Anesthesia manifold and induction valve

• US 7,326,188 B1
• Filed: 08/04/2003
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elcam Plastic
• Original Assignee: Elcam Medical
• Inventors: Redmond, Russell J., Russell, Michael A., Chandos, David A., Zucker, Menachem, Vidal, Claude A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MENDEZ, MANUEL A
• Application Number:
  US10/634,513
• Time in Patent Office: 1,646 Days
• Field of Search: 604/6.1, 604/9, 604/30, 604/31, 604/32, 604/33, 604/34, 604/99.02, 604/99.03, 604/99.04, 604/167.03, 604/167.04, 604/167.05, 604/236, 604/237, 604/247, 604/248, 604/249, 604/288.03, 604/320, 604/323, 604/335, 604/246
• US Class Current: 604/248
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/229 Stopcocks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/242 designed to open when a predetermined pressure or flow rate has been reached, e.g. check valve actuated by fluid
• 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 2039/248 Ball-valve
• 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

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an improved anesthesia manifold and an improved induction valve mechanism. A plurality of induction valve elements may be joined or “ganged” together in order to define a manifold. In the preferred embodiment of the induction manifold, at least two individual valve elements are combined to form the manifold. Each of the plurality of valve elements includes the following components: (1) a valve body; (2) a first inlet port carried by the valve body and defining at least in part a central fluid communication flow path for supplying intravenous fluid to patient; and (3) a second inlet port carried said valve body and at least in part defining an anesthesia drug inlet. Each of the plurality of valve components: (1) an induction valve mechanism which maintains said second inlet port in a closed condition until a predetermined amount of pressure is applied thereto; (2) a back flow valve mechanism which maintains said induction valve components in open condition to permit at least one of the following operations: (a) aspiration; (b) back flow; (c) purging; and (d) sampling.

Additionally, a control mechanism is provided for each of the plurality of individual valve components to actuate said induction valve mechanism and said backflow valve mechanism.

Claims

1. An anesthesia manifold, comprising a plurality of valves which are mounted onto a manifold element, each of said plurality of valves having a stopcock-type configuration including an inlet adapted to receive fluid to be administered to a patient and an outlet communicating with said manifold element, an open aspiration/backflow/purge/sample operative orientation and a second operative orientation which is pressure responsive for flow from said inlet through said outlet into said manifold element.

2. An anesthesia manifold according to claim 1, and wherein at least one of said plurality of valves comprises an induction valve.

3. An anesthesia manifold according to claim 1, and wherein said manifold element comprises a planar element.

4. An anesthesia manifold according to claim 1, and wherein at least one of said plurality of valves also includes a seal element, said seal element including a flap portion which is adapted to flex under pressure, thereby opening said valve.

5. An anesthesia manifold according to claim 4, and wherein at least one of said plurality of valves comprises a central element including a handle portion, said handle portion having a first handle operative orientation enabling said open operative orientation and a second handle operative orientation enabling said second operative orientation.

6. An anesthesia manifold according to claim 5, and wherein said seal element and said central element are adapted to rotate together, thereby transferring said valve between said open operative orientation and said second operative orientation.