Fluid-Management System and Method
AssigneePleural Dynamics, Inc.
InventorsMartin Mayse, John Streeter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fluid-management system for selectively draining fluid from a body cavity includes a valve assembly and a tube for carrying fluid from a body cavity of a person to the valve assembly. The valve assembly is configured to be positioned external to the person's body and comprises (i) an inlet, (ii) an outlet, (iii) one or more one-way valves positioned between the inlet and outlet that are each configured to open and close based on fluctuations in pressure between the person's body cavity and the one-way valve, and (iv) an adjustable outlet lock configured to selectively prevent fluid movement through the outlet.
Claims20
A fluid-management system comprising:
- a valve assembly;
- and
- a tube for carrying fluid from a body cavity of a person to the valve assembly, wherein the valve assembly is configured to be positioned external to the person's body and comprises (i) an inlet, (ii) an outlet, (iii) a plurality of one-way valves positioned between the inlet and outlet, and (iv) an adjustable outlet lock positioned downstream of the plurality of one-way valves and configured to selectively prevent fluid movement through the outlet, and wherein the tube is configured to extend from the inlet of the valve assembly to the person's body cavity.
A method of operation of a fluid-management system comprising a valve assembly and a tube for carrying fluid from a body cavity of a person to the valve assembly, wherein the valve assembly is positioned external to the person's body and comprises (i) an inlet, (ii) an outlet, (iii) a plurality of one-way valves positioned between the inlet and outlet, wherein the plurality of one-way valves are housed in a pumping chamber, and (iv) an adjustable outlet lock positioned downstream of the plurality of one-way valves and configured to selectively prevent fluid movement through the outlet, the method comprising:
- while the adjustable outlet lock is in a locked position, an external portion of the fluid-management system attaching to a body of the person;
- and
- while the adjustable outlet lock is in an unlocked position, (i) the pumping chamber compressing and decompressing, so as to provide a pumping action to prime the fluid-management system and get fluid moving through the fluid-management system and (ii) after the fluid-management system is primed and while the pump chamber is positioned below a level of fluid in the body cavity, the fluid-management system siphoning fluid from the body cavity through the fluid-management system.
20-21. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.