SURGICAL FLUID MANAGEMENT

• US 20120330240A1
• Filed: 09/04/2012
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith & Nephew Incorporated (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: Smith & Nephew Incorporated (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Inventors: Shener, Cemal, Krause, Kenneth W., Hedstrom, Petter, Loreth, Brian J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,979,798 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/151
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3474 Insufflating needles, e.g. Veress needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/12 with interchangeable cassettes forming partially or totally the fluid circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0201 Cassettes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0202 with electronic control means or interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0216 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/022 Volume; Flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0258 by means of electric pumps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A fluid flow device includes a housing configured to releasably mate with a surgical control unit for controlling fluid flow during a surgical procedure. First and second ports measure fluid pressure within a fluid path provided within the housing. The fluid flow device includes a restrictor for restricting fluid flow at a restriction location along the fluid path. The first port is located upstream of the restriction location and the second port is located downstream of the restriction location. A fluid pump is provided within the housing.

Claims

1. A pump cassette for releasably mating with a surgical control unit, the control unit defining a cassette receiving slot with a guide track and comprising first and second pressure transducers, the pump cassette comprising:

a housing having a protrusion configured and arranged to mate with the guide track during introduction into and final placement within the slot such that the housing is spaced from the pressure transducers during introduction into the slot and contacts the pressure transducers when in final placement within the slot.

2. The pump cassette of claim 1, further comprising first and second ports positioned for alignment with the first and second pressure transducers when the cassette is in final placement within the slot.

3. The pump cassette of claim 1, wherein the housing defines a pump chamber comprising a centrifugal pump.

4. The pump cassette of claim 3, wherein the pump comprises a pump outlet in fluid communication with a pump outlet connection defined by the housing, and further comprising a flow restriction orifice disposed between the pump outlet and the pump outlet connection.

5. The pump cassette of claim 4, wherein the flow restriction orifice is positioned between the first and second pressure transducers.

6. The pump cassette of claim 3, wherein the pump comprises a non-contact, magnetic coupling configured to be operatively driven by a motor external to the housing.

7. The pump cassette of claim 1, wherein the housing is generally rectangular-shaped and includes an upper end, a lower end, a distal end, and a proximal end, the upper and lower ends each including a pair of raised protrusions, a pair of relatively higher raised protrusions, and a pair of trapezoidally shaped protrusions configured to be received within the guide track.

8. The pump cassette of claim 7, wherein the distal end defines a cassette type recognition slot and a cassette insertion recognition recess which are configured to enable the control unit to recognize a type of the pump cassette and that the pump cassette has been inserted into the control unit.

9. A method of mating a pump cassette to a surgical control unit, the surgical control unit defining a cassette receiving slot with a guide track and having first and second pressure transducers, comprising:

aligning a protrusion on the cassette with the guide track and pushing the cassette into the guide track such that the cassette moves from a position spaced from the pressure transducers during introduction into the slot to a final placement in contact with the pressure transducers.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising aligning a pinch valve cutout on the pump cassette with a pinch valve disposed on the control unit as the cassette is introduced into the slot.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising aligning a leading edge of a microswitch disposed on the control unit with a cassette insertion recognition recess defined in the cassette.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising recognizing a pump cassette type based on the interaction of the microswitch with the recess.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the track and cassette are configured such that the cassette may be inserted into the track in only one orientation with respect to the slot.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein one of the protrusion and guide track are axially-aligned or off-center.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the cassette comprises at least one latch and the method further comprises snapping the at least one latch into a slot defined in the control unit to retain the cassette in position with respect to the control unit.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein aligning further comprises pushing the cassette into the guide track such that soft pressure transfer membranes disposed on a side of the cassette are at a predetermined distance from a side of the control unit.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the guide track is linear.