Medical flushing pump comprising two suction lines
Inventors
Hunger, Christian • Tartivel, Lucile • Carstens, Jan Hendrik • Plessner, Mike • Gelbert, Nils • SCHNUETTGEN, Stan • Rath, Oliver • Christmann, Thomas
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11925744-B2
Publication Date
2024-03-12
Expiration Date
Abstract
The present invention relates to a device for flushing a body cavity with a fluid, the fluid being pumped by means of two lines from the body cavity. The respective pumping capacity is regulated via controllable pinch valves, the two pinch valves being coupled in an antiparallel manner.
Core Innovation
The described invention relates to a device for flushing a body cavity (K) using a flushing liquid storage container (1) and a supply line (2). The device includes a controlled roller wheel pump (3) and a controlled vacuum pump (4), and it is connected to a waste container (13). It further comprises a first medical instrument (5) with a first suction line (6) and a second medical instrument (7) with a second suction line (8), with an optionally provided third suction line (9) with a throttle (10).
The device regulates suction capacity by means of a first pinch valve (11) at the first suction line (6) and a second pinch valve (12) at the second suction line (8). The first pinch valve (11) and the second pinch valve (12) are coupled in an anti-parallel manner, so that the pinch elements forming the valves are moved for an anti-parallel movement. In particular, the pinch valves are formed by pinch elements attached on two gear racks (14, 15), which are coupled by a gear wheel (16) to enable anti-parallel movement.
One or more position sensors (19) provided at the gear wheel (16) and/or the two gear racks (14, 15) enables an absolute determination of a position of the gear wheel (16) and the gear racks moved thereby. The gear wheel (16) is driven by a motor-gear combination selected such that a speed of travel of the two gear racks (14, 15) is maximum in phases with no contact of the pinch elements or the gear racks with a tube to be pinched. The motor-gear combination provides a speed-of-travel profile with reduced speed in the last portion of travel until the tube is completely pinched, and optionally includes reduced speed before tube contact, a speed increase at tube contact, and a subsequent continuous reduction to zero in the position where the tube is completely pinched.
Claims Coverage
The partial content provides one independent claim (clm-00001). The claim contains four main inventive features.
Anti-parallel coupled pinch valves with gear racks and gear wheel
The first pinch valve (11) and the second pinch valve (12) are coupled in an anti-parallel manner, where the pinch valves are formed by pinch elements respectively attached on two gear racks (14, 15) coupled to each other by means of a gear wheel (16) to move for anti-parallel movement.
Absolute position determination for gear wheel and gear racks
One or more position sensors (19) provided at the gear wheel (16) and/or the two gear racks (14, 15) enables an absolute determination of a position of the gear wheel (16) and the two gear racks (14, 15) moved thereby.
Speed-of-travel profile maximizing before tube contact and controlled reduction to complete pinching
A motor-gear combination driving the gear wheel (16) is selected such that a speed of travel of the two gear racks (14, 15) is maximum in phases in which there is no contact of the pinch elements or the two gear racks with a tube to be pinched, and a reduction of the speed of the two gear racks to 50% in the last 10 to 20% of the travel, until the tube is completely pinched, is performed.
Alternative speed profile with reduced speed before contact, increased speed at tube contact, and continuous reduction to zero
The motor-gear combination provides a speed-of-travel profile in which, for a short travel before the tube contact, the speed of travel is reduced, and at an occasion of tube contact of one of the two gear racks an increase of speed of travel occurs, with a subsequent continuous reduction to zero in the position in which the tube is completely pinched.
Across the independent claim, the inventive coverage focuses on coupling two pinch valves anti-parallelly via pinch elements on two gear racks driven by a gear wheel, determining absolute positions with one or more sensors at the gear wheel and/or gear racks, and controlling gear-rack motion through a defined speed-of-travel profile.
Stated Advantages
Accurate correspondence of suction to supply to maintain distention while minimizing tissue injury risk.
Preferential suction via instrument exit lines.
Reduced switching loads compared to solenoid pinch valves.
Improved component life/cost via less robust tube/abutment designs.
Documented Applications
Flushing a body cavity using two medical instruments with two suction lines (including a shaver and a high-frequency ablation device), with optional additional suction line throttling.
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