Pressure-driven membrane valve for pressure control system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A control valve for a fluidic system, comprising:
- a housing including a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;
a boss member on a portion of the housing, the boss member providing a valve seat; and
a flow control membrane anchored within the housing to form a reference chamber on a first side of the flow control membrane and a fluid flow channel, configured to convey aqueous humor from an anterior chamber of the eye, on a second opposing side of the membrane, the reference chamber having an opening to couple the reference chamber to a varying pressure such that the reference chamber provides a varying reference chamber pressure, the fluid flow channel selectively opening and closing to permit fluid to flow from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet, the flow control membrane configured to control flow through the fluid flow channel from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet by deflecting away from or toward the valve seat in response to pressure differentials of the varying reference chamber pressure and the fluid flow channel pressure acting on the opposing sides of the flow control membrane.
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Abstract
A control valve for a fluidic system is disclosed. The control valve comprises a housing and a flow control membrane is disclosed. The flow control membrane is anchored within the housing to form a reference chamber on a first side of the membrane and a fluid flow channel on a second opposing side of the membrane. The fluid flow channel selectively opens and closes to permit fluid to flow from the inlet to the outlet, and the membrane is configured to control flow through the channel from the inlet to the outlet by deflecting in response to pressure differentials of the reference chamber pressure and the fluid flow channel pressure acting across the membrane.
118 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A control valve for a fluidic system, comprising:
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a housing including a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet; a boss member on a portion of the housing, the boss member providing a valve seat; and a flow control membrane anchored within the housing to form a reference chamber on a first side of the flow control membrane and a fluid flow channel, configured to convey aqueous humor from an anterior chamber of the eye, on a second opposing side of the membrane, the reference chamber having an opening to couple the reference chamber to a varying pressure such that the reference chamber provides a varying reference chamber pressure, the fluid flow channel selectively opening and closing to permit fluid to flow from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet, the flow control membrane configured to control flow through the fluid flow channel from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet by deflecting away from or toward the valve seat in response to pressure differentials of the varying reference chamber pressure and the fluid flow channel pressure acting on the opposing sides of the flow control membrane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An IOP control system for implantation in an eye of a patient, comprising:
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a drainage tube configured to convey aqueous humor from an anterior chamber of the eye; and
a boss member on a portion of the housing, the boss member providing a valve seat;a pressure-driven membrane valve in fluid communication with the drainage tube and with atmospheric pressure, the pressure-driven membrane valve actuatable in response to pressure differentials and configured to control flow rates of the aqueous humor along the drainage tube by deflecting away from or toward the valve seat in response to pressure differentials between the anterior chamber of the eye and the atmospheric pressure acting on the pressure-driven membrane valve. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A pressure-driven IOP control valve for implantation in an eye of a patient, comprising:
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a housing including a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet; and a flow control membrane anchored within the housing to form a reference chamber on a first side of the flow control membrane and a fluid flow channel on a second side of the membrane, the fluid flow channel fluidly connecting the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet, a flow control membrane including a plurality of varying corrugations possessing varying shapes or arrangements, at least one corrugation extending up from and down below a planar central zone of the flow control membrane and configured to control flow through the fluid flow channel from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet by deflecting in response to pressure differentials acting on the sides of the flow control membrane. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification