Controlling flow of medical fluids

Claim 2

A pinch valve assembly for controlling the flow of medical fluids comprising: a non-sterile body; a groove in the surface of said body; a sterile disposable pliable tube of synthetic material having memory disposed at least in part in the said surface groove; a non-sterile stem; means mounting the stem within said body for (a) lineal reciprocation between extended and retracted positions and (b) rotational displacement between functional and nonfunctional positions; means normally biasing the stem into one of said two lineal positions; force-applying means displacing the stem into the other of said two lineal positions counter to said bias; an arm carried by the stem and juxtaposed the groove when the stem is in the functional rotational position such that the arm pinches the tube closed against the body groove to prevent fluid flow through the tube when the stem is in a first of said two lineal positions, and the arm releases the tube to accommodate the flow of medical fluid through the tube when in the second of said two lineal positions; means rotataionally displacing the stem and arm to the nonfunctional rotational position whereby the tube, after it becomes contaminated, may be readily removed from the groove and replaced in the groove by another sterile tube, following which the stem and arm are returned to their functional rotational position.

Claim 3

The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a removable cover plate substantially covering the groove and having a slot adjacent the arm to accommodate said lineal reciprocation.

Claim 4

The assembly of claim 1 wherein said biasing means comprise a force-applying spring.

Claim 5

The assembly of claim 1 wherein said displacing means comprise a fluid driven diaphragm.

Claim 6

The assembly of claim 1 wherein said displacing means comprise solenoid means.

Claim 7

A medical flow control assembly comprising: a non-sterile L-shaped actuator; a non-sTerile body carrying the actuator for lineal reciprocable movement along the axis of one leg of the actuator, said body having an open groove passageway with a base and side edges normal to and juxtaposed the other leg of the actuator; a length of sterile disposable medical tubing for communicating medical fluid from one site to another site removably located in the passageway, the depth of the base of the groove being substantially less than the diameter of the medical tubing; non-sterile means normally biasing the other leg of the actuator away from the tubing allowing substantial unimpeded flow of medical fluid between said sites through the open bore of the medical tubing and non-sterile means for displacing the other leg of said actuator counter to said bias against the tubing and the body juxtaposed the side edges of the groove occluding the tubing by flattening without crushing the same a distance equal to the diameter of the tubing less the depth of the groove, whereby flow of medical fluid through the tubing is accommodated and prevented, respectively.

Claim 8

A medical flow control assembly comprising: a non-sterile L-shaped actuator; a non-sTerile body carrying the actuator for lineal reciprocable movement along the axis of one leg of the actuator, said body having an open groove passageway with a base and side edges normal to and juxtaposed the other leg of the actuator; a length of sterile disposable medical tubing for communicating medical fluid from one site to another site removably located in the passageway, the depth of the base of the groove being substantially less than the diameter of the medical tubing; non-sterile means normally biasing the other leg of the actuator away from the tubing allowing substantial unimpeded flow of medical fluid between said sites through the open bore of the medical tubing and non-sterile means for displacing the other leg of said actuator counter to said bias against the tubing and the body juxtaposed the side edges of the groove occluding the tubing by flattening without crushing the same a distance equal to the diameter of the tubing less the depth of the groove, whereby flow of medical fluid through the tubing is accommodated and prevented, respectively.

Claim 9

A medical flow control manifold comprising; an array of sterile tubing of biologically inert plastic material having memory, for electively communcating medical fluid between one site and at least two other sites, said array comprising at least one connector whereby one length of tubing from the one site is joined to at least two other lengths of tubing respectively connecting to said other two sites; body means having an array of interconnected open surface grooves each comprising a base with side walls into which said array of tubing is correspondingly placed in contiguous relation with the base; a plurality of separate slots in the surface of the body means, each slot comprising a base and intersecting one of said surface grooves but having a depth less than the depth of the intersected groove; a tube-occluding arm disposed in each slot across the groove and adjacent the branch of tubing in the groove; an actuating piston connected to each tube-occluding arm and associated with the body means for limited reciprocation of the connected arm against and away from the base of the associated slot adjacent branch of tubing to occlude by flattening without crushing the adjacent tubing or accommodate opening of the tubing respectively thereby respectively preventing and permitting flow of medical fluid in said branch; a plurality of automated means each associated with the body means and each respectively moving one actuating piston and associated tube-occluding arm between the reciprocable positions thereof whereby flow of medical fluid across the connector between selected sites in the branches of the tubing is facilitated.

Claim 10

A medical flow control manifold comprising; an array of sterile tubing of biologically inert plastic material having memory, for electively communcating medical fluid between one site and at least two other sites, said array comprising at least one connector whereby one length of tubing from the one site is joined to at least two other lengths of tubing respectively connecting to said other two sites; body means having an array of interconnected open surface grooves each comprising a base with side walls into which said array of tubing is correspondingly placed in contiguous relation with the base; a plurality of separate slots in the surface of the body means, each slot comprising a base and intersecting one of said surface grooves but having a depth less than the depth of the intersected groove; a tube-occluding arm disposed in each slot across the groove and adjacent the branch of tubing in the groove; an actuating piston connected to each tube-occluding arm and associated with the body means for limited reciprocation of the connected arm against and away from the base of the associated slot adjacent branch of tubing to occlude by flattening without crushing the adjacent tubing or accommodate opening of the tubing respectively thereby respectively preventing and permitting flow of medical fluid in said branch; a plurality of automated means each associated with the body means and each respectively moving one actuating piston and associated tube-occluding arm between the reciprocable positions thereof whereby flow of medical fluid across the connector between selected sites in the branches of the tubing is facilitated.

Claim 11

The manifold of claim 7 wherein said plurality of automated means are normally positioned to cause the associated tube-occluding arm to occlude the adjacent branch of tubing.

Claim 12

The manifold of claim 7 further comprising a cover plate positioned over and covering said surface grooves and intersecting slots.

Claim 13

A manifold as defined in claim 9 wherein said cover plate comprises elongated openings accommodating reciprocation of each tube-occluding arm.

Claim 14

a medical flow control manifold comprising; an array of sterile tubing of biologically inert plastic material having memory, for selectively communicating medical fluid, said array comprising at least one connector whereby one length of tubing is joined to at least two other lengths of tubing; body means having an array of surface grooves each comprising a base into which said array of tubing is correspondingly placed in contiguous relation with the base; a plurality of slots in the surface of the body means, each slot intersecting one of said surface grooves; a tube-occluding arm disposed in each slot away from the base of the groove and adjacent the thick branch of tubing in the groove; an actuating piston connected to each tube-occluding arm and associated wIth the body means for limited reciprocation of the connected arm against and away from the adjacent branch of tubing to occlude or accommodate opening of the tubing respectively thereby respectively preventing and permitting flow of medical fluid in said branch; a plurality of automated means each associated with the body means and each respectively moving one actuating piston and associated tube-occluding arm between the reciprocable positions thereof whereby flow of medical fluid across the connector between selected branches of the tubing is facilitated; means exposed beyond the body means and connected to each actuating piston for manual displacement of the associated tube-occluding arm from its slot and rotation thereof out of superimposed relation with the adjacent surface groove whereby the disposable tubing, once contaminated, may be readily removed and replaced by a like array of tubing in sterile condition.

Claim 15

a medical flow control manifold comprising; an array of sterile tubing of biologically inert plastic material having memory, for selectively communicating medical fluid, said array comprising at least one connector whereby one length of tubing is joined to at least two other lengths of tubing; body means having an array of surface grooves each comprising a base into which said array of tubing is correspondingly placed in contiguous relation with the base; a plurality of slots in the surface of the body means, each slot intersecting one of said surface grooves; a tube-occluding arm disposed in each slot away from the base of the groove and adjacent the thick branch of tubing in the groove; an actuating piston connected to each tube-occluding arm and associated wIth the body means for limited reciprocation of the connected arm against and away from the adjacent branch of tubing to occlude or accommodate opening of the tubing respectively thereby respectively preventing and permitting flow of medical fluid in said branch; a plurality of automated means each associated with the body means and each respectively moving one actuating piston and associated tube-occluding arm between the reciprocable positions thereof whereby flow of medical fluid across the connector between selected branches of the tubing is facilitated; means exposed beyond the body means and connected to each actuating piston for manual displacement of the associated tube-occluding arm from its slot and rotation thereof out of superimposed relation with the adjacent surface groove whereby the disposable tubing, once contaminated, may be readily removed and replaced by a like array of tubing in sterile condition.