Surgery – Means for introducing or removing material from body for... – Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-09
2001-03-06
Seidel, Richard K. (Department: 3763)
Surgery
Means for introducing or removing material from body for...
Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
C604S246000, C137S853000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06197005
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a check valve, in particular for use in an implantable artificial bladder, which prevents on the one hand a return flow and has on the other hand a predetermined opening pressure.
There are cases in which check valves are implanted as implants into human bodies. In “The Journal of Urology”, Vol. 151, 1996, 2094-2097, an artificial bladder is described which comprises two implant containers which are capable of restoring their original form and which are connected on the one hand through a catheter with the kidneys and on the other hand through a Y-piece with the urethra. The containers, which tend to expand, take up fluid from the kidneys. To discharge the fluid, the patient presses onto the containers so that the fluid flows into the urethra. Each container comprises check valves both at its inlet and its outlet, which prevent on the one hand reflux to the kidney and on the other hand intake of air during the filling phase. These check valves are foil valves which are also referred to as “duckbill valves”. Such foil valves have a very low opening pressure so that there is the danger of un-intentional emptying of the containers and thus the danger of incontinence. Furthermore, incrustrations tend to deposit on the implanted foil valves so that these tend to leak.
Artificial bladders with the corresponding valves are also described in EP 0 282 157 B1 and EP 0 393 714 A2. Here relatively complex check valves are provided which involve the danger of failure after they have been implanted for a long time. U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,074 describes a prosthetic bladder. The ureteral catheters leading into the bladder are provided with foil valves.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,731 describes a valve comprising a valve member in the form of a flexible hose into which extends an inlet duct from the one end and an outlet duct from the other end. The flexible hose is biased in such a way that it blocks the connection between the inlet duct and the outlet duct. If the opening pressure exceeds a predetermined value, the valve opens. Such a pressure relief valve, too, is of complex design and comprises narrow ducts through which fluid must flow.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to create a check valve of very simple design with a predetermined well-defined opening behaviour.
The check valve according to the present invention is characterized in that the valve member is a flexible and inherently stable hose which is open at one end, and the flowing path runs along its outside. The valve member comprises an open end which extends into the outlet duct. If the pressure in the valve chamber exceeds a limit value, the fluid flows along the outside of the valve member which is thus lifted off the inner surface of the outlet duct. The opening pressure of the check valve can be adjusted by selection of the suitable material or wall thickness of the valve member. It is thus possible to provide a plurality of valve members of different degrees of rigidness and to install one of them into the check valve.
The check valve according to the present invention is particularly suitable for application in connection with artificial bladders. Such bladders require on the inlet side a check valve with a low opening pressure and on the outlet side a check valve with a higher opening pressure. For both check valves the same housing with different valve members can be used.
The check valve is generally suitable as implant or for use in implants. For this purpose it is preferably made of a silicone material. Since silicone materials cannot be welded the valve is assembled of two prefabricated components with the valve member being attached to one of these components by welding, vulcanizing or clamping.
Application of the check valve is not limited to implants or the medical sector. It can be employed in all fields where a predetermined opening behaviour is required, e. g. also in infusion systems.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4084606 (1978-04-01), Mittleman
patent: 4489750 (1984-12-01), Nehring
patent: 4653539 (1987-03-01), Bell
patent: 4811758 (1989-03-01), Piper
patent: 5112301 (1992-05-01), Fenton, Jr. et al.
patent: 5158539 (1992-10-01), Kolff et al.
patent: 5165493 (1992-11-01), Baugh
patent: 5181921 (1993-01-01), Makita et al.
patent: 5401255 (1995-03-01), Sutherland et al.
patent: 5507436 (1996-04-01), Ruttenberg
patent: 5814004 (1998-09-01), Tamari
patent: 6053896 (2000-04-01), Wilson et al.
Gerlach Roland
Hannappel Josef
Reuter Juergen
Rohrmann Dorothea
CareMed Medical Produkte AG
Diller Ramik & Wight
Rodriguez Cris
Seidel Richard K.
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