Valve for use with chest drainage system

A valve for use in a device including an upstream chamber and a downstream chamber, said upstream chamber and downstream chamber defining a flow path, said valve disposed along the flow path, said chest drainage device comprising:

• a valve element separating the upstream chamber from the downstream chamber and having a first and a second sealing surface that are opposed so that, when the first and second sealing surfaces are in contact, air will be prevented from moving from the downstream chamber to the upstream chamber, and when the upstream chamber is at a higher pressure than the downstream chamber, the sealing surfaces will separate allowing air to move from the upstream chamber toward the downstream chamber, and,
• a pressure relief actuating element located adjacent the valve element such that, when the downstream chamber is at a higher pressure than the upstream chamber and a pressure difference between the two chambers is above predetermined differential value, the valve element deforms and contacts the pressure relief actuating element so that the pressure relief actuating element causes the first and second sealing surfaces to separate,
• wherein the valve element includes two facets and the first and second sealing surfaces extend along a line formed by the intersection of the two facets and further comprising structural reinforcement elements that protrude from the planar surfaces,
• wherein each reinforcement element that protrudes from the planar surfaces has a width and the width varies among different reinforcement elements.

A valve for use in a device including an upstream chamber and a downstream chamber, said upstream chamber and downstream chamber defining a flow path, said valve disposed along the flow path, said chest drainage device comprising:

• a valve element separating the upstream chamber from the downstream chamber and having a first and a second sealing surface that are opposed so that, when the first and second sealing surfaces are in contact, air will be prevented from moving from the downstream chamber to the upstream chamber, and when the upstream chamber is at a higher pressure than the downstream chamber, the sealing surfaces will separate allowing air to move from the upstream chamber toward the downstream chamber, and,
• a pressure relief actuating element located adjacent the valve element such that, when the downstream chamber is at a higher pressure than the upstream chamber and a pressure difference between the two chambers is above predetermined differential value, the valve element deforms and contacts the pressure relief actuating element so that the pressure relief actuating element causes the first and second sealing surfaces to separate, further comprising a diaphragm that is constructed to deform in a manner such that the valve element contacts the pressure relief actuating element when the predetermined pressure differential value is achieved, causing the first and second sealing surfaces to at least partially open to allow air into the upstream chamber.

A chest drainage device for draining fluids from the chest, the chest drainage device comprising an inlet, an outlet, a liquid collection chamber for collecting liquid and an air flow path for air between the inlet and outlet, the air flow path including an upstream side located toward the inlet and a downstream side located toward the outlet,

• a valve element disposed at a location along the air flow path adapted to prevent air flow from the downstream side toward the upstream side and having a first and a second sealing surface that are opposed so that, when the first and second sealing surfaces are in contact, air will be prevented from moving from the downstream side to the upstream side, and when the upstream side is at a higher pressure than the downstream side, the sealing surfaces will separate allowing air to move from the upstream side to the downstream side, where the valve element is secured to a wall defining the flow path, and
• a pressure relief actuating element disposed proximate to the sealing surfaces such that, when the downstream side is at a higher pressure than the upstream side and the pressure difference between the two sides exceeds a predetermined value, the valve element contacts the pressure relief actuating element such that the first and second sealing surfaces separate to decrease the pressure difference between the downstream side and the upstream side.

A chest drainage device for draining fluids from the chest, the chest drainage device comprising an inlet, an outlet, a fluid collection chamber for collecting fluid and a flow path for air between the inlet and outlet, the fluid flow path including an upstream side located toward the inlet and a downstream side located toward the outlet,

• a valve element disposed at a location along the flow path adapted to prevent fluid air flow from the downstream side toward the upstream side and having a first and a second sealing surface that are opposed so that, when the first and second sealing surfaces are in contact, air will be prevented from moving from the downstream side to the upstream side, and when the upstream side is at a higher pressure than the downstream side, the sealing surfaces will separate allowing air to move from the upstream side to the downstream side, and
• a pressure relief actuating element disposed proximate to the sealing surfaces such that, when the downstream side is at a higher pressure than the upstream side and the pressure difference between the two sides exceeds a predetermined value, the valve element contacts the pressure relief actuating element such that the first and second sealing surfaces separate to decrease the pressure difference between the downstream side and the upstream side,
• wherein the valve element has a radially extending diaphragm portion and, when the downstream side is at a higher pressure than the upstream side and the pressure difference between the two sides equals a predetermined value, the pressure difference causes the diaphragm portion to deform such that sealing surfaces are separated by the pressure relief actuating element.

A valve that is adapted to be disposed along a flow path from a region upstream of the valve to a region downstream of the valve, the valve comprising

• a valve element which is adapted to allow flow from an upstream location to a downstream location during conditions of positive relative pressure, said positive relative pressure condition being when the upstream pressure is relatively higher than downstream pressure, the valve element further adapted to prevent flow from the region downstream to a region upstream under a predetermined range of conditions of negative relative pressures, said negative relative pressure conditions being when the upstream pressure is relatively lower than downstream pressure, and,
• a pressure relief actuating element disposed on the valve proximate the valve element such that the valve element does not contact the pressure relief actuating element when the negative relative pressure does not exceed a predetermined limit, and wherein the valve element and the pressure relief actuating element contact when the negative relative pressure exceeds the predetermined limit such that the valve element allows flow to pass from the downstream side to the upstream side,
• wherein the valve element includes a diaphragm that deforms and causes the valve element to contact the pressure relief actuating element and allow flow from the downstream side to the upstream side when the negative relative pressure exceeds the predetermined limit.