Valve apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A valve for use with an IV set subject to a head pressure and a pumping pressure, wherein said pumping pressure is higher than said head pressure, comprising:
- a housing having formed therein a bore for conducting fluid therethrough;
resiliently deformable tubing attached to said housing so as to be in fluid communication with said bore, said tubing having an inner and an outer diameter; and
a sealing element comprising a spherical sealing surface, said sealing element being affixed to said housing by a stem that is fixedly received within said bore such that said sealing surface is positioned within said tubing and wherein said sealing surface is dimensioned to engage said tubing and maintain a seal when said tubing is subjected to an internal pressure below a cracking pressure wherein said cracking pressure is greater than said head pressure and less than said pumping pressure;
wherein said stem has an outer surface containing a longitudinal groove having a depth such that fluid may flow around the stem.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A valve apparatus employs a spherical sealing element disposed in resiliently deformable tubing. The dimensions of the sealing element are selected such that the valve opens when subjected to a cracking pressure that is greater than the head pressure developed in an IV set and less than the pressure generated by a peristaltic pump. The valve additionally has an actuator element associated therewith that may be applied to the tubing about the sealing element to cause free flow without the need for continuous manipulation.
118 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A valve for use with an IV set subject to a head pressure and a pumping pressure, wherein said pumping pressure is higher than said head pressure, comprising:
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a housing having formed therein a bore for conducting fluid therethrough; resiliently deformable tubing attached to said housing so as to be in fluid communication with said bore, said tubing having an inner and an outer diameter; and a sealing element comprising a spherical sealing surface, said sealing element being affixed to said housing by a stem that is fixedly received within said bore such that said sealing surface is positioned within said tubing and wherein said sealing surface is dimensioned to engage said tubing and maintain a seal when said tubing is subjected to an internal pressure below a cracking pressure wherein said cracking pressure is greater than said head pressure and less than said pumping pressure; wherein said stem has an outer surface containing a longitudinal groove having a depth such that fluid may flow around the stem. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 16, 28)
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12. A valve for use with an IV set subject to a head pressure and a pumping pressure, wherein said pumping pressure is higher than said head pressure, comprising:
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a housing having formed therein a bore for conducting fluid therethrough; resiliently deformable tubing attached to said housing so as to be in fluid communication with said bore, said tubing having an inner and an outer diameter; and a sealing element having a sealing surface, said sealing element being affixed to said housing by a stem that is fixedly received within said bore such that said sealing surface is positioned within said tubing and wherein said sealing surface is dimensioned to engage said tubing and maintain a seal when said tubing is subjected to an internal pressure below a cracking pressure wherein said cracking pressure is greater than said head pressure and less than said pumping pressure; wherein the stem comprises two orthogonal axes with a first axis being formed such that it provides less flexibility to the stem than the orthogonal axis has, when subjected to force along said first axis. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A valve for use with an IV set subject to a head pressure and a pumping pressure, wherein said pumping pressure is higher than said head pressure comprising:
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a housing having formed therein a bore for conducting fluid therethrough; resiliently deformable tubing attached to said housing so as to be in fluid communication with said bore, said tubing having an inner and an outer diameter; a sealing element having a sealing surface, said sealing element being affixed to said housing such that said sealing surface is positioned within said tubing and wherein said sealing surface is dimensioned to engage said tubing and maintain a seal when said tubing is subjected to an internal pressure below a cracking pressure wherein said cracking pressure is greater than said head pressure and less than said pumping pressure; and an actuator element having two opposed parallel surfaces spaced apart by a distance less than the outer diameter of said tubing and greater than the diameter of said sealing surface wherein said actuator element is configured to be removably attached to said tubing such that said opposed surfaces cause said tubing to be compressed against said sealing surface, and wherein said actuator element is permanently attached to said IV set and wherein said actuator element has a groove formed therein dimensioned to receive a conduit forming part of said IV set.
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15. A valve, comprising:
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a housing having formed therein a bore for conducting fluid therethrough; resiliently deformable tubing attached to said housing so as to be in fluid communication with said bore, said tubing having an inner and an outer diameter; a sealing element comprising a spherical sealing surface, said sealing element being rigidly affixed to said housing by a stem that is fixedly received within said bore such that said sealing surface is positioned within said tubing and wherein said spherical surface is dimensioned to engage said tubing and form a seal; wherein said stem has an outer surface containing a longitudinal groove having a depth such that fluid may flow around the stem; and an actuator element removably fitable to said tubing about said sealing element, wherein said actuator element has two opposed parallel surfaces spaced so as to compress said tubing against opposite sides when fitted to said tubes of said sealing surface, to form fluid paths past said sealing surface. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A valve, comprising:
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a housing having formed therein a bore for conducting fluid therethrough; resiliently deformable tubing attached to said housing so as to be in fluid communication with said bore, said tubing having an inner and an outer diameter; a sealing element having a sealing surface, said sealing element being rigidly affixed to said housing by a stem that is fixedly received within said bore such that said sealing surface is positioned within said tubing and wherein said spherical surface is dimensioned to engage said tubing and form a seal; and an actuator element removably fitable to said tubing about said sealing element, wherein said actuator element has two opposed parallel surfaces spaced so as to compress said tubing against opposite sides when fitted to said tubes of said sealing surface, to form fluid paths past said sealing surface; wherein the stem comprises two orthogonal axes with a first axis being formed such that it provides less flexibility to the stem than the orthogonal axis has, when subjected to force along said first axis. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A valve, comprising:
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a housing having formed therein a bore for conducting fluid therethrough; resiliently deformable tubing attached to said housing so as to be in fluid communication with said bore, said tubing having an inner and an outer diameter; a sealing element having a sealing surface, said sealing element being rigidly affixed to said housing such that said sealing surface is positioned within said tubing and wherein said spherical surface is dimensioned to engage said tubing and form a seal; and an actuator element attached to said IV set and removably fitable to said tubing about said sealing element, wherein said actuator element has two opposed parallel surfaces spaced so as to compress said tubing against opposite sides when fitted to said tubes of said sealing surface, to form fluid paths past said sealing surface; wherein said actuator element has a groove formed therein dimensioned to receive a conduit forming part of said IV set.
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27. A fluid administration set for conducting fluids to a patient, the set comprising:
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a first tubing; and a valve for use with an IV set subject to a head pressure and a pumping pressure, wherein said pumping pressure is higher than said head pressure, comprising; a housing having formed therein a bore for conducting fluid therethrough; resiliently deformable second tubing attached to said housing so as to be in fluid communication with said bore, said second tubing having an inner and an outer diameter and being coupled to the first tubing for conducting fluid from the first tubing to the bore; and a sealing element comprising a spherical sealing surface, said sealing element being rigidly affixed to said housing by a stem that is fixedly received within said bore such that said sealing surface is positioned within said second tubing and wherein said sealing surface is dimensioned to engage said second tubing and maintain a seal when said second tubing is subjected to an internal pressure below a cracking pressure wherein said cracking pressure is greater than said head pressure and less than said pumping pressure; wherein said stem has an outer surface containing a longitudinal groove having a depth such that fluid may flow around the stem. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A fluid administration set for conducting fluids to a patient, the set comprising:
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a first tubing; and a valve for use with an IV set subject to a head pressure and a pumping pressure, wherein said pumping pressure is higher than said head pressure, comprising; a housing, having formed therein a bore for conducting fluid therethrough; resiliently deformable second tubing attached to said housing so as to be in fluid communication with said bore, said second tubing having an inner and an outer diameter and being coupled to the first tubing for conducting fluid from the first tubing to the bore; and a sealing element having a sealing surface, said sealing element being rigidly affixed to said housing by a stem that is fixedly received within said bore such that said sealing surface is positioned within said second tubing and wherein said sealing surface is dimensioned to engage said second tubing and maintain a seal when said second tubing is subjected to an internal pressure below a cracking pressure wherein said cracking pressure is greater than said head pressure and less than said pumping pressure; wherein the stem comprises two orthogonal axes with a first axis being formed such that it provides less flexibility to the stem than the orthogonal axis has, when subjected to force along said first axis. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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40. A fluid administration set for conducting fluids to a patient, the set comprising:
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a first tubing; a valve for use with an IV set subject to a head pressure and a pumping pressure, wherein said pumping pressure is higher than said head pressure, comprising; a housing having formed therein a bore for conducting fluid therethrough; resiliently deformable second tubing attached to said housing so as to be in fluid communication with said bore, said second tubing having an inner and an outer diameter and being coupled to the first tubing for conducting fluid from the first tubing to the bore; and a sealing element having a sealing surface, said sealing element being rigidly affixed to said housing such that said sealing surface is positioned within said second tubing and wherein said sealing surface is dimensioned to engage said second tubing and maintain a seal when said second tubing is subjected to an internal pressure below a cracking pressure wherein said cracking pressure is greater than said head pressure and less than said pumping pressure; and an actuator element permanently attached to said first tubing and having two opposed parallel surfaces spaced apart by a distance less than the outer diameter of said second tubing and greater than the diameter of said sealing surface wherein said actuator element is configured to be removably attachable to said second tubing such that said opposed surfaces cause said second tubing to be compressed against said sealing surface; wherein said actuator element has a groove formed therein dimensioned to receive the first tubing.
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Specification