Valve system

• US 9,360,129 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2012
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Incorporated (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Original Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Incorporated (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Inventors: Smith, Mark Forrest
• Primary Examiner(s): KEASEL, ERIC S
• Application Number:
  US13/548,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20120280154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 251/65, 251/77, 251/82, 251/83, 251/129.02, 251/129.19, 251/129.17, 335/234
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/16 with membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/128 with incorporated valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/082 using a electromagnet and a permanent magnet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8242 Electrical

Abstract

The present specification is directed to a valve that has an orifice closing member adjacent to an orifice through which fluid can flow, a displacement member having a first portion and a second portion, where the first portion is adjacent to the orifice closing member when the valve is in an open position, a first magnet and a second magnet where the first and second magnets are sufficiently proximate to the displacement member to exert a magnetic force on the displacement member, and an actuator for generating a magnetic field to move the displacement member toward the first magnet, cause the first portion to press against the orifice closing member, and cause the orifice closing member to close the orifice.

Claims

1. A valve comprising:

a first magnet having a first pole and adapted to generate a magnetic field;

a second magnet having a second pole and adapted to generate a magnetic field, wherein said first magnet is larger than said second magnet;

a coil positioned within the valve, wherein the first magnet is positioned at one end of the coil and the second magnet is positioned at a second end of the coil; and

a moveable displacement member comprising an elastic material, a rod having an end, a ferromagnetic material positioned around said rod; and

a housing enclosing the end of the rod and said elastic material, wherein;

the end of the rod and the elastic material are separated by a gap when the valve is in a second state and are not separated by the gap when the valve is in a first state;

the moveable displacement member is adapted to be positioned adjacent at least one orifice and configured to move within said coil between the first state and the second state, wherein the move between the first state and the second state is effectuated by a change in current to said coil which, in turn, causes the magnetic fields associated with the first magnet and the second magnet to change and, accordingly, causes said ferromagnetic material to move between the first magnet and the second magnet,

and wherein said magnetic fields maintain each of said first and second state without additional energy input; and

the first magnet is positioned closer to the at least one orifice than the second magnet.

2. The valve of claim 1, wherein the at least one orifice is covered by a compressible material.

3. The valve of claim 2, wherein said at least one orifice is positioned along a fluid pathway and wherein said fluid pathway is closed to fluid flow when said displacement member is in the first state and wherein said fluid pathway is open to fluid flow when said displacement member is in the second state.

4. The valve of claim 2 wherein said move between the first state and the second state of said moveable displacement member valve compresses the compressible material into said at least one orifice when said moveable displacement member is in the first state.

5. The valve of claim 2 wherein said move between the first state and the second state of said moveable displacement member valve causes the compressible material to expand out of said at least one orifice when said moveable displacement member moves from the first state to the second state.

6. The valve of claim 2 wherein the compressible material is adapted to compress against a valve seat when the moveable displacement member is in the first state.

7. The valve of claim 1, wherein said first magnet and second magnet are separated by a space, wherein said first magnet and second magnet generate said magnetic fields in the space, and wherein the magnetic fields have a direction.

8. The valve of claim 7, further comprising an actuator configured to generate an electromagnetic force within said coil, wherein said electromagnetic force reverses the direction of said magnetic fields.

9. The valve of claim 1, wherein said first magnet and second magnet provide a bearing surface for movement of said moveable displacement member.

10. The valve of claim 1, wherein the first pole and second pole repel each other and wherein the first magnet and second magnet are configured to have said first pole and second pole face each other.

11. A valve system comprising:

a valve, having a first stable state and a second stable state, wherein the valve comprises;

a displacement member comprising an elastic material, a rod having an end, and a housing enclosing the end of the rod and said elastic material, wherein the end of the rod and the elastic material are separated by a gap when the valve is in the second stable state;

two magnets, each having magnetic fields, wherein an input of energy into said valve modulates said magnetic fields which cause the displacement member to move within said valve and between the two magnets, wherein magnetic forces maintain each of said first and second state without additional energy input, wherein one of the two magnets is larger than the other, and wherein said larger magnet is positioned closer to the end of the rod than the other magnet; and

a disposable manifold having an orifice covered by an orifice closing member comprising compressible material, wherein;

said orifice is closed to fluid flow when said valve is in the first stable state and open to fluid flow when said valve is in the second stable state;

the orifice closing member compresses against a valve seat when the valve is in the first stable state;

the displacement member is physically movable relative to said orifice closing member and is configured to move from a second position to a first position where the displacement member presses against the orifice closing member to cause said orifice closing member to compress against the valve seat and thereby cause a change between the second stable state and the first stable state.

12. The valve system of claim 11 wherein movement of said displacement member compresses the compressible material into said orifice when said valve is in the first stable state.

13. The valve system of claim 11 wherein movement of said displacement member causes the compressible material to expand out of said orifice when said valve is in the second stable state.

14. The valve system of claim 11, wherein said valve further comprises an actuator capable of generating an electromagnetic force, wherein said electromagnetic force reverses a direction of said magnetic fields.

15. The valve system of claim 11, wherein said two magnets provide a bearing surface for movement of said displacement member.