Momentary high pressure valve

• US 7,302,960 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2005
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Smiths Medical ASD, Inc. (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smiths Medical ASD, Inc. (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Patzer, Charles R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hepperle; Stephen M.
• Application Number:
  US11/163,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20070089787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 137/111, 137/112.I, 137/114, 137/517, 137/12, 251/5, 604/34, 604/83.X
• US Class Current: 137/12
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3344 Measuring or controlling pressure at the body treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/30 Blood pressure A61M2230/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/02 Access sites
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/223 Multiway valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/007 for contrast media
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1408 in parallel, e.g. manifolds, sequencing valves access sites A61M39/02; tube connectors A61M39/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0379 By fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2564 Plural inflows
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2567 Alternate or successive inflows

Abstract

A valve (10) comprises a housing (12) with a valve element (14) which normally fluidicly couples a low pressure operating device, such as a transducer (30) and tubing (34) to be coupled to a patient (36) along a first flow path (42) including a flexible control wall (58) which normally interrupts a second flow path (72) between a high pressure generating source such as an injector syringe (32) and the tubing (34), but which flexes, in response to high pressure excursions from the syringe (32) to allow the second flow path (72) to open as it flexes into the first flow path (42) to thereby restrict same thus providing protection to the transducer (30) during the high pressure excursion from the syringe (32).

Claims

1. A valve, comprising:

a housing having a low pressure fluid port, a high pressure fluid port, and a common port; and

a valve element situated within the housing between the ports, the valve element having a body and a generally flat control wall with first and second surfaces, the control wall included in the body, a first flow path extending through the body and along the first surface of the control wall and coupling the low pressure fluid port to the common port, and a second flow path extending along the second surface of the control wall and coupling the high pressure fluid port to the common port, the valve element further having a contact member normally bearing against a valve seat associated with the second flow path so as to occlude the second flow path, the contact member being responsive to high pressure at the high pressure fluid port so as to move away from the valve seat and thereby open the second flow path, the control wall flexing into the first flow path in response to such opening.

2. The valve of claim 1, the valve seat being a portion of the housing.

3. The valve of claim 1, the first and second surfaces being positioned on opposite sides of the control wall.

4. The valve of claim 1, the control wall supporting the contact member.

5. The valve of claim 4, a portion of the second surface defining the contact member.

6. The valve of claim 1, the control wall being adapted to restrict the first flow path when flexing in response to the opening of the second flow path.

7. The valve of claim 6, the first flow path having a flow wall opposite the control wall, the control wall being adapted to contact the flow wall when flexing into the first flow path so as to occlude said flow path.

8. The valve of claim 1, the contact member being responsive to a pressure at or above a predetermined cracking pressure, the cracking pressure being at least approximately 2 psi.

9. The valve of claim 1, the first flow path having a portion with a D-shaped cross-section, the control wall defining part of the D-shaped portion.

13. The valve of claim 1, further comprising:

an end cap received in the low pressure fluid port of the housing, the end cap having an inlet passage in fluid communication with the first flow path of the valve element.

16. The valve of claim 13 wherein the end cap is ultrasonically welded to the housing to retain the valve element within the housing.

17. The valve of claim 13, the housing having a flange with at least one barb adapted to engage an outer surface of the valve element.

18. The valve of claim 17, the at least one barb having an annular configuration on the flange of the housing.

19. The valve of claim 13, the first flow path having a portion with a D-shaped cross-section and a transition portion positioned between the D-shaped portion and the inlet passage of the end cap, the control wall defining part of the D-shaped portion.

10. A valve comprising:

a housing having a low pressure fluid port, a high pressure fluid port, and a common port; and

a valve element situated within the housing between the ports, the valve element having a control wall with first and second surfaces, a first flow path extending along the first surface of the control wall and coupling the low pressure fluid port to the common port, and a second flow path extending along the second surface of the control wall and coupling the high pressure fluid port to the common port, the valve element further having a contact member normally bearing against a valve seat associated with the second flow path so as to occlude the second flow path, the contact member being responsive to high pressure at the high pressure fluid port so as to move away from the valve seat and thereby open the second flow path, the control wall flexing into the first flow path in response to such opening, the valve element having a conical portion through which the first flow path extends and a trough in the conical portion defining a portion of the second flow path.

11. The valve of claim 10, the trough having a left side, a right side, and a bottom side interconnecting the left and right sides, one of the sides of the trough defining the control wall.

12. The valve of claim 11, the bottom side defining the control wall.

14. A valve comprising:

a housing having a low pressure fluid port, a high pressure fluid port, and a common port;

a valve element situated within the housing between the ports, the valve element having a control wall with first and second surfaces, a first flow path extending along the first surface of the control wall and coupling the low pressure fluid port to the common port, and a second flow path extending along the second surface of the control wall and coupling the high pressure fluid port to the common port, the valve element further having a contact member normally bearing against a valve seat associated with the second flow path so as to occlude the second flow path, the contact member being responsive to high pressure at the high pressure fluid port so as to move away from the valve seat and thereby open the second flow path, the control wall flexing into the first flow path in response to such opening; and

an end cap received in the low pressure fluid port of the housing, the end cap having an inlet passage in fluid communication with the first flow path of the valve element, the end cap frictionally engaging the housing to retain the valve element within the housing.

15. The valve of claim 14, the end cap having an outer portion with one or more barbs to facilitate frictionally engaging the housing.

20. A valve, comprising:

a housing having a low pressure fluid port, a high pressure fluid port, and a common port; and

a valve element situated within the housing between the ports, the valve element having a body and a generally flat control wall with first and second surfaces, the control wall included in the body, a first flow path extending through the body and along the first surface of the control wall and coupling the low pressure fluid port to the common port, and a second flow path extending along the second surface of the control wall and coupling the high pressure fluid port to the common port, a portion of the second surface normally bearing against an inner surface of the housing so as to occlude the second flow path, the control wall being responsive to high pressure at the high pressure fluid port so as to move away from the inner surface of the housing and thereby open the second flow path, the control wall flexing into and occluding the first flow path in response to such opening.

21. A valve element, comprising:

a solid body having first and second ports, a passage extending from the first port to the second port to define a first flow path, and an outer portion with a trough formed therein, the trough having a flexible side defining a generally flat control wall between the trough and the first flow path, the control wall adapted to flex into the first flow path in response to high pressure directed at the control wall so as to temporarily restrict the first flow path.

26. The valve element of claim 21, the outer portion being conical.

27. The valve element of claim 21, the control wall being responsive to sufficiently high pressure directed at said wall so as to flex into the first flow path sufficient to occlude said flow path.

28. The valve element of claim 21, the control wall being responsive to a pressure at or above a predetermined cracking pressure, the cracking pressure being at least approximately 2 psi.

22. A valve element comprising:

a solid body having first and second ports, a passage extending from the first port to the second port to define a first flow path, and an outer portion with a trough formed therein, the trough having a flexible side defining a generally planar control wall between the trough and the first flow path, the control wall adapted to flex into the first flow path in response to high pressure directed at the control wall so as to temporarily restrict the first flow path, the control wall being generally planar.

23. The valve element of claim 22, the outer portion being conical.

36. The valve element of claim 22, the control wall being responsive to sufficiently high pressure directed at said wall so as to flex into the first flow path sufficient to occlude said flow path.

37. The valve element of claim 22, the control wall being responsive to a pressure at or above a predetermined cracking pressure, the cracking pressure being at least approximately 2 psi.

24. A valve element comprising:

a solid body having first and second ports, a passage extending from the first port to the second port to define a first flow path, and an outer portion with a trough formed therein, the trough having a flexible side defining a control wall between the trough and the first flow path, the control wall adapted to flex into the first flow path in response to high pressure directed at the control wall so as to temporarily restrict the first flow path, the first flow path having a portion with a D-shaped cross-section, the control wall defining part of the D-shaped portion.

25. The valve element of claim 24, the first port being substantially circular, the first flow path further including a transition portion with positioned between the first port and the D-shaped portion.

38. The valve element of claim 24, the control wall being responsive to sufficiently high pressure directed at said wall so as to flex into the first flow path sufficient to occlude said flow path.

39. The valve element of claim 24, the control wall being responsive to a pressure at or above a predetermined cracking pressure, the cracking pressure being at least approximately 2 psi.

29. A method of controlling the flow of low pressure fluid and high pressure fluid to a supply line, comprising:

placing the supply line in fluid communication with a common port of a housing, the housing having a low pressure port for receiving the low pressure fluid and a high pressure port for receiving the high pressure fluid;

communicating the low pressure fluid through a first flow path being defined through a body of a valve element situated within the housing between the ports, the first flow path coupling the low pressure fluid port to the common port, the body of the valve element having a generally flat control wall with a first surface defining a portion of the first flow path and a second surface defining a portion of a second flow path, the second flow path coupling the high pressure port to the common port, the valve element further including a contact member normally bearing against a valve seat associated with the second flow path, the contact member being responsive to high pressure at the high pressure fluid port; and

communicating high pressure fluid to the high pressure fluid port so as to move the contact member away from the valve seat and thereby open the second flow path, the control wall flexing into the first flow path in response to such opening.

30. The method of claim 29, the control wall restricting the first flow path when flexing in response to the high pressure fluid communicated to the high pressure fluid port.

31. The method of claim 30, the control wall occluding the first flow path when flexing in response to the high pressure fluid communicated to the high pressure fluid port.

32. The method of claim 29, the high pressure fluid being communicated at a pressure at or above a predetermined cracking pressure of the control wall, the cracking pressure being at least approximately 2 psi.

33. The method of claim 29, the first flow path having a portion with a D-shaped cross-section, the control wall defining part of the D-shaped portion.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

receiving an end cap in the low pressure fluid port to retain the valve element within the housing, the end cap having an inlet passage in fluid communication with the first flow path of the valve element.

35. A method of controlling the flow of low pressure fluid and high pressure fluid to a supply line, comprising:

placing the supply line in fluid communication with a common port of a housing, the housing having a low pressure port for receiving the low pressure fluid and a high pressure port for receiving the high pressure fluid;

communicating the low pressure fluid through a first flow path being defined through a body of a valve element situated within the housing between the ports, the first flow path fluidicly coupling the low pressure fluid port to the common port, the body of the valve element further including a generally flat control wall with a first surface defining a portion of the first flow path and a second surface normally bearing against an inner surface of the housing, the control wall being responsive to high pressure at the high pressure fluid port; and

communicating high pressure fluid to the high pressure fluid port so as to flex the control wall away from the inner surface of the housing and into the first flow path to thereby form a second flow path between the second surface and the inner surface, the second flow path fluidicly coupling the high pressure fluid port to the common port.