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US 8,137,312 B2Granted
Detection apparatus and method
AssigneeIndigo Orb, Inc.
InventorsSatish Sundar, Swaminathan Balakrishnan, Albert Hartman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A detection apparatus for, and a method of, detecting the location of the tip of a tubular element, in particular a needle, within a region, in particular one of the epidural space and the peritoneal cavity.
Claims44
A detection apparatus configured to position a tip of a tubular element within a region of a body of a subject, the detection apparatus comprising:
- a syringe comprising a housing, the housing defining a cavity including a fluid chamber and configured to be coupled to a tubular element, the syringe further comprising a plunger partially contained within the housing and partially external to the housing, the plunger comprising a distal gasket seal that provides a fluid-tight seal with the housing;
- and
- a biasing unit operable to maintain a substantially constant biasing force on a volume of fluid contained in the fluid chamber, the biasing unit comprising a biasing element,
- wherein the volume of fluid within the fluid chamber is distal to the biasing element, the fluid chamber being defined by the cavity and the plunger, and
- wherein the plunger is configured to be proximally withdrawn and to thereby compress the biasing element, wherein proximal withdrawal of the plunger results in proximal withdrawal of the distal gasket seal, and wherein the syringe delivers the fluid from the tubular element when the biasing force is greater than a resistance to flow of the fluid from the tip of the tubular element.
2 more elements
A detection apparatus configured to position a tip of a tubular element within a region of a body of a subject, the detection apparatus comprising:
- a syringe comprising a housing, the housing defining a cavity including a fluid chamber and configured to contain a volume of fluid and to connect to a tubular element, and a plunger partially contained within the housing and partially external to the housing, the plunger comprising a distal gasket seal that provides a fluid-tight seal with the housing;
- and
- a spring element operable to maintain a biasing force on the volume of fluid within the fluid chamber, the fluid chamber being distal to the spring element and being defined by the cavity and the plunger, such as to cause the syringe to deliver the fluid from the tubular element when the biasing force is greater than a resistance to flow of the fluid from the tip of the tubular element,
- wherein the plunger is configured to be proximally withdrawn and to thereby compress the spring element, and wherein proximal withdrawal of the plunger results in proximal withdrawal of the distal gasket seal.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.