Surgery – Means for introducing or removing material from body for... – Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-21
2001-02-06
Kennedy, Sharon (Department: 3763)
Surgery
Means for introducing or removing material from body for...
Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06183447
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention generally relates to a medical dye delivery system. More particularly, this invention relates to a system for delivering medical dye to a patient that minimizes the risk of introducing air into the dye delivery system. In a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a medical dye delivery system that can be incorporated into a container for the dye, or can be a separate attachment.
2. Description of Related Art
Medical dye delivery systems are used by medical personnel to inject dye into a patient. The dye serves as a contrast medium for various diagnostic procedures, such as angiography. A medical dye delivery system generally includes a medical dye container that is connected in flow communication through a series of conduits to a mechanism for introducing dye into the patient. The mechanism draws the dye from the container and then directs the dye through the system and into the patient.
When performing diagnostic tests on a patient using the medical dye delivery system, the operator generally focuses on a visual display of the patient on a monitor and not on the amount of dye in the dye delivery system. This can cause the operator to unknowingly deplete the dye container, thereby drawing air into the system. To purge this air requires a time consuming effort. If the air is not purged, it may enter the patient and cause an embolism or other harmful effects. Further, the entrance of air in the system often occurs at a critical time of the procedure when even minor delays can have undesirable consequences.
Typical angiography quire between 80 cc and 300 cc of medical dye. In addition, the me dye is typically sold in containers holding 50 cc, 100 cc, or 150 cc, with 100 cc bottles being the most common. Because two or more containers may be required for an angiography procedure, the operator must be quickly made aware of when one container has been depleted to quickly switch to another, full container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a medical dye delivery system that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described, the invention includes a medical dye container and a device for withdrawing medical dye from the container and directing the medical dye through a system flow path into a patient. A valve is disposed in the system, having an inlet in flow communication with the medical dye container and an outlet in flow communication with the withdrawing device. The valve includes a housing defining a chamber adapted for containing a volume of medical dye, a valve seat located in the chamber in flow communication with the outlet, and a flotation member. The flotation member is adapted for floating in the medical dye located in the chamber and is seated against the valve seat when the chamber is free of medical dye, thereby covering the valve seat opening.
The valve may also include a bypass channel in flow communication with the withdrawing device that is configured to provide restricted flow relative to flow through the valve seat opening when the medical dye is depleted. The restricted flow operates as a tactile warning to the operator that the medical dye is depleted and allows the operator to purge the remaining dye from the system flow path.
The valve can be incorporated into the medical dye container, or can be a separate element in fluid communication with the medical dye container.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the apparatus particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof, as well as the appended drawings. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
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Kennedy Sharon
Lam Ann Y.
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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