US3625211A - Failsafe apparatus for administering a parenteral solution - Google Patents

Abstract

A set for administering a premeasured volume of parenteral solution from a prime fluid supply, utilizing a valve arrangement which prevents the possibility of the prime fluid supply being connected directly to the patient and enables repeat administration without manipulation of an antiair-entrainment valve.

Description

United States Patent Inventor William F. Butler Oakland, Calif.

Appl. No. 830,934

Filed June 6, 1969 Patented Dec. 7, 1971 Assignee Cutter Laboratories, Inc.

Berkeley, Calif.

FAILSAFE APPARATUS FOR ADMINISTERING APARENTERAL SOLUTION 4 Claims, 11 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 128/214 C, 222/67, 222/444 Int. Cl ..A6lm 05/14 Field of Search 128/213,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,565,045 8/1951 Ray 222/444 X 2,783,920 3/1957 Negoro..... 222/444 X 3,056,403 10/1962 Gewecke..... 128/214 3,216,419 11/1965 Scislowicz 128/214 3,465,784 9/ 1 969 Cofoid 137/390 FORElGN PATENTS 438,611 11/1935 Great Britain 128/214 Primary E.raminer Dalton L. Truluck Attorneys-Owen, Wickersham & Erickson and Bertram Bradley ABSTRACT: A set for administering a premeasured volume of parenteral solution from a prime fluid supply, utilizing a valve arrangement which prevents the possibility of the prime fluid supply being connected directly to the patient and enables repeat administration without manipulation of an antiairentrainment valve.

PATENTEI] BEE 71971 3,625,211

SHEET 1 Bf 2 FIGH INVENTOR. WILLIAM F BUTLER ATTORNEYS PATENTEUDEB 1m I 3525211 SHEET 2 UP 2 FIG."

INVENTOR. WILLIAM F. BUTLER 01., MM M244.

ATTORNEYS FAILSAFE APPARATUS FUR ADMINISTERING A PARENTERAIL SOLUTION This invention relates to an apparatus for administering a parenteral solution and is characterized by being especially safe from the standpoint of the person to whom the solution is being administered.

In the administration of intravenous solutions, there are certain instances when it is necessary to limit the fluid volume; for example, infusion to infants and to other small persons must be carefully kept to small volumes, or else their lives are put in danger. Some apparatus on the market have been designed to serve this function, and the best ones have included a rubber float acting as a check valve between the measuring chamber and a drip barrel, to stop fluid flow to the patient when the measuring chamber has been emptied and to insure against the level in the drip barrel being lost. However, these prior art sets have presented the following problems:

1. When it was desired to administer an additional measured volume of the fluid, it was necessary to add fluid to the measuring chamber and then to displace air from the drip barrel by compressing it, in order to unseat the check valve and to reestablish flow. This operation has at times caused the fluid level in the drip barrel to rise to a point where the drops could not be observed, so that the flow rate could not be properly controlled.

2. If the upper tubing clamp were not completely shut off during the infusion, the patient was connected directly to the main fluid supply, and if this were not detected, he could receive too much of the fluid and fatality might result.

The present invention is intended to solve these problems by providing a different way of connecting the measuring chamber with the main fluid supply and the drip barrel with the measuring chamber in a combination such that one cannot at the same time have fluid from the main supply going into the measuring chamber and fluid coming from the measuring chamber to the drip barrel and into the patient. The invention employs a two-way valve which at one time connects a fluid inlet leading from additional stored solution to the volumetric chamber and only at a separate time connects the volumetric chamber to the drip barrel and thence to the patient. The main or prime fluid supply is never connected to the patient.

Some fluids foam when introduced from the top of the measuring chamber, and foaming makes accurate measurement impossible. This foaming does not take place in the present invention where the fluid is introduced into the bottom of the measuring chamber.

An understanding of the importance of these features and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of a preferred form thereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. I is a view of elevation of an apparatus for administering parenteral solution, embodying the principles of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in elevation of the measuring chamber and drip barrel, joined by a valve according to this invention, the valve being in the position connecting the measuring chamber to the drip barrel.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view in section taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in section taken along the line 4-4 in FIG. 3, but reduced in scale.

FIG. 5 is a view in section taken along the line 5-5 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 2, with the valve in the position connecting the prime fluid solution supply to the measuring chamber and simultaneously preventing flow from the measuring chamber to the drip barrel.

FIG. 7 is a view in section taken along the line 77 in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view in section taken along the line 8-8 in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a view in section taken along the line 9-9 in FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view in section of a modified form of valve usable in the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a similar view with the valve in a different position.

The elements are preferably made from transparent plastic materials. Atubing 10 conducts prepared parenteral solution from amain supply container 11 to acontrol valve 12. The control valve 112 is a two-position valve; it may have acylindrical member 13 with ahandle 14, that is rotatable in ahousing 15 with acylindrical bore 16. An axialcentral passage 17 is connected directly from thetubing 10 to aradial portion 18 that in one position (FIG. 6-9 leads into the lower end of acalibrated measuring chamber 20 through apassage 21, and in the other position (FIG. 2-5) theradial passage 18 is cut off from thepassage 21. In that other position, a semicircularperipheral passage 22 connects thepassage 21 to apassage 23 that leads directly into the upper end of adrip barrel 24, by adrip outlet 25. Thesemicircular passage 22 is cut off from thepassage 21 when theradial passage 18 is connected to thepassage 21. Thevalve 12 is purposely made so that at no time can thepassage 21 be connected simultaneously to bothpassages 18 and 22.

The measuring chamber has anair vent 26 and amedication inlet 27 and is suspended from thetube 10 by anoncommunicating support member 28. Arubber float 30 may be provided to act as a check valve, in connection with afloat retainer cage 32. Thisfloat valve 30 is elevated from theupper end 33 of thepassage 21 when thechamber 20 is being recharged through thetube 10 andvalve passages 17 and 18. When closed, it allows a slow drop-by-drop passage of fluid from thechamber 20 to flow by thevalve passage 22 and thepassage 23 into thedrip chamber 24.

The lower end of thedrip chamber 24 leads by aconduit 34 to ahypodermic needle 35. Aconventional flow valve 36 may be used to regulate the rate of flow from thedrip chamber 24 to the patient.

In use, thetubing 10, being connected to themain fluid supply 11, supplies fluid to themeasuring chamber 20 when the valve I2 is in the position shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, but not otherwise. To begin with, at least 20 cc. of fluid is allowed to flow through thetube 10 and the passageways l7, l8 and 21, to unseat thecheck valve 30 and flow into thechamber 20. After thechamber 20 has received about 20 cc. thevalve 12 is then moved to the position shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, and fluid supply from thetube 10 is cut off, while themeasuring chamber 20 is then open to thedrip barrel 24 through thepassageways 21, 22, and 23. By adjusting the flow valve 36 a desired drip level is established in thedrip barrel 24. Theconduit 34 is filled with fluid until air bubbles are cleared and thedrip barrel 24 is partially full. This volume in thedrip barrel 24 then prevents air bubbles from entering theconduit 34, all this being prior to any administration to the patient.

Thevalve 12 is then returned to the position of FIGS. 6-9, and fluid is caused to flow from themain supply 11 into the measuringchamber 20 until the desired volume is obtained for administration to the patient. Theneedle 35 may then be injected into the patient and thevalve 12 returned to the position shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, and the measured amount is enabled to flow slowly by drops into thedrip chamber 24, and from thedrip barrel 24 through theconduit 36 to the patient. Since thevalve 12 has two operating positions and since in between these positions it is cut off in both ways, it is impossible for the main supply of fluid to be connected directly to the patient.

When it is desired to administer additional volumes of fluid, thevalve 12 is simply returned to the position of FIGS. 6 to 9, cutting off flow to thedrip chamber 24 while refilling the measuringchamber 20 to the desired level, and the process is repeated by once again turning thevalve 12. In prior art sets, in order to refill safely, it was necessary to pinch the tubing under thedrip chamber 24 with one hand and squeeze thedrip chamber 24 with the other hand to make therubber float 30 rise, or in some other way to manipulate therubber float 30 until it rises. In this invention, thefloat 30 is automatically unseated when thevalve 12 is open to fluid supply.

While the preferred arrangement is the two-position valve 12 at the very bottom of thechamber 20 as shown, this is not always necessary. If desired, in place of a single two-way valve, two valves permanently connected together for operation, so that one must be closed before the other is opened, may be employed, and then one valve may be at a different location from the other, so long as the connection is physically maintained. However, the embodiment shown is usually more convenient.

FIGS. and ll show a modified form of two-position valve means 40 for connecting theconduit 10 to the measuringchamber 20 in a first position only, while connecting the measuringchamber 20 to thedrip barrel 24 in a second position only. Here, avalve housing 41 has acylindrical bore 42 in which acylindrical valve member 43 is rotatable. Thepassages 21 and 23 are vertical and are part of thehousing 41, which also has ahorizontal passage 44 connected to thetube 10. Thevalve member 43 has a throughpassage 45 and atee passage 46. When thetee passage 46 is in line with thepassage 21 and thepassage 45 aligned with thepassage 44, the measuringchamber 20 can be refilled, but nothing can pass to thedrip barrel 24. When the throughpassage 45 is vertical, thedrip barrel 24 is connected to thepassage 21 of the measuring chamber, but thetee passage 42 is then cut off.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for administering a parenteral solution, including in combination:

a fluid supply container,

a measuring chamber below said container and having a lower end,

a drip barrel below the lower end of said chamber,

a conduit connected at an upper end to said fluid supply container and having a lower end connected to a point below said chamber and above said barrel,

two-position valve means connected to the lower end of said measuring chamber and having a first position in which and only in which it connects said chamber to said conduit and having a second position in which and only in which it connects said measuring chamber to said drip barrel, said valve means having means positively preventing flow of fluid from said conduit to said drip barrel at any time, said apparatus having means connected to the drip barrel for attaching to and supplying parenteral solution to a patient.

2. An apparatus for administering a parenteral solution comprising:

a fluid supply container,

a measuring chamber below said container and having a lower end,

a drip barrel below the lower end of said chamber,

a first conduit leading from said fluid supply container connected to a point between the chamber and barrel,

two-position valve means connected to the lower end of said measuring chamber and having a first position in which and only in which it connects said chamber to said first conduit and having a second position in which and only in which it connects said measuring chamber to said drip barrel, said valve means having means positively preventing flow of fluid from said first conduit to said drip barrel at any time;

check valve means inside said measuring chamber at said lower end just above said two-position valve means,

passageway means leading to said two-position valve means and closed by said check valve means when said measuring chamber is emlpty, said passage means leading from said measuring c amber via said two-position valve means when it is in its said second position to said drip barrel through an orifice drip;

a second conduit connected to said drip barrel at one end, said second conduit adapted to be connected to a patient at its other end; and

a control valve on said second conduit to regulate fluid flow to the patient.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said check valve means comprises a retainer cage at the lower end of said chamber above the upper end of said passageway means and having an upper wall spaced above said upper end,

a float retained in said cage and forced upwardly toward said upper wall when fluid flows into said chamber from said first conduit via said two-position valve, and

means provided by incomplete seating of said float on said upper end for allowing slow drop-by-drop passage of fluid from said chamber into said passage means when said two-position valve is in said second position.

4. An apparatus for administering a parenteral solution, in-

cluding in combination:

a fluid supply container having a first conduit leading from a lower end thereof,

a measuring chamber below said container and having a lower end with a second conduit connected thereto,

a drip barrel below the lower end of said chamber with a third conduit leading to the upper end thereof,

two-position valve means connected to said second conduit and having a first position in which and only in which it connects said second conduit to said first conduit and having a second position in which and only in which it connects said second conduit to said third conduit, said valve means having means positively preventing flow of fluid from said first conduit to said third conduit at any time said drip barrel having means extending from the lower end thereof for attaching and supplying parenteral solution to a patient.

t t It I I?

Claims (4)

1. An apparatus for administering a parenteral solution, including in combination: a fluid supply container, a measuring chamber below said container and having a lower end, a drip barrel below the lower end of said chamber, a conduit connected at an upper end to said fluid supply container and having a lower end connected to a point below said chamber and above said barrel, two-position valve means connected to the lower end of said measuring chamber and having a first position in which and only in which it connects said chamber to said conduit and having a second position in which and only in which it connects said measuring chamber to said drip barrel, said valve means having means positively preventing flow of fluid from said conduit to said drip barrel at any time, said apparatus having means connected to the drip barrel for attaching to and supplying parenteral solution to a patient.

2. An apparatus for administering a parenteral solution comprising: a fluid supply container, a measuring chamber below said container and having a lower end, a drip barrel below the lower end of said chamber, a first conduit leading from said fluid supply container connected to a point between the chamber and barrel, two-position valve means connected to the lower end of said measuring chamber and having a first position in which and only in which it connects said chamber to said first conduit and having a second position in which and only in which it connects said measuring chamber to said drip barrel, said valve means having means positively preventing flow of fluid from said first conduit to said drip barrel at any time; check valve means inside said measuring chamber at said lower end just above said two-position valve means, passageway means leading to said two-position valve means and closed by said check valve means when said measuring chamber is empty, said passage means leading from said measuring chamber via said two-position valve means when it is in its said second position to said drip barrel through an orifice drip; a second conduit connected to said drip barrel at one end, said second conduit adapted to be connected to a patient at its other end; and a control valve on said second conduit to regulate fluid flow to the patient.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said check valve means comprises a retainer cage at the lower end of said chamber above the upper end of said passageway means and having an upper wall spaced above said upper end, a float retained in said cage and forced upwardly toward said upper wall when fluid flows into said chamber from said first conduit via said two-position valve, and means provided by incomplete seating of said float on said upper end for allowing slow drop-by-drop passage of fluid from said chamber into said passage means when said two-position valve is in said second position.

4. An apparatus for administering a parenteral solution, including in combination: a fluid supply container having a first conduit leading from a lower end thereof, a measuring chamber below said container and having a lower end with a second conduit connected thereto, a drip barrel below the lower end of said chamber with a third conduit leading to the upper end thereof, two-position valve means connected to said second conduit and having a first position in which and only in which it connects said second conduit to said first conduit and having a second position in which and only in which it connects said second conduit to said third conduit, said valve means having means positively preventing flow of fluid from said first conduit to said third conduit at any time said drip barrel having means extending from the lower end thereof for attaching and supplying parenteral solution to a patient.

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