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US 10,240,596 B2Granted
Sterilizable pump unit
AssigneeErbe Elektromedizin GmbH
InventorWaldemar Wandel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The pump unit (10) has a particularly simple design, which includes just two housing parts (14, 15) and also four valve closure members (37) and pump pistons (25, 29). The valve closure members (37) are preferably identical to one another and are trapped in a pocket between both housing parts (14, 15). The housing parts (14, 15) are preferably permanently interconnected by an ultrasonic weld seam. The valve closure members are formed by disc-like or plate-like plastic parts, which are resilient per se and which may optionally have a central pin (42) as an assembly and orientation aid. As desired, the valve closure members bear against their respective valve seat (43) with or without bias and form valves which open and close particularly reliably, are responsive to the slowest flow velocities and can be easily sterilized.
Claims20
A pump unit (10) for water jet surgery, comprising:
- a pump housing (13), which has a first housing part (14) and a second housing part (15), wherein
- a suction channel (16) and a pressure channel (17) are formed in the first housing part (14), wherein the pressure channel (17) is configured to connect to a water jet surgery instrument,
- at least two pump cylinders (22, 26), which are formed on the second housing part (15) and which are configured to receive pump pistons (25, 29) and from each of which two pump channels (23, 24;
- 27,28) depart,
- valve chamber recesses (31), which are formed in one of the housing parts (14, 15),
- valve chamber closures (32), which are associated with the valve chamber recesses (31) in order to shut off said valve chamber recesses so as to form respective valve chambers (30), into which the pressure channel (17) or the suction channel (16) leads,
- at least one valve closure member (37), which is permeable to sterilization gas,
- wherein the suction channel (16), the pressure channel (17) and the pump channels (23, 24, 27, 28) are in communication with select ones of the respective valve chambers (30);
- wherein the valve chamber closure (32) is formed together with an edge (39) of the valve closure member (37) and one or more recesses (47) defined in the valve closure member (37) in a manner defining an overflow structure (44) that defines a path for the sterilization gas to contact at least portions of opposing sides of the valve closure member (37) while the valve closure member (37) is in a closed position preventing liquid flow between the respective valve chamber (30) and a corresponding one of the pressure channel (17) or the suction channel (16);
- wherein the at least one valve closure member (37) includes a centrally located hub portion (40) and a spring zone (41) located between the centrally located hub portion (40) and the edge (39), wherein the spring zone (41) is of a reduced thickness relative to the centrally located hub portion (40) and the edge (39) for allowing resilient deformation of the valve closure member at the spring zone (41).
7 more elements
A pump unit (10) for water jet surgery, comprising:
- a pump housing (13), which has a first housing part (14) and a second housing part (15), wherein
- a suction channel (16) and a pressure channel (17) are formed in the first housing part (14), wherein the pressure channel (17) is configured to connect to a water jet surgery instrument,
- at least two pump cylinders (22, 26), which are formed on the second housing part (15) and which are configured to receive pump pistons (25, 29) and from each of which two pump channels (23, 24;
- 27,28) depart,
- valve chamber recesses (31), which are formed in one of the housing parts (14, 15),
- valve chamber closures (32), which are associated with the valve chamber recesses (31) in order to shut off said valve chamber recesses so as to form respective valve chambers (30), into which the pressure channel (17) or the suction channel (16) leads,
- at least one valve closure member (37) having a flexible disc or plate like shape and is configured to deform to open and close a fluid passage through one of the respective valve chambers (30),
- wherein the suction channel (16), the pressure channel (17) and the pump channels (23, 24, 27, 28) are in communication with select ones of the respective valve chambers (30);
- wherein at least one of the valve chamber closures (32) is formed together with an edge (39) of an associated valve closure member of the valve closure members (37) and one or more recesses (47) defined by the associated valve closure member in a manner defining an overflow structure (44) that defines a path for a sterilization gas to contact at least portions of opposing sides of the associated valve closure member (37) while the associated valve closure member (37) is in a closed position preventing liquid flow between the respective valve chamber (30) and a corresponding one of the pressure channel (17) or the suction channel (16);
- wherein the at least one valve closure member (37) includes a centrally located hub portion (40) and a spring zone (41) located between the centrally located hub portion (40) and the edge (39), wherein the spring zone (41) is of a reduced thickness relative to the centrally located hub portion (40) and the edge (39) for allowing resilient deformation of the valve closure member at the spring zone (41).
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.