Collapsible liquid reservoir
Inventors
Henry, Jerome Anthony • Arnold, William Kirwan • Gamblin, Denise • Gausmann, Keith Hobert • Mittal, Maitreyee • Liddle, Scott Eric • Culbreth, Anthony Scott
Assignees
Blur Product Development • Robling Medical Inc • Hollister Inc
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Publication Number
US-11446426-B2
Publication Date
2022-09-20
Expiration Date
Abstract
A collapsible liquid reservoir has a flexible side wall having a lower step, a middle step and an upper step. Each of the steps includes a riser segment and a tread segment. The riser and tread segments are pivotably connected to one another at an external hinge. When the step is collapsed its segments define an acute step angle between them of about 23°. When the step is expanded its segments define an obtuse step angle between them of about 115°. The tread of at least one step is pivotably connected to the riser of an adjacent step at an internal hinge. The step segments joined to the internal hinge are symmetrical about a bisector of that hinge. The reservoir has a truncated pyramid shape defined by a generally square base and four trapezoidal side panels joined to one another at corners.
Core Innovation
The invention provides an irrigation device that includes a collapsible reservoir for delivering irrigation via an irrigation catheter. The reservoir has a top including an opening, a bottom wall, and a flexible side wall. The flexible side wall includes a lower step, a middle step and an upper step, arranged with progressively smaller outer dimension from bottom to top, and each step includes a riser segment and a tread segment pivotably connected to one another at an external hinge.
When the reservoir is collapsed, each step defines an acute step angle between the riser and tread segments of about 23°. In this collapsed configuration, the upper and middle steps nest inward within the lower step. When expanded, each step defines an obtuse step angle between the riser and tread segments of from about 110° to about 115°. The tread of the lower step is pivotably connected to the riser of the middle step at a first internal hinge, and the tread of the middle step is pivotably connected to the riser of the upper step at a second internal hinge.
The invention also specifies a stepped flexible side wall in which the steps nest inward from the bottom step when collapsed, and uses internal and external hinge connectivity for the nesting behavior. In one aspect, step segments joined to the internal hinge are symmetrical about a bisector of the internal hinge. In another aspect, the flexible side wall has the shape of a truncated pyramid with a generally square base and four trapezoidal side panels joined to one another at corners.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim set comprises three independent claims for the irrigation device: one addressing a three-step collapsible side wall with specified acute and obtuse step angles and hinged nesting, one addressing a stepped side wall with internal hinge symmetry about a bisector, and one addressing a truncated-pyramid stepped flexible side wall with four trapezoidal side panels. Across these independent claims, the core inventive features center on the hinged riser and tread step structure and the nesting/collapsing-to-expanding geometry, together with an irrigation catheter and tubing connection to the reservoir.
Collapsible stepped flexible side wall with hinged riser and tread segments
A collapsible reservoir having a top including an opening, a bottom wall, and a flexible side wall with a lower step, a middle step and an upper step, the steps being progressively smaller in outer dimension from bottom to top, each step comprising a riser segment and a tread segment pivotably connected at an external hinge, with nesting behavior when collapsed and an expanded step-angle relationship.
Acute collapsed step angle and obtuse expanded step angle nesting between steps
Each step when collapsed defining an acute step angle between the riser and tread segments of about 23° such that the upper and middle steps nest inward within the lower step, and each step when expanded defining an obtuse step angle between the riser and tread segments from about 110° to about 115°.
Nested multi-step hinging defined by internal hinges between adjacent steps
The tread of the lower step pivotably connected to the riser of the middle step at a first internal hinge, and the tread of the middle step pivotably connected to the riser of the upper step at a second internal hinge.
Internal hinge bisector symmetry of joined step segments
The tread of at least one step being pivotably connected to the riser of an adjacent step at an internal hinge, such that the step segments joined to the internal hinge are symmetrical about a bisector of said internal hinge and the steps nest inward from the bottom step when collapsed.
Truncated pyramid flexible side wall with square base and four trapezoidal side panels
A flexible side wall having the shape of a truncated pyramid having a generally square base and four trapezoidal side panels joined to one another at corners, while the steps are of progressively smaller outer dimension and nest inward from the bottom step when collapsed.
The independent claims collectively cover an irrigation device in which a collapsible reservoir uses a flexible stepped side wall with pivotably connected riser and tread segments at external hinges, internal hinge connections between adjacent steps, and nested inward collapse with specified acute and obtuse step-angle relationships. Additional independent coverage specifies internal-hinge bisector symmetry for step segments and a truncated-pyramid side wall geometry with a square base and four trapezoidal side panels.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Trans-anal irrigation (TAI) and colostomy/stoma irrigation.
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