Surgical cassette

• US 7,775,780 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2006
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Inventors: Williams, David L., Salari, Kamran, Hopkins, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi; Nicholas D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stigell; Theodore J
• Application Number:
  US11/338,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20070172368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,666 Days
• Field of Search: 604/153, 604131-132, 604/151, 417/477.2, 417/477.3, 417/202, 417/474, 417/476, 417/477.12, 417/477.13, 417/477.9
• US Class Current: 417/477.2
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/72 Cassettes forming partially or totally the fluid circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/77 Suction-irrigation systems aspiration tips supplying fluids A61M1/85; specific for negative pressure wound therapy A61M1/92; combined with tracheal tubes A61M16/0463
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/82 Membrane pumps, e.g. bulbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/128 with incorporated valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0612 Eyes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0201 Cassettes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/0054 particularities of the flexible members
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/1269 the rotary axes of the rollers lying in a plane perpendicular to the rotary axis of the driving motor
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/14 having plate-like flexible members

Abstract

A cassette having an elastomeric sheet that is bonded or mechanically attached to a rigid substrate. A flow channel is molded into the rigid substrate that corresponds to a flow channel molded into the elastomeric sheet. The cassette is used in combination with a peristaltic pump having pump head rollers that are mounted radially from the axis of rotation of the pump motor so as to compress the elastomeric flow channels against the rigid substrate during operation. The flow channels molded into the rigid substrate have smooth, fluid lines free from sharp edges and abrupt direction changes and correspond with the fluid channels molded into the elastomeric sheet so as to provide a transition region with a relatively constant cross-section over its entire length that approximates the cross-sectional area of the flow channels molded into the rigid substrate and the fluid channel molded into the elastomeric sheet so that the entire fluid path is of relatively constant cross-sectional area.

Claims

1. A cassette, comprising:

a) a body having an exterior;

b) a flexible sheet attached to the body, the sheet containing at least one first molded fluid channel, the at least one first molded fluid channel projecting outwardly from the exterior of the body and wherein the flexible sheet is tapered so as to form a tapered section of the at least one first molded fluid channel; and

c) at least one second molded fluid channel formed in the body and located so as to correspond with the tapered section of the at least one first molded fluid channel to form a transition fluid channel region, the transition fluid channel region being of relatively uniform cross-sectional area; and

wherein the at least one first molded fluid channel and the transition fluid channel region are of approximately the same uniform cross-sectional area.

2. The cassette of claim 1 wherein the at least one first molded fluid channel and the at least one second molded fluid channel are fluidly connected to a pump inlet port.

3. The cassette of claim 1 wherein the at least one first molded fluid channel and the at least one second molded fluid channel are fluidly connected to a pump outlet port.

4. The cassette of claim 1 wherein the sheet comprises a flexible, easily molded material.

5. The cassette of claim 1 wherein the sheet comprises silicone rubber or thermoplastic elastomer.

6. The cassette of claim 1 wherein the first molded fluid channel and the second molded fluid channel are relatively freed from sharp edges and abrupt obstructions.

7. The cassette of claim 1, wherein the at least one first molded fluid channel, the at least one second molded fluid channel, and the transition fluid channel region all are of approximately the same uniform cross-sectional area.

8. A cassette, comprising:

a) a body having an exterior;

b) a flexible sheet attached to the body, the sheet containing at least one first molded fluid channel, the at least one first molded fluid channel projecting outwardly from the exterior of the body and wherein the flexible sheet is tapered so as to form a tapered section of the at least one first molded fluid channel; and

c) at least one second molded fluid channel formed in the body and located so as to correspond with the tapered section of the at least one first molded fluid channel to form a transition fluid channel region, the transition fluid channel region being of relatively uniform cross-sectional area; and

wherein the at least one first molded fluid channel and the transition fluid channel region comprise a fluid pathway that is of relatively constant cross-sectional area.

9. The cassette of claim 8 wherein the at least one first molded fluid channel and the at least one second molded fluid channel are fluidly connected to a pump inlet port.

10. The cassette of claim 8 wherein the at least one first molded fluid channel and the at least one second molded fluid channel are fluidly connected to a pump outlet port.

11. The cassette of claim 8 wherein the sheet comprises a flexible, easily molded material.

12. The cassette of claim 8 wherein the sheet comprises silicone rubber or thermoplastic elastomer.

13. The cassette of claim 8 wherein the first molded fluid channel and the second molded fluid channel are relatively freed from sharp edges and abrupt obstructions.

14. The cassette of claim 8, wherein the at least one first molded fluid channel, the at least one second molded fluid channel, and the transition fluid channel region comprise a fluid pathway that is of relatively constant cross-sectional area.

15. A surgical cassette having a body defining a rigid substrate for use in combination with a peristaltic pump having pump head rollers configured to compress an elastomeric flow channel against the rigid substrate during operation, said cassette having:

a relatively flexible sheet attached to the exterior of the body, the sheet containing at least one channel molded in the sheet, so as to define at least one first fluid channel formed between the exterior of the body and the channel molded in the sheet, said first fluid channel defining a ramped or a tapered section; and

at least one second fluid channel molded in the body and located so as to correspond with the at least one first fluid channel to form a transition fluid channel region where the first and second fluid channels meet;

wherein the transition fluid channel region is formed in the body and flexible sheet with a curved slope so as to correspond with the ramped or tapered section of the first fluid channel such that the cross-sectional area of the transition fluid channel region is of relatively constant cross-sectional area over its entire length.

16. The cassette of claim 15, wherein the cross-sectional area of the transition fluid channel region approximates to the cross-sectional area of the at least one first fluid channel.

17. The cassette of claim 15, wherein the at least one first fluid channel, the at least one second fluid channel, and the transition fluid channel region all are of approximately the same uniform cross-sectional area.

18. The cassette of claim 15, wherein the at least one first fluid channel, the at least one second fluid channel, and the transition fluid channel region comprise a fluid pathway in the cassette that is of relatively constant cross-sectional area, whereby when the elastomeric flow channel is compressed against the rigid substrate during operation, introduction of fluid pressure pulsations in the flow pathway are reduced.