Pressure transducer apparatus with disposable dome
First Claim
1. A disposable dome for use in combination with a reusable sensor to form a reusable transducer assembly for measuring pressure in a fluid line coupled to a catheter inserted into a living body for making direct pressure measurements of medical interest in areas within the body, said disposable dome being arranged to be engageable with and removable from the reusable sensor and discardable after a single use, said dome including an electrically and biologically isolating coupling media which transmits hydraulic pressure signals from a fluid-filled chamber in said dome to a pressure-sensitive diaphragm disposed on the reusable sensor;
- the disposable dome being attachable to the reusable sensor using an interlocking structure, the interlocking structure defining an engagement and disengagement action between the dome and the reusable sensor which displaces the dome relative to the reusable sensor along an axis extending normal to said diaphragm, wherein said engagement and disengagement action of said diaphragm and said coupling media is non-frictional and non-twisting, the disposable dome further including structure for ensuring that the engaging and disengaging action between the dome and the reusable sensor is entirely normal to said diaphragm, and that there is no substantial action between the dome and the reusable sensor in a direction generally parallel to said diaphragm.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A physiological pressure transducer is disclosed which can be adapted for multiple uses and which employs a low cost semiconductor strain gauge sensor. The transducer is connected to a fluid-filled catheter/manometer system for measuring pressures inside a living body in areas of medical interest such as the heart, brain, uterus, or the vascular system. The catheter is coupled to the pressure transducer through a unique, disposable dome containing a compliant isolation media which is in intimate contact with the transducer diaphragm. The complete assembly is adapted for use with standard catheter flushing solutions and flush devices. An improved method of drawing blood samples by using the features of the assembly is also described.
-
Citations
31 Claims
-
1. A disposable dome for use in combination with a reusable sensor to form a reusable transducer assembly for measuring pressure in a fluid line coupled to a catheter inserted into a living body for making direct pressure measurements of medical interest in areas within the body, said disposable dome being arranged to be engageable with and removable from the reusable sensor and discardable after a single use, said dome including an electrically and biologically isolating coupling media which transmits hydraulic pressure signals from a fluid-filled chamber in said dome to a pressure-sensitive diaphragm disposed on the reusable sensor;
the disposable dome being attachable to the reusable sensor using an interlocking structure, the interlocking structure defining an engagement and disengagement action between the dome and the reusable sensor which displaces the dome relative to the reusable sensor along an axis extending normal to said diaphragm, wherein said engagement and disengagement action of said diaphragm and said coupling media is non-frictional and non-twisting, the disposable dome further including structure for ensuring that the engaging and disengaging action between the dome and the reusable sensor is entirely normal to said diaphragm, and that there is no substantial action between the dome and the reusable sensor in a direction generally parallel to said diaphragm. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
9. A disposable dome for use in combination with a reusable sensor to form a reusable transducer assembly for measuring pressure in a fluid line coupled to a catheter inserted into a living body for making direct pressure measurements in areas within the body of medical interest, said disposable dome being arranged to be engageable with and removable from the reusable sensor and discardable after a single use, said dome including an electrically and biologically isolating coupling media which transmits hydraulic pressure signals from a fluid-filled chamber in said dome to the reusable sensor;
the disposable dome having an inlet port and an outlet port, and said chamber being disposed between said inlet and outlet ports, a linear fluid flow path extending from said inlet port to said outlet port, through said chamber, which is substantially straight-through, such that fluid entering the dome through said inlet port and traveling along said linear flow path to fill the chamber does not change flow direction between the inlet and outlet ports, thereby generating minimal turbulence and avoiding accumulation of bubbles. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
15. A disposable dome for use in combination with a reusable sensor to form a reusable transducer assembly for measuring pressure in a fluid line coupled to a catheter inserted into a living body for making direct pressure measurements in areas within the body of medical interest, said disposable dome being arranged to be engageable with and removable from the reusable sensor and discardable after a single use, said dome including an electrically and biologically isolating coupling media which transmits hydraulic pressure signals from a fluid-filled chamber in said dome to the reusable sensor;
the disposable dome further comprising a sterile barrier portion comprising a generally flat skirt, which, when the disposable dome is engaged with the reusable sensor, is adapted to prevent a practitioner from touching the reusable sensor when touching the disposable dome. - View Dependent Claims (16)
-
17. A disposable dome for use in combination with a reusable sensor to form a reusable transducer assembly for measuring pressure in a fluid line coupled to a catheter inserted into a living body for making direct pressure measurements in areas within the body of medical interest, said disposable dome being arranged to be engageable with and removable from the reusable sensor and discardable after a single use, said dome including an electrically and biologically isolating coupling media which transmits hydraulic pressure signals from a fluid-filled chamber in said dome to the reusable sensor;
-
the disposable dome having an inlet port and an outlet port, and said chamber being disposed between said inlet and outlet ports, a fluid flow path extending from said inlet port to said outlet port, through said chamber; the disposable dome further including an auxiliary fluid channel for attachment of the disposable dome to a catheter fluid volume manipulating syringe or to atmosphere. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
-
-
20. A reusable transducer assembly for measuring pressure in a fluid line coupled to a catheter inserted into a living body for making direct pressure measurements in areas within the body of medical interest, comprising:
-
a disposable dome; and a reusable sensor; wherein the disposable dome is arranged to be engageable with and removable from the reusable sensor and discardable after a single use, the dome including an electrically and biologically isolating coupling media which transmits hydraulic pressure signals from a fluid-filled chamber in the dome to a pressure-sensitive diaphragm on the reusable sensor; the disposable dome being attachable to the reusable sensor using an elongated interlocking structure, the elongated interlocking structure defining an engagement and disengagement action between the dome portion and the reusable sensor which displaces the dome portion relative to the reusable sensor along an axis extending generally transversely through both the dome portion and the reusable sensor, so that a diaphragm disposed in said dome portion is matingly engaged with said pressure-sensitive diaphragm in the reusable sensor, said interlocking structure being disposed substantially below the diaphragm in said disposable dome portion when the disposable dome portion and the reusable sensor are matingly engaged. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
Specification