Bidirectional thermally actuated component for use in medical devices
AssigneeTetravision, LLC
InventorsMichael W. Mullaney, Daniel Moran
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bidirectional thermally actuated component includes a heating element and wax material provided in an enclosed housing wherein the heating element is activated to melt the wax which expands to cause movement of the housing or an element mounted therein. When the heating element is deactivated, the was hardens and constricts to allow for movement in the opposite direction based on application of a force in the opposite direction, which may be provided by a biasing spring or a second actuator. An adjustable medical device may include the thermally actuated component to control adjustment of the device.
Claims25
A thermally actuated component comprises:
- a flexible container element expandable into an expanded state and biased to return to a retracted state;
- a thermally responsive material stored in the flexible container;
- and
- a heating element positioned such that heat from the heating element melts the thermally responsive material when the heating element is activated such that the flexible container expands into the expanded state and the thermally responsive material contracts as it cools when the heating element is deactivated such that the flexible container returns to the retracted state.
A thermally actuated component comprising:
- a first volume filled with a working fluid;
- a first actuator mounted in the first volume, the first actuator including a flexible element configured to selectively expand when the first actuator is activated;
- a cylinder in fluid communication with the first actuator and filled with the working fluid;
- the cylinder including:
- a second volume positioned on a first end thereof and in fluid communication with the first volume;
- and
- a third volume position on a second end thereof;
- and
- a piston mounted in the cylinder between the second volume and the third volume and movable between a first position and a second position based on working fluid pressure in the second volume and the third volume such that the piston moves from the first position to the second position when the flexible element of the first actuator expands to increase a first pressure in the first volume and force working fluid into the second volume to apply pressure to the piston toward the second position;
- and
- an accumulator volume in fluid communication with the second volume and the third volume to receive working fluid as the piston moves between the first position and the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.