Manifold adaptor bracket

Details Manifold adaptor bracket Manifold adaptor bracket

1999-02-01

2001-01-09

King, Anita M. (Department: 3632)

Supports

Brackets

Specially mounted or attached

C248S222130

Reexamination Certificate

active

06170785

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fluid flow manifolds coupled to medical devices. More specifically, this invention relates to a bracket used to connect a manifold to a venous reservoir of a medical bypass system.
2. The Relevant Technology
Manifolds are employed in a variety of different procedures including, for example, heart/lung bypass procedures, and a wide variety of procedures in which it is desired to control a number of different fluids flowing to or from a patient. One example of such a manifold is the prior art manifold
10
shown in FIG.
1
.
Manifold
10
has a fluid flow tube
12
for transporting a variety of different pressure laden fluids through manifold
10
. Valves
16
are coupled to the tube
12
such that the stopcocks
14
of valves
16
selectively direct fluid between tube
12
and ports
17
of respective valves
16
. Ports
17
are selectively coupled through tubes to a variety of different systems and fluid containers. Valves
16
of manifold
10
are joined to a plate
18
. A cushioned adhesive material
19
is disposed below plate
18
.
With reference now to FIGS.
1
-
3
, it is common for manifold
10
to be coupled to a venous reservoir
20
during a medical procedure. Examples of such medical procedures include bypass procedures, specifically heart-lung bypass procedures in which various fluids are injected through ports
21
in the lid
22
of a reservoir
20
into the body
23
of the reservoir
20
. The fluids then flow through a port (not shown) in the bottom of reservoir body
23
to the patient, e.g., through a continual drip process. Reservoir
20
is employed in conjunction with an oxygenator system.
Since a variety of different fluids converge into reservoir
20
, reservoir
20
acts as a central operational station for the collection and control of fluids during a bypass procedure. Consequently, mounting manifold
10
onto reservoir
20
enables control of fluid flow from a central location without commingling the fluid within manifold
10
with the fluid in reservoir
20
. Manifold
10
may be desired for monitoring certain vital fluids when the ability to control the flow of such vital fluids is at a premium, for example.
By coupling manifold
10
to a stable object, manifold
10
does not need to be held by a practitioner. In order to couple manifold
10
to reservoir
20
, the lid
22
of reservoir
20
has a socket
24
thereon for receiving the plate
18
of manifold
10
. Socket
24
is coupled to lid
22
adjacent a peripheral edge
25
of lid
22
.
However, manifold
10
is difficult to insert into socket
24
. In addition, once coupled to reservoir
20
, it is difficult for the practitioner to manipulate the stop-cocks
14
and ports
17
of manifold
10
. One reason for this difficulty is the proximity of manifold
10
to lid
22
of reservoir
20
. Particularly when a practitioner is wearing gloves covered with fluid such as blood, medicament, or contrast fluid, it is difficult to grasp ports
17
or stop-cocks
14
. Lid
22
of reservoir thus interferes with any attempt to insert or remove manifold
10
from socket
24
or to manipulate stopcocks
14
or ports
17
while manifold
10
is disposed within socket
24
.
For example, particularly when a sterile field must be maintained and the practitioner is required to wear gloves covered with fluid, it is difficult to exchange tubing on ports
17
while plate
18
is positioned within socket
24
. In such circumstances, practitioners are sometimes required to remove manifold
10
from socket
24
in order to couple or decouple such tubes or other devices to manifold
10
. The practitioner is then required to replace manifold
10
within socket
24
, which is again a difficult process.
Optionally, the practitioner removes a used manifold
10
, discards the used manifold
10
, then couples the tubes or other devices to the new, clean manifold
10
and inserts the new manifold
10
into socket
24
. This option, however, is time consuming and highly inefficient from a cost and supply standpoint.
Yet another difficulty with manifold
10
is that manifold plate
18
is unstable, wobbling with respect to lid
22
. This difficulty is ameliorated somewhat by the placement of a cushioned adhesive strip
19
under plate
18
. The adhesive strip
19
may be used in an attempt to secure plate
18
to lid
22
. However, strip
19
can lose its adhesion, particularly in the center of strip
19
and particularly after repeated recoupling of manifold
10
to lid
22
. This can cause strip
19
to be positioned above the lid
22
, as shown in FIG.
3
.
Even if the strip
19
does not lose its adhesion, the adhesive nature of strip
19
can complicate coupling and decoupling of plate
18
to socket
24
. In addition, the requirement of an adhesive material in addition to the rigid material used for plate
18
adds expense and complicates the manufacturing process. Furthermore, the proximity of both plate
18
and valves
16
to lid
22
makes the entire manifold
10
susceptible to damage from lipids or other fluids leaking onto lid
22
.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved medical system.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved manifold adaptor bracket.
It is another object of the invention to provide a manifold adaptor bracket which enables convenient access to ports and valves on the manifold when the adaptor bracket and manifold are coupled to a medical device, such as a venous reservoir.
It is another object of the invention to provide a manifold adaptor bracket configured to selectively receive the manifold.
It is another object of the invention to provide a manifold adaptor bracket configured to be selectively coupled to a receiving socket of a venous reservoir.
An adaptor bracket of the present invention is used to connect a manifold device having a plurality of valves to a medical device. The adaptor bracket comprises a tab having (i) a first end and a second end; and (ii) first and second gripping fingers extending from the second end of the tab. The first end of the tab is configured to be coupled to the medical device. Preferably, the first end is configured to be selectively inserted within a receiving socket on the lid of a venous reservoir of a medical bypass system.
The first and second gripping fingers are spaced, thereby forming a groove between the first and second gripping fingers. The fingers selectively receive a portion of a manifold within the groove in a tight fitting relationship. The gripping fingers allow a manifold to be grasped and manipulated in a convenient manner.
The configuration of the adaptor bracket creates a significant space between a manifold and the lid of the reservoir on which a receiving socket is mounted. This enables convenient manipulation of stop-cocks, valves, and ports, such as when exchanging tubing on the ports. The adaptor bracket extends a face of at least one port on at least one of the valves of the manifold vertically and horizontally away from a peripheral edge of the lid.
The adaptor bracket further comprises first and second aligning fingers extending from the first gripping finger for aligning the first and second gripping fingers with respect to a valve on the manifold. This enables a convenient snap-on coupling and aligning of the manifold onto a bracket.
Also in a preferred embodiment, at least one and preferably two ridges are located on an opposing side of the second end of the tab from the first and second fingers. These ridges stabilize the tab by touching the surface adjacent a socket, preventing the wobbling, chattering or other movement of the tab with respect to the surface. The ridges do not interfere with the coupling or decoupling of the tab from the socket and will not lose their stabilizing ability over time.
Since the adaptor bracket is selectively coupled to the manifold, the adaptor bracket and manifold can be made from different materials. For example, it may be desirable

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