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US 4,181,245 AGranted
Casette for use with an I.V. infusion controller
AssigneeBaxter Travenol Laboratories, Inc.
InventorsScott T. Garrett, Lee K. Kulle, William L. Rudzena
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AssigneeBaxter Travenol Laboratories, Inc.
InventorsScott T. Garrett, Lee K. Kulle, William L. Rudzena
Estimating the term…
A casette employing a stretchable elastomeric membrane used with an intravenous infusion controller to limit the field flow to a patient. The casette includes two sections of rigid plastic fused together with the membrane between them. The membrane and one section of the plastic form the channel through which the intravenous solution passes. The other section of plastic limits the expansion of the membrane to a predetermined size in order to provide the casette with a chamber of known volume. A valving configuration in the inlet and outlet to the chamber controls the fluid flowing through the casette and, thus, to the patient. Each valve includes a section of the elastomeric membrane in proximity to a configured portion of the piece of plastic forming the channel with the membrane. To close the valve, the controller extends a shaped elongated member through the other section of plastic to stretch the membrane and force it into contact with the configured plastic. Alternately opening and closing the inlet and the outlet ports at appropriate time intervals limit the fluid that can pass through the casette. The plastic forming the chamber with the membrane may also include a groove to allow the passage of fluid through the casette when outside the controller. Small circular grooves allow for the removal of air bubbles in the chamber when first priming it for use with the intravenous solution.
In a controlled volume administration set for liquids which defines a liquid flow path passing on one side of a flexible membrane positioned within a chamber-defining housing, and upstream and downstream valve apertures to permit valving members to alternatively and releasably block liquid flow through said flow path, said flexible membrane being elastomeric, the improvement comprising said flexible membrane normally occupying a flat configuration in said chamber defined by the housing, said membrane being sufficiently resilient to bulge outwardly to and against one side of the chamber when said chamber is filled on the opposite side of the membrane with liquid at a gravity pressure head typical of that found in parenteral solution administration, to permit said liquid to fill the chamber, and channel means defined in the wall of said chamber adjacent the liquid-receiving side of said membrane extending between the upstream and downstream valve apertures for maintaining an open passageway between said valve apertures regardless of the configuration of said membrane.
In a fluid-flow limiting device having metering means for holding a predetermined volume of a fluid;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.