Infusion rate adjusting device for drug solution injector

• US 6,554,805 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2001
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nipro Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nipro Corporation
• Inventors: Hiejima, Katsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ganey, Steven J.
• Application Number:
  US09/794,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20010021829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 604/246, 604/247, 604/153, 604/276, 604/257, 604/30, 137/511, 137/512
• US Class Current: 604/247
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/2473 Valve comprising a non-deformable, movable element, e.g. ball-valve, valve with movable stopper or reciprocating element
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/2486 Guided stem, e.g. reciprocating stopper
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/2493 Check valve with complex design, e.g. several inlets and outlets and several check valves in one body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/24 Check- or non-return valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16877 Adjusting flow; Devices for setting a flow rate

Abstract

An infusion rate adjusting device for drug solution injectors comprises a tubular flow control unit including plural check valves of different opening pressures, and means for selecting one of said check valves to adjust an infusion rate of the drug solution. The infusion rate adjusting device is simple in operation to set out an infusion rate of the drug solution and is considerably reduced in the production cost.

Claims

1. An infusion rate adjusting device for drug solution injectors used for injecting a drug solution, comprising a tubular flow control unit including plural check valves of different opening pressures, and means for selecting one of said check valves to adjust an infusion rate of the drug solution.

2. The infusion rate adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein said flow control unit is provided with plural check valves of an umbrella type having different opening pressures and being arranged in series within a lumen of the tubular member, each of said check valves having a drug passage formed on its axis, and wherein when the drug passage of one of the check valves is closed by said check valve selecting means, the check valve with the closed drug passage serves as the check valve which determines the injection rate.

3. The infusion rate adjusting device according to claim 2, wherein said check valve selecting means is passage-closing means provided in the side wall of the flow control unit.

4. An infusion rate adjusting device for drug solution injectors used for injecting a drug solution, comprising a tubular flow control unit including plural check valves of different opening pressures, and means for selecting one of said check valves to adjust an infusion rate of the drug solution, wherein said tubular flow control unit includes plural check valves of a duck bill type, said check valves being arranged in series and in descending order of opening pressures from the upstream side to the downstream side, and wherein said check valve selecting means includes a tubular rod capable of being inserted into said check valve through a lumen of the flow control unit from an upstream side thereof to adjust the injection rate of the drug solution, the injection rate of the drug solution being determined by the check valve which is not yet opened by the rod and is present in the most upstream side of the lumen.

5. The infusion rate adjusting device according to claim 4, wherein said check valve selecting means includes a female engaging member provided with female engaging means and rotatably fitted on the rod at the proximal end thereof, said female engaging means being engaged with male engaging means provided on the proximal end of the flow control unit so that the rod is linearly moved within the lumen of the flow control unit by rotating the female engaging member.