US 6,183,437 B2 · Electronic control unit and tubing assembly system for automatically controlling urinary irrigation

Abstract

An electronic control unit and tubing assembly system for automatically controlling urinary irrigation is provided, including a tubing assembly and two embodiments of an electronic control unit. The tubing assembly includes tubing to connect to an irrigant supply source feeding a supply line, to a urinary catheter, and to a vent line connected to a fluid sensor assembly. The vent line is arranged so that irrigant flows into the vent line should the catheter drain become obstructed or should the supply line become kinked, and actuates a fluid sensor. An electronic control unit is in communication with the fluid sensor, and generates a control circuit that is responsive to the fluid sensor. When the fluid sensor detects a catheter obstruction, the circuit changes states and closes a pinch valve to shut off the flow of irrigant. In this manner, the system prevents the patient from suffering bladder distension, perforation, or rupture due to a “runaway” urinary catheter. The first embodiment of the electronic control unit automatically resumes the flow of irrigant once the obstruction or kink is cleared, with or without human intervention. The second embodiment provides an electromechanical device that must be manually cocked to initiate irrigant flow, that is shut by a mechanical trigger should an obstruction occur, and that must be manually re-cocked to resume irrigant flow.

Claims32

Dependent claims

An electronic control unit for automatically interrupting the flow of irrigant to a urinary catheter, the control unit being connectable to a fluid sensor for automatically detecting an obstruction of a catheter, the control unit comprising:

a) means for generating a control circuit being responsive to the fluid sensor, the control circuit being operable in at least two states, a first one of the at least two states indicating that there is no obstruction, and a second one of the at least two states indicating that there is an obstruction;
b) means for selectively interrupting the flow of irrigant, said interrupting means being responsive to the control circuit so that when the control circuit is in the first state, said interrupting means allows irrigant to flow and so that when the control circuit is in the second state, said interrupting means blocks the flow of irrigant;
c) said generating means including means for emitting a control signal and means for detecting the control signal;
and
d) said emitting means including a photon emitter, and said detecting means including a photon detector.

2 more elements

A system for use with a urinary irrigating catheter having an irrigant supply line and at least one drain lumen, the system being configured to automatically interrupt the flow of irrigant should the drain lumen or the supply line of the catheter become obstructed, and for automatically resuming the flow of irrigant should an obstruction subsequently be cleared from the catheter, the system comprising:

a) a control unit comprising:
i) means for generating a control circuit indicating when an obstruction occurs, the control circuit being operable in at least two states, a first one of the at least two states indicating that no obstruction is present, and a second one of the at least two states indicating that an obstruction is present;
and
ii) means for selectively interrupting the flow of irrigant, said interrupting means being responsive to the control circuit so that when the control circuit is in the first state, said interrupting means allows irrigant to flow, and so that when the control circuit is in the second state, said interrupting means blocks the flow of irrigant;
and
b) a tubing apparatus comprising:
i) a vent line being in fluid communication with the irrigant supply line so that irrigant flows into said vent line only should an obstruction be present;
and
ii) a fluid sensor being in fluid communication with said vent line for detecting irrigant within said vent line, said fluid sensor being connectable to said generating means in communication with the control circuit, so that said fluid sensor alters the state of the control circuit when an obstruction is present.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Electronic control unit and tubing assembly system for automatically controlling urinary irrigation

Life of this patent

Electronic control unit and tubing assembly system for automatically controlling urinary irrigation

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims32