the sheets being fabricated of a flexible fluid-impervious material, all the edges having RF sealed lines around the periphery of the sheets to define an air chamber between the sheets and with additional RF sealed lines coupling the sheets to preclude excess ballooning of the cuff when inflated, the inner sheet being more elastic than the outer sheet to expand greater inwardly toward a supported bag than outwardly when the cuff is inflated;

    a support plate with a lower extent RF coupled to the sheets adjacent to the upper edge between the fold line and one side edge, the lower extent having a hook coupled to the sheets for supporting a bag, the support plate also having an upper extent with a hole for supporting the cuff;

    a strap with a first end RF coupled to the outer sheet adjacent to one side edge and a second end laterally spaced therefrom, the strap being of a length to encompass the cuff when folded with a bag supported interior thereof, pile-type fasteners secured to the first and second ends of the strap for releasably coupling the ends of the strap when supporting a bag;

    a gauge to determine and display the pressure within the cuff, the gauge being formed of a housing, the housing having a lower portion with a fluid port adjacent to the bottom thereof, the housing having a central transparent portion, and the housing having an upper portion defining a chamber within the housing, a cup-shaped member located within the chamber, a normally collapsed accordion-shaped member located between the fluid port and the cup-shaped member adapted to expand and raise the cup-shaped member upon the introduction of air into the gauge, a coil spring located between the cup-shaped member against the expansion of the accordion-shaped member, indicia on the surface of the cup-shaped member adapted to be read by an operator through the central portion as a function of the pressure within the cuff as sensed by the gauge, and a support member extending from the upper end of the gauge for coupling to the cuff; and

    a manifold having an upwardly extending passageway in fluid communication with the interior of the cuff, a downwardly extending passageway in fluid communication with a squeeze ball for inflating the cuff, an outwardly extending passageway with a sealing cap coupled by a friction fitting for the quick release of the cap to effect emergency deflation of the cuff, and a supplemental passageway extending upwardly from the outwardly extending passageway coupled to the accordion-shaped member and in fluid communication therewith and to assist in the securement of the gauge with respect to the cuff.

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