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AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare
InventorSeth R. Goldstein
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An electrically controlled magnetic fluid actuated device, which can be used in controlling fluid flow and which has particular utility in controlling this flow from a pressurized reservoir implanted in the body such as might be used for an artificial pancreas, sphincter for bladder control or other orthotic devices in the body of a human, has no freely moving parts and consists of a flow passageway having a portion the cross-section of which may be varied to control and to stop the flow of fluid, such as medicine, from a reservoir in the body to the point where this fluid is needed. A magnetic fluid which surrounds or contacts this portion of the passageway can, according to the presence or lack of a magnetic flux in its vicinity, occlude the passageway or allow it to open so as to control the fluid flow in the flow member.
A magnetic fluid actuated relief valve for human implantation for controlling flow of liquid at pressures below a preselected value from an upstream position to a downstream position, comprising
An electrically controlled magnetic fluid actuated control valve for human implantation for controlling flow of liquid from an upstream position to a downstream position comprises:
An electrically actuated pump for human implantation for controlling flow of liquid from an upstream position to a downstream position, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Having tubular flexible members: pumps having electric drive
Placed in or outside the body opening close to the surface of the body: magnetic
Implantable: inflatable
Surgery: artificial sphincters and devices for controlling urinary incontinence
Term ended 18 Oct 1994 (estimated)
USPTO file history isn’t available for this patent, so only indexed dates are shown.
This invention relates to the control of fluid flow and, more particularly, to an electrically controlled magnetic fluid actuated device which contains no freely moving parts and which has particular utility as the output element of an artificial pancreas or sphincter or the like for controlling fluid flow from or to different organs in the body of a human.
The conventional manner of controlling a fluid flow from an artificial pancreas or other artificial organ in the human body by a remote command would be either to use an electrically actuated moving part valve such as a poppet or spool, etc., or to use a spring loaded solenoid to occlude a tube which is opened when the solenoid is electrically actuated. However, these devices contain moving parts and are subject to wear, and potential malfunction due to jamming, etc. In applications involving human implantation, failure could at worst be lethal, and at the least require surgical removal.
It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to overcome the defects of the prior art, as mentioned above.
The above and additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by reference to the description of illustrated embodiments in a drawing thereof in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of one embodiment of the electrically controlled magnetic fluid actuated switch in accordance with the present invention; and
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the electrically controlled magnetic fluid actuated switch in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of a magnetic fluid device 10 which utilizes a flexible thin-walled tubing 12 for the fluid passageway. This tubing 12 is connected at one end to a pressurized reservoir 14 which contains the liquid the delivery of which is to be controlled, and the other end of the tubing 12 extends to the location in the body where such fluid, e.g. medicine, is to be delivered. The device 10 of this invention can be operated either as a controlled on-off valve or as a pump as will be discussed below. In the valve mode, the pressure in the reservoir 14 can be approximately 5 to 10 psi whereas in the pump mode, the pressure can be about 1 psi.
The tubing 12 passes through a housing 16 provided with a hole in the top and the bottom through which the tubing passes. This housing 16 contains a magnetic fluid 28, two permanent magnets 20 and 22, and two optional pole pieces 24 and 26. Each of the permanent magnets is attached to the end of a toroidal-shaped soft iron core 18 which has an electrical coil 30 wrapped around it in the manner schematically shown in FIG. 1. Each of the pole pieces 24 and 26 adjoins one of the permanent magnets 20 or 22 and is typically a truncated cone with the smaller end of the cone directed toward the tubing 12. The pole pieces are optional and are only used to increase the flux density in the magnetic fluid (if necessary) in order to increase sufficient pressure in the magnetic fluid.
A relief valve 36 which is provided in the downstream end of the flexible tubing 12 and a check valve 34 which is provided in the upstream end of said tubing 12 are utilized when the device 10 is operated in its pump mode. However, it should be appreciated that when the device 10 is operated in the control valve mode, these auxiliary valves 34 and 36 are not needed.