Apparatus for flow rate control

• US 6,929,236 B1
• Filed: 04/07/2003
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Height, Murray J., Hwang, Eun Young, Prestero, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bastianelli, John
• Application Number:
  US10/408,418
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 251/4, 251/6, 137/553
• US Class Current: 251/6
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/286 Wedge clamps, e.g. roller clamps with inclined guides
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8225 Position or extent of motion indicator

Abstract

The apparatus for flow rate control of a fluid provides a roller clamp having either a clamp body with a non-linear clamp body surface or a clamp body with a non-linear adjustment roller track, which, when coupled to a tube, provides a linear, or otherwise pre-determined, relationship between flow rate of a fluid flowing through the tube and adjustment of the roller clamp.

Claims

1. An apparatus for control of the flow rate of a fluid, comprising:

a clamp body having an adjustment roller track and a non-linear clamp body surface, wherein the non-linear clamp body surface has a continuous curve throughout a substantial portion of a length of the clamp body surface; and

an adjustment roller coupled to said clamp body and moveable along the adjustment roller track such that a surface of said adjustment roller is spaced a distance from the non-linear clamp body surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distance between the surface of said adjustment roller and the non-linear clamp body surface is proportional to the location of the adjustment roller along the adjustment roller tack.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-linear clamp body surface and the surface of said adjustment roller are adapted to contact a tube.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said adjustment roller can be rotated to generate a selected force upon the tube, and wherein the control of the flow rate of the fluid in the tube is substantially linearly proportional to rotation of said adjustment roller throughout a substantial rotation of said adjustment roller.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said clamp body includes an adjustment scale which, relative to a position of the adjustment roller, indicates a flow rate value corresponding to the flow rate of the fluid.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said adjustment scale has a linear scale.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said adjustment scale has a non-linear scale.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said adjustment scale is molded into a surface of said clamp body.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said adjustment scale comprises an adhesive sheet conjoined with a surface of said clamp body.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flow rate of the fluid is substantially linearly proportional to the rotation of said adjustment roller throughout a substantial rotation of said adjustment roller.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid is saline solution used in an intravenous drip set.

12. An apparatus for control of the flow rate of a fluid, comprising:

a clamp body having a non-linear adjustment roller track and a clamp body surface, wherein the non-linear adjustment roller track has a continuous curve throughout a substantial portion of a length of the non-linear adjustment roller track; and

an adjustment roller coupled to said clamp body and moveable along the non-linear adjustment roller track such that a surface of said adjustment roller is spaced a distance from the clamp body surface.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the distance between the surface of said adjustment roller and the clamp body surface is proportional to the location of the adjustment roller along the adjustment roller track.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the clamp body surface and the surface of said adjustment roller are adapted to contact a tube.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said adjustment roller can be rotated to generate a selected force upon the tube, and wherein the flow rate of the fluid in the tube is substantially linearly proportion to rotation of said adjustment roller throughout a substantial rotation of said adjustment roller.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said clamp body includes an adjustment scale which indicates a flow rate value corresponding to the flow rate of the fluid.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said adjustment scale has a linear scale.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said adjustment scale has a non-linear scale.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said adjustment scale is molded into a surface of said clamp body.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said adjustment scale comprises an adhesive sheet conjoined with a surface of said clamp body.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the flow rate of the fluid is substantially linearly proportional to the rotation of said adjustment roller throughout a substantial rotation of said adjustment roller.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the fluid is saline solution used in an intravenous drip set.