Parenteral infusion apparatus having a separable, coupling means

Claim 1

PARENTERAL INFUSION APPARATUS WHICH COMPRISES: A DRIP CHAMBER, SAID CHAMBER BEING FORMED SHAPE RETAINING MATERIAL AND HAVING AN INLET AT ITS TOP THROUGH WHICH THE LIQUID TO BE ADMINISTERED WITH THE INFUSION APPARATUS MAY BE INTRODUCED AT A VARIABLE RATE, SAID CHAMBER HAVING AN OUTLET AT ITS BOTTOM, AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE WALLS OF SAID CHAMBER BEING FORMED OF LIGHT TRANSMITTING MATERIAL THROUGH WHICH SAID LIQUID CAN BE OBSERVED; A FLEXIBLE TUBING, ONE END OF SAID TUBING BEING ATTACHED TO THE DRIP CHAMBER AT SAID OUTLET, SAID TUBING BEING AT LEAST ABOUT FIVE FEET IN LENGTH; AN ADAPTER FOR AN INJECTION NEEDLE ATTACHED TO THE DISTAL END OF SAID FLEXIBLE TUBING; A SECURE BUT READILY SEPARABLE JUNCTION IN SAID FLEXIBLE TUBING, SAID JUNCTION COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY WITH THE PORTIONS OF SAID FLEXIBLE TUBING ON EITHER SIDE OF THE JUNCTION, SAID JUNCTION BEING SPACED FROM SAID DRIP CHAMBER OUTLET AT A DISTANCE LESS THAN ABOUT TWO AND A HALF FEET, SO THAT SAID JUNCTION IS LOCATED IN AN EXPOSED AND EASILY ACCESSIBLE PORTION OF SAID FLEXIBLE TUBING BETWEEN THE DRIP CHAMBER AND THE PORTION OF THE TUBING THAT, WHEN THE TUBING IS IN USE, LIES UNDER ANY DRAPING CLOTHS EMPLOYED TO COVER THE PATIENT; FIRST FLOW CONTROL MEANS, OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID DRIP CHAMBER AND THE PORTION OF SAID FLEXIBLE TUBING POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID DRIP CHAMBER AND SAID JUNCTION, FOR SELECTIVELY STOPPING THE FLOW LIQUID FROM SAID DRIP CHAMBER OUTLET THROUGH SAID FLEXIBLE TUBE; AND SECOND FLOW CONTROL MEANS POSITIONED ON THE PORTION OF SAID FLEXIBLE TUBING LYING BETWEEN SAID JUNCTION AND SAID DISTAL ADAPTER, FOR SELECTIVELY STOPPING THE FLOW OF LIQUID THERETHROUGH, WHEREBY SAID INFUSION APPARATUS MAY BE USED FOR A PATIENT REQUIRING A ROUTINE PARENTERAL INFUSION, AND IF OTHER NEEDS ARISE ANOTHER COMPONENT MAY BE QUICKLY SUBSITUTED AT SAID JUNCTION FOR THE COMPONENT OF THE APPARATUS EXTENDING ABOVE SAID JUNCTION, OR ANOTHER COMPONENT MAY BE QUICKLY INSERTED AT SAID JUNCTION BETWEEN THE TWO COMPONENTS OF SAID APPARATUS WHICH ARE JOINED BY SAID JUNCTION.