Apparatus for monitoring intra-abdominal pressure
First Claim
1. An apparatus for measuring hydraulic pressure in the bladder of a medical patient comprising:
- a catheter adapted for draining urine from said patient into a drain conduit;
a container of fluid;
a first fluid path between said container of fluid and a discharge end of said catheter;
a pump disposed to effect a pressure on fluid in said first fluid path;
a pressure transducer arranged to measure a pressure of said fluid in said first fluid path at a location downstream of said pump; and
a drain valve defining, at most, two fluid flow paths there-through, each such flow path extending from a valve housing entrance to a valve housing exit and being configurable to permit uninterrupted flow of fluid the entire length there-between, the drain valve being operable to occlude said drain conduit while permitting fluid flow through said first fluid path, said valve being configured to remain in association with said drain conduit when said valve is in a configuration to permit fluid flow through said drain conduit, the valve comprising structure configured to cause routing of a length of the first path, on the container-side of the valve and in the vicinity of the valve, to be disposed substantially in parallel with both of;
a first length of the drain conduit at a valve entrance, and;
a second length of the drain conduit at a valve exit.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved apparatus for monitoring the intra-abdominal pressure of a hospitalized patient includes a urinary catheter connected to a urine valve having selectable communication positions between a discharge end of the urinary catheter and either a drain or a fluid source. Preferably, the urine valve has a housing adapted to resist patient discomfort from leg-valve contact. One operable protective housing may be embodied as a separate tray component. 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 for communication to the fluid source, an infusion pump may be used to introduce a known quantity of fluid through the urine valve and into the patient'"'"'s bladder where the fluid'"'"'s pressure can be measured. Desirably, a double check valve is 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 making a pressure measurement, the urine valve is returned to the bladder draining position.
119 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An apparatus for measuring hydraulic pressure in the bladder of a medical patient comprising:
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a catheter adapted for draining urine from said patient into a drain conduit; a container of fluid; a first fluid path between said container of fluid and a discharge end of said catheter; a pump disposed to effect a pressure on fluid in said first fluid path; a pressure transducer arranged to measure a pressure of said fluid in said first fluid path at a location downstream of said pump; and a drain valve defining, at most, two fluid flow paths there-through, each such flow path extending from a valve housing entrance to a valve housing exit and being configurable to permit uninterrupted flow of fluid the entire length there-between, the drain valve being operable to occlude said drain conduit while permitting fluid flow through said first fluid path, said valve being configured to remain in association with said drain conduit when said valve is in a configuration to permit fluid flow through said drain conduit, the valve comprising structure configured to cause routing of a length of the first path, on the container-side of the valve and in the vicinity of the valve, to be disposed substantially in parallel with both of; a first length of the drain conduit at a valve entrance, and; a second length of the drain conduit at a valve exit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18)
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15. A preassembled apparatus adapted to assist in measuring the pressure in a bladder of a patient to infer the intra-abdominal pressure of that patient through a urinary catheter installed in the patient, comprising:
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a bag connector operable to couple to a saline bag effective to drain saline solution from said bag; a first conduit in fluid communication with said bag connector and operable to transport said saline solution to an infusion pump; said infusion pump being configured and arranged to urge said saline solution in a pressurized fluid path toward a urine valve; a second conduit having a first end coupled to said infusion pump and a second end mechanically associated with said urine valve; a transducer connector coupled to said second conduit, configured and arranged to couple with a pressure transducer to permit placing said pressure transducer into fluid communication with said saline solution in said second conduit; and said urine valve being configured at a valve entrance end to removably couple for fluid communication with said catheter, said urine valve defining, at most, two fluid flow paths there-through, each such flow path extending from a valve housing entrance to a valve housing exit and being configurable to permit uninterrupted flow of fluid the entire length there-between, said valve being coupled to a urine drain conduit and operable to occlude a drain path for urine from said catheter, the urine valve comprising structure configured to cause routing of a length of the pressurized fluid path, on the fluid source-side of the urine valve and in the vicinity of the urine valve, to be disposed substantially in parallel with both of a first length of the drain conduit at a valve entrance, and a second length of the drain conduit at a valve exit. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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19. An apparatus for measuring hydraulic pressure inside the urinary bladder of a medical patient, the apparatus comprising:
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a first fluid pathway in fluid communication with a source of fluid on a first end thereof and a catheter on a second end thereof, said catheter being structured for draining urine from a medical patient'"'"'s urinary bladder into a drain conduit; a pump intercooperated with first fluid pathway disposed to urge flow of fluid through said first fluid pathway; a pressure transducer in fluid communication with said first fluid pathway for measuring fluid pressure of fluid within said first fluid pathway at a location disposed downstream of said pump; and a drain valve, coupled to said first fluid pathway, operable to resist fluid flow through said drain conduit, the drain valve defining, at most, two fluid flow paths there-through, each such flow path extending from a valve housing entrance to a valve housing exit and being configurable to permit uninterrupted flow of fluid the entire length there-between, the valve comprising structure configured to cause routing of a length of the first fluid pathway, on the fluid source-side of the valve and in the vicinity of the valve, to be disposed substantially in parallel with both of a first length of the drain conduit at a valve entrance, and; a second length of the drain conduit at a valve exit. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification