Systems, apparatus, and methods for reducing fluid pressure in a fluid line
Inventors
Lane, Andrew • CARLSEN, Savannah • Robertson, Galen C. • Piehl, Mark D.
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10871788-B2
Publication Date
2020-12-22
Expiration Date
Abstract
In some embodiments, a tube portion can be configured to be fluidically coupled to a patient access component. A source of pressurized fluid can be coupled to the tube portion and can be configured to deliver fluid to the tube portion at a source pressure. A fluid pressure regulating device can include an expandable reservoir and can be coupled to the tube portion such that the expandable reservoir is in fluidic communication with the tube portion. The fluid pressure regulating device can be configured such that, when fluid is delivered from the source of pressurized fluid to the lumen of the tube portion at the source pressure, the expandable reservoir of the fluid pressure regulating device can receive fluid such that the expandable reservoir of the fluid pressure regulating device expands and fluid is delivered from the lumen of the tube portion to the patient via the patient access component.
Core Innovation
The described invention is a system for delivering fluid from a pressurized-fluid source to a patient via a tube portion coupled to a patient access component. The source includes a fluid receptacle and a one-way valve configured so that fluid flows from the fluid receptacle through the one-way valve into the lumen of the tube portion, while preventing fluid from flowing back into the fluid receptacle. A fluid pressure regulating device is coupled to the tube portion in fluidic communication with the tube portion, and is configured to deliver fluid having a pulsatile flow rate to the lumen of the tube portion.
The fluid pressure regulating device includes an inner tube and an outer tube, with the inner tube disposed within a lumen of the outer tube. The inner tube defines a reservoir, and the outer tube is expandable from a first configuration to a second configuration while being resiliently biased toward the first configuration. The inner tube is configured to expand from a first configuration in which the reservoir has a first volume to a second configuration in which the reservoir has a second volume greater than the first volume when the pressure of fluid within the reservoir increases.
During transition from the first configuration of the inner tube to the second configuration, the inner tube is configured to apply a force on the outer tube to cause the outer tube to expand from the first configuration of the outer tube to the second configuration. When fluid is delivered from the fluid receptacle at the source pressure to the reservoir of the inner tube, the reservoir receives fluid, the inner tube expands from the first configuration to the second configuration, and fluid is delivered from the reservoir to the patient access component via the lumen of the tube portion. A related method includes expelling fluid at a first instantaneous flow rate and delivering the patient from the reservoir at a second instantaneous flow rate lower than the first after discontinuing the expelling.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims identified are a system claim and a method claim, with inventive features centered on an expandable-reservoir fluid pressure regulating device (inner tube and outer tube) coupled between a pressurized-fluid source and a patient via a tube portion. In total, two independent inventive concepts are covered: the system architecture and the expel-and-allow-reservoir delivery flow-rate transition method.
Expandable reservoir fluid pressure regulating device coupled between source and tube portion
A fluid pressure regulating device including an inner tube and an outer tube, the inner tube disposed within a lumen of the outer tube, where the outer tube is expandable from a first configuration to a second configuration and resiliently biased toward the first configuration, the inner tube defining a reservoir and configured to expand from a first reservoir volume to a second reservoir volume greater than the first volume when pressure within the reservoir increases, and configured to apply force from the transitioning inner tube to cause expansion of the outer tube.
Source-to-reservoir expelling with pulsatile delivery to lumen
A system with a source of pressurized fluid including a fluid receptacle and a one-way valve configured to deliver fluid into the lumen of a tube portion and to prevent backflow into the fluid receptacle, and with the fluid pressure regulating device coupled to the tube portion so the reservoir receives fluid at the source pressure, expands, and delivers fluid to a patient via the lumen of the tube portion with a pulsatile flow rate.
Instantaneous flow-rate reduction after discontinuing expelling
A method including expelling fluid from a fluid pressure source to a tube portion via a fluid pressure regulating device at a source pressure so the patient receives delivery at a first instantaneous flow rate while fluid is delivered into a reservoir of the fluid pressure regulating device causing the inner tube to transition from a first configuration to a second configuration with a second volume greater than the first, discontinuing the expelling of fluid from the fluid pressure source, and allowing the fluid pressure regulating device to deliver fluid from the reservoir to the patient via the tube portion at a second instantaneous flow rate lower than the first.
Inner/outer tube transition driving reservoir expansion and outer tube expansion
In the method, the fluid pressure regulating device having an inner tube defining the reservoir disposed within a lumen of an outer tube, where fluid delivered into the reservoir causes the inner tube transition from a first configuration to a second configuration, and the inner tube applies force to the outer tube while transitioning to cause the outer tube to expand from its first configuration to its second configuration.
The independent claims cover a system and method where a fluid pressure regulating device with an inner-tube-defined expandable reservoir and an outer expandable tube is coupled between a pressurized-fluid source and a tube portion to deliver pulsatile flow. The method further includes discontinuing expelling and resuming delivery from the reservoir at a lower second instantaneous flow rate than the first, supported by inner-to-outer tube transition that increases reservoir volume during expelling.
Stated Advantages
Lower instantaneous flow rate delivered to the patient after discontinuing expelling, with delivery resumed from the reservoir at a second instantaneous flow rate lower than the first.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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