Medical valve and method to monitor intra-abdominal pressure
First Claim
1. A hydraulically actuated valve, comprising:
- a housing configured and arranged to permit fluid communication between an entrance port, a control port, and a drain port;
a seal member arranged inside said housing for hydraulic actuation between a valve-open position and a valve-closed position, said valve-open position permitting draining fluid flow between said entrance port and said drain port, and said valve-closed position resisting said draining fluid flow;
a fluid-flow restriction valve disposed in a first fluid path along which control fluid may flow in a first direction from said control port toward said entrance port, said fluid-flow restriction valve being structured to generate a back-pressure responsive to a flow of said control fluid in said first direction, said back-pressure being effective to urge flow of actuation fluid toward said seal member; and
a bleed-down port configured and arranged to permit evacuation, as bleed-down fluid, of actuation fluid confined by said seal member; and
said seal member comprises an expandable diaphragm configured and arranged to be self-biased from said valve-closed position toward said valve open position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for monitoring the intra-abdominal pressure of a hospitalized patient includes a urinary catheter connected to a urine valve providing selectable communication between a discharge end of the urinary catheter and either a drain or a fluid source. Preferably, the urine valve is adapted for remote actuatation and has a housing adapted to resist patient discomfort from leg-valve contact. Plumbing structure desirably maintains fluid supply and drain conduits in a substantially parallel arrangement to assist routing those conduits between a patient'"'"'s legs. When the urine valve is oriented to permit communication with the fluid source, an infusion pump may be used to infuse a known quantity of fluid through the urine valve and into the patient'"'"'s bladder. A pressure transducer desirably is connected in-circuit to indicate the fluid'"'"'s pressure. To facilitate the infusion process, an automatic flow control device may be included in a fluid supply path and arranged to permit repetitive operation of a syringe to inject a bolus of fluid into the patient'"'"'s bladder. Subsequent to a period of time in which to make a pressure measurement, preferred embodiments of the urine valve automatically return to a bladder draining position.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A hydraulically actuated valve, comprising:
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a housing configured and arranged to permit fluid communication between an entrance port, a control port, and a drain port; a seal member arranged inside said housing for hydraulic actuation between a valve-open position and a valve-closed position, said valve-open position permitting draining fluid flow between said entrance port and said drain port, and said valve-closed position resisting said draining fluid flow; a fluid-flow restriction valve disposed in a first fluid path along which control fluid may flow in a first direction from said control port toward said entrance port, said fluid-flow restriction valve being structured to generate a back-pressure responsive to a flow of said control fluid in said first direction, said back-pressure being effective to urge flow of actuation fluid toward said seal member; and a bleed-down port configured and arranged to permit evacuation, as bleed-down fluid, of actuation fluid confined by said seal member; and
said seal member comprises an expandable diaphragm configured and arranged to be self-biased from said valve-closed position toward said valve open position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification