Patent US5676155A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US5676155A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Apparatus for insufflating gases

Assignee: Storz Endoskop GmbH
•
Filing: 1995-06-13
•
Granted: 1997-10-14
•
Expires: 2015-06-13
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract An apparatus is provided for insufflating gas into a bodily cavity of a human or animal body. The apparatus includes a gas source, a measuring device provided with sensors for sensing the actual gas pressure and the actual gas flow, and a control unit to which the output signals of the sensors are applied. The control unit triggers a pressure regulator, which reduces and regulates the pressure of the gas source to an adjustable insufflation pressure (desired gas pressure), and a flow regulator, which regulates the gas flow to an adjustable value (desired gas flow). For measuring the actual gas pressure, the control unit triggers the flow regulator in such a manner that the gas flow is set at a value between 10 and 40% of the desired gas flow during pressure measurement.

Inventors

  • 👤 Pavel Novak
  • 👤 Juergen Kraft-Kivikoski
  • 👤 Philippe Koninckx

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 21:38
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61M; A61M13/00; A61M13/003; A61M2205/00; A61M2205/33; A61M2205/3331; A61M2205/3344

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim 125 words
An apparatus for insufflating gas from a gas source into a bodily cavity, comprising: a measuring device having sensors for measuring an actual gas pressure and an actual gas flow; a control unit receiving output signals from said sensors; a pressure regulator and a flow regulator, said control unit triggering the pressure regulator and the flow regulator; wherein said pressure regulator regulates a pressure of the gas source to an adjustable insufflation pressure; wherein said flow regulator adjustably regulates the gas flow to a desired gas flow value; wherein for measuring the actual gas pressure, the control unit triggers the flow regulator such that the gas flow is set at a value between 10 and 40% of the desired gas flow value during pressure measurement.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 125 words
An apparatus for insufflating gas from a gas source into a bodily cavity, comprising: a measuring device having sensors for measuring an actual gas pressure and an actual gas flow; a control unit receiving output signals from said sensors; a pressure regulator and a flow regulator, said control unit triggering the pressure regulator and the flow regulator; wherein said pressure regulator regulates a pressure of the gas source to an adjustable insufflation pressure; wherein said flow regulator adjustably regulates the gas flow to a desired gas flow value; wherein for measuring the actual gas pressure, the control unit triggers the flow regulator such that the gas flow is set at a value between 10 and 40% of the desired gas flow value during pressure measurement.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 30 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit sets the gas flow to a value between 15 and 30% of the desired gas flow value during pressure measurement.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 30 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit generates an alarm signal if a flow sensor of said sensors measures a value of 0 for the gas flow.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 40 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit determines an actual value of the pressure inside the bodily cavity from the gas pressure measured by a pressure sensor of said sensors at at least two different flow values.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 31 words
An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said control unit determines the actual value of the pressure inside the bodily cavity from the gas pressure measured at two different flow values.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 24 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a degassing valve arranged in a flow path of said apparatus for limiting an intra-abdominal pressure.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 29 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a degassing valve arranged in a proximal part of an instrument insertable into the bodily cavity limiting an intra-abdominal pressure provided.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 19 words
An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control unit opens and closes the degasing valve for active degasing.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 19 words
An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said control unit opens and closes the degasing valve for active degasing.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 22 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a suction pump arranged in a flow path of said apparatus for forced degasing.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 30 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a heating device arranged in a flow path of said apparatus for heating the gas to be insufflated to a prescribed temperature.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 28 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said control unit sets the gas pressure and the gas flow while factoring into account a prescribed temperature of the gas.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 35 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein for insufflating gas into the bodily cavity, an endoscopic instrument is provided on which said sensors for gas pressure and gas flow are disposed outside the bodily cavity.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 14 words
An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said endoscopic instrument is a Verres needle.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US5152745A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2000-10-13 2001-04-14 2001-10-14 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2004-10-13 2005-04-14 2005-10-14 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2008-10-13 2009-04-14 2009-10-14 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag