Colonic and intestinal irrigation system with flow indicator
OwnerI. B. Bloxom, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for accomplishing irrigation of the colon and or other intestinal portions through a stoma including establishing a path of fluid flow of irrigating liquid from a supply container through a feeding conduit into a stoma cone or like structure and further including a peristaltic action monitoring device disposed within the path of fluid flow of irrigating fluid. The monitory device is structured to indicate, through the provision of two separate parallel paths of fluid flow, the establishment of peristaltic action in the intestine which tends to reverse the direction of flow of the irrigating liquid from the stoma toward the monitory device and provides proper indication when the flow of irrigating liquid to the intestine or colon should be stopped.
Claims14
An apparatus for controlled intestinal irrigation comprising:
- A. a container means for supply and storage of irrigating liquid,
- B. introduction means positionable adjacent to and in fluid delivering relation with an entrance to an intestine being irrigated for introducing liquid thereto,
- C. conduit means disposed in interconnecting and fluid communicating relation between said container means and said introduction means,
- D. flow regulating means connected to said conduit means and structured and disposed to regulate liquid flow from said container means to said introduction means, whereby flow of irrigating liquid to the intestine may be selectively stopped by said flow regulating means upon an indication of peristaltic action of the intestine,
- E. a flow indicator means for indicating direction of flow within said conduit means and connected to said conduit means between said container means and said introduction means,
- F. said flow indicator means comprising a first flow channel and a second low channel means connected in fluid receiving relation to said conduit and relatively disposed to define two substantially parallel paths of liquid flow between said conduit means and said introduction means,
- G. said flow indicator means further comprising a first indicator element of a specific gravity of about 1 and a second indicator element of a specific gravity of greater than 1.1 movably disposed within said first and second flow channels respectively and within liquid flow passing therethrough,
- H. said first flow channel having a transverse dimension substantially less than said second flow channel and responding more rapidly to pressure change of the liquid flow therealong,
- I. each of said flow indicator elements cooperatively disposed and structured relative to said respective flow channels and in which they are mounted for responsive displacement therein based on peristaltic action of the intestine during flow of liquid through said respective flow channels, and
- J. said first indicator element displaceable with liquid flow along the length of said first flow channel in a direction from said introduction means to said container means at a more rapid response rate than displacement of said second indicator element along said second flow channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.