Inline pressure transducer
AssigneeGyrus ACMI, Inc.
InventorsSaeed Merza, Joey Magno
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of determining fluid pressure inside a conduit. The method includes positioning a conduit in a surgical system. The conduit having an external surface, and the surgical system having a pair of sensors. The conduit is positioned in the surgical system such that the external surface of the conduit applies a force on the pair of sensors when the conduit expands. The method includes a step of generating one or more electrical signals with the pair of sensors. The one or more electrical signals corresponding to the force on the pair of sensors. The method includes a step of determining the fluid pressure inside the conduit by converting the one or more electrical signals into a fluid pressure value through a controller.
Claims20
A method of determining fluid pressure inside a conduit, the method comprising:
- a) positioning the conduit in a surgical system, the surgical system comprising:
- i) a pair of first sensors;
- ii) a pair of second sensors;
- iii) a first member comprising a pair of first projections;
- and
- iv) a second member comprising a first of second projections, the second member is spaced apart from the first member defining a space therebetween;
- wherein the conduit is positioned in the space between the first member and the second member;
- wherein the conduit is configured to expand in response to an increase in the fluid pressure inside the conduit, which causes the conduit to apply a force on the first member, the second member, or both, which then causes one or both of the first member and the second member to move away from each other and apply a force on the pair of first sensors, the pair of second sensors, or both via the corresponding pair of first projections, the pair of second projections, or both,
- b) generating one or more electrical signals with the pair of first sensors, the pair of second sensors, or both, the one or more electrical signals corresponding to the force applied on the pair of first sensors, the pair of second sensors or both;
- and
- c) determining the fluid pressure inside the conduit by converting the one or more electrical signals into a fluid pressure value through a controller.
A surgical system, comprising:
- a base;
- a first wall extending from the base;
- a second wall extending from the base, the second wall is spaced apart from the first wall;
- a first sensor supported on the first wall;
- a second sensor supported on the second wall;
- a first member comprising a first projection extending towards the first sensor;
- a second member comprising a second projection extending towards the second sensor;
- and
- a controller;
- wherein the first member and the second member are spaced apart from one another so that a space is defined between the two members;
- wherein an expandable conduit is configured to be positioned in the space between the two members, the conduit is configured to expand in response to an increase in fluid pressure inside the conduit, which causes the conduit to move one or both of the first member and the second member away from one another, which causes one or both of the first member and the second member to apply a force on one or both of the first sensor and the second sensor via the corresponding first and second projections;
- wherein the first sensor, the second sensor, or both are configured to generate one or more electrical signals in response to the force applied thereon;
- and
- wherein the one or more electrical signals are communicated to the controller, and the controller converts the one or more electrical signals into a fluid pressure value.
A method of determining pressure of a fluid in a conduit, the method comprising:
- a) attaching the conduit to a surgical system, the system comprising:
- i) a first sensor;
- ii) a second sensor;
- iii) first force transferring member;
- and
- iv) a second force transferring member;
- b) determining a pressure of the fluid in the conduit;
- wherein the conduit is configured to expand in response to an increase in the pressure of the fluid inside the conduit and apply a force on one or both of the first force transferring member and the second force transferring member so that the one or both of the first force transferring member and the second force transferring member move away from one another and apply a force on one or both of the first sensor and the second sensor;
- and
- wherein one or more electrical signals corresponding to the force applied on one or both of the first sensor and the second sensor are communicated from the respective first sensor and the second sensor to a controller, that is configured to correspond the one or more electrical signals to the pressure of the fluid in the conduit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.