Inflatable penile prosthesis bypass valve noise reduction

• US 8,109,870 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2007
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ams Research Corporation (Endo International PLC)
• Inventors: Kuyava, Charles C., Henkel, Gregory J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LACYK, JOHN P
• Application Number:
  US11/938,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20080114202A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,548 Days
• Field of Search: 600 29- 32, 600 38- 41, 623/11.11, 623/23.67, 128/843, 251/129.15, 251/30.01, 251/213, 251/226, 251/227, 251/336, 251/337, 137/861, 137/864, 137877-882
• US Class Current: 600/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/26 Penis implants

Abstract

An inflatable penile prosthesis includes an implantable pump having a bypass valve. The bypass valve includes a cavity having a valve seat at a port, a poppet and a spring. The poppet includes a valve member and a stem extending from the valve member. In operation, the poppet includes a sealing position, where the valve member seals the port through contact with the valve seat, and a deflating position, where the valve member is displaced from the valve seat. The spring is configured to bias the valve member toward the valve seat, wherein the spring engages a portion of the stem while the poppet is in the deflating position.

Claims

1. A bypass valve of an implantable pump of an inflatable penile prosthesis comprising:

a bypass cavity having a valve seat at a port;

a poppet comprising a valve member and a stem extending from the valve member, the poppet including a sealing position, in which the valve member seals the port through contact with the valve seat and a deflating position, in which the valve member is displaced from the valve seat; and

a spring configured to bias the valve member toward the valve seat, wherein the spring engages a portion of the stem while the poppet is in the deflating position.

2. The valve of claim 1, wherein the stem is cylindrical.

3. The valve of claim 1, wherein the valve member is spherical.

4. The valve of claim 1, wherein the spring is cylindrical.

5. The valve of claim 1, wherein the spring has a diameter that varies along its length.

6. The valve of claim 1, wherein the spring includes a conically shaped section.

7. The valve of claim 1, wherein the stem includes a conically shaped section.

8. The valve of claim 1, wherein the stem has a diameter that varies along its length.

9. The valve of claim 1, wherein the spring engages the stem as the poppet moves between the sealing and deflating positions.

10. The valve of claim 1, wherein the spring is configured to buckle in response to the movement of the poppet from the sealing position to the deflating position.

11. The valve of claim 1, wherein the frequency of the vibrating spring and poppet system is less than 2500 Hz.

12. The valve of claim 1, wherein the frequency of the vibrating spring and poppet system is less than 1500 Hz.

13. An implantable pump of an inflatable penile prosthesis comprising the bypass valve of claim 1.

14. A method of reducing noise produced by a bypass valve of an implantable pump of an inflatable penile prosthesis during deflation of cylinders of the penile prosthesis, the bypass valve comprising a bypass cavity having a valve seat at a port, a poppet comprising a valve member and a stem extending from the valve member, and a spring, the method comprising steps of:

biasing the poppet with the spring into a sealing position, in which the valve member seals the port through contact with the valve seat;

introducing a flow of fluid to the port;

moving the poppet from the sealing position to a deflating position in response to the flow of fluid, wherein the valve member is displaced from the valve seat and the flow of fluid travels through the bypass cavity; and

inhibiting vibratory movement of the poppet relative to the valve seat through frictional resistance between the stem and the spring.

15. A bypass valve of an implantable pump of an inflatable penile prosthesis:

a bypass cavity having a valve seat at a port;

a poppet comprising a valve member, the poppet including a sealing position in which the valve member seals the port through contact with the valve seat and a deflating position, in which the valve member is displaced from the valve seat; and

a spring biasing the valve member toward the valve seat;

wherein the frequency of the vibrating spring and poppet system is less than 2500 Hz.

16. The valve of claim 15, wherein the frequency of the vibrating spring and poppet system is less than 1500 Hz.

17. The valve of claim 15, wherein the valve member is formed of stainless steel.

18. The valve of claim 15, wherein the valve member is spherical and has a diameter that is greater than 3/32 of an inch.

19. The valve of claim 18, wherein the diameter of the valve member is greater than or equal to ⅛

of an inch.

20. The valve of claim 15, wherein the spring has a spring constant selected from the group of less than 80 gm/cm, less than 70 gm/cm and less than 60 gm/cm.

21. The valve of claim 15, wherein:

the poppet further comprises a stem extending from the valve member; and

the spring engages a portion of the stem while the poppet is in the deflating position.