Surgical system pump with flow sensor and method therefor
First Claim
1. An automatic pump system for irrigating a surgical site, said pump system adapted to be coupled to a source of surgical fluid via an input line and adapted to deliver a pressurized supply of surgical fluid to a fluid control valving system via an output line, the pump system adapted to be disposed at an elevated position with respect to said fluid control valving system, said pump system comprising:
- a motor and a housing therefor;
a pump mounted to said housing and mechanically driven by said motor, said pump having a first and a second fluid port respectively adapted to be coupled to said input and output line;
an electrical system for said motor with at least one battery supplying electrical power to said motor;
a flow sensor with an optical switch fluidly coupled to one of said first and second fluid ports to determine fluid flow therethrough, said flow sensor including a flow chamber with a small flow segment and a large flow segment adjacent thereto, a poppet movably disposed in said flow chamber and sized to permit nominal flow in said small flow segment and large flow in said large flow segment;
said optical switch configured to accept, as a control input, at least one predetermined poppet position in said flow chamber, said optical switch having a controlled electrical output which is electrically coupled to said electrical system and effective to control application of said electrical power to said pump based upon fluid flow through said flow chamber.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The automatically controlled pump supplies pressurized irrigation fluid to a surgical site. The pump system includes a motor in a housing and a pump in a housing defining input and output ports. The pump has a rotatable impeller. The motor is powered by one or more batteries. An ON/OFF motor switch is controlled by fluid flow above a nominal flow by a sensor typically mounted downstream of the pump. The system operates in conjunction with a downstream manual control valve. Flow above a system minimal flow is detected by a negative buoyancy poppet having a “leaky” valve seat. When the poppet moves into a flow chamber, the switched motor is ON. Various position sensors may be used, i.e., an optical sensor. The method automatically controls a pump by monitoring fluid flow above a system minimal flow and turning ON/OFF the motor based upon flow above the minimum.
54 Citations
14 Claims
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1. An automatic pump system for irrigating a surgical site, said pump system adapted to be coupled to a source of surgical fluid via an input line and adapted to deliver a pressurized supply of surgical fluid to a fluid control valving system via an output line, the pump system adapted to be disposed at an elevated position with respect to said fluid control valving system, said pump system comprising:
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a motor and a housing therefor;
a pump mounted to said housing and mechanically driven by said motor, said pump having a first and a second fluid port respectively adapted to be coupled to said input and output line;
an electrical system for said motor with at least one battery supplying electrical power to said motor;
a flow sensor with an optical switch fluidly coupled to one of said first and second fluid ports to determine fluid flow therethrough, said flow sensor including a flow chamber with a small flow segment and a large flow segment adjacent thereto, a poppet movably disposed in said flow chamber and sized to permit nominal flow in said small flow segment and large flow in said large flow segment;
said optical switch configured to accept, as a control input, at least one predetermined poppet position in said flow chamber, said optical switch having a controlled electrical output which is electrically coupled to said electrical system and effective to control application of said electrical power to said pump based upon fluid flow through said flow chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An automatic pump system for irrigating a surgical site, said pump system adapted to be coupled to a source of surgical fluid via an input line and adapted to deliver a pressurized supply of surgical fluid to a fluid control valving system via an output line, the pump system adapted to be disposed at an elevated position with respect to said fluid control valving system, said pump system comprising:
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a motor and a housing therefor;
a pump mounted to said housing and mechanically driven by said motor, said pump having a first and a second fluid port respectively adapted to be coupled to said input and output line;
an electrical system for said motor with at least one battery supplying electrical power to said motor;
a flow sensor having a flow chamber with a small flow segment and a large flow segment fluidly coupled to one of said first and second fluid ports, a poppet movably disposed in said flow chamber and sized to permit nominal flow in said small flow segment and large flow in said large flow segment;
a position sensing switch configured to accept, as a control input, at least one predetermined poppet position in said flow chamber, said position sensing switch having a controlled electrical output which is electrically coupled to said electrical system and effective to control application of said electrical power to said pump based upon fluid flow through said flow chamber. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification