System, method, and apparatus for regulating pressure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10265441-B2
Application number	US-201314024066-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2013
Priority date	Sep 14, 2012
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

Subject matter relating to pressure regulation is described. In one illustrative embodiment, an apparatus for regulating pressure may include a supply chamber, a control chamber, and a charging chamber. The supply chamber may have a supply port adapted for coupling to a supply lumen, and the control chamber may have a control port adapted for coupling to a feedback lumen. The charging chamber can be fluidly coupled to the supply chamber through a charging port. A regulator valve within the control chamber can operate to control fluid communication through the charging port based on a differential between pressure in the control chamber and a target pressure.

First claim

We claim:

1. A reduced-pressure treatment system comprising:
a dressing;
a supply chamber fluidly coupled to the dressing through a supply lumen;
a control chamber fluidly coupled to the dressing through a feedback lumen;
a charging chamber fluidly coupled to the supply chamber through a port; and
a regulator valve within the control chamber and operable to reciprocate within the control chamber to control fluid communication through the port based on a differential between a control pressure in the control chamber and a therapy pressure.

2. The reduced-pressure treatment system of claim 1 , further comprising a reduced-pressure source fluidly coupled to the charging chamber.

3. The reduced-pressure treatment system of claim 1 , wherein a first pressure in the charging chamber is less than a second pressure in the supply chamber.

4. The reduced-pressure treatment system of claim 1 , wherein a first pressure in the charging chamber is less than a second pressure in the supply chamber, and the second pressure in the supply chamber is less than ambient pressure.

5. The reduced-pressure treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the regulator valve comprises a piston and an elastic member adapted to bias the piston against ambient pressure in the control chamber.

6. The reduced-pressure treatment system of claim 1 , wherein:
the control chamber is divided into a region of ambient pressure and a region of control pressure;
the feedback lumen is fluidly coupled to the region of control pressure; and
the regulator valve comprises a piston and an elastic member adapted to bias the piston against the ambient pressure.

7. The reduced-pressure treatment system of claim 1 , wherein:
a piston divides ambient pressure from a region of the control pressure;
the feedback lumen is fluidly coupled to the region of control pressure; and
an elastic member is disposed in the control chamber and engaged to the piston.

8. The reduced-pressure treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the supply lumen and the feedback lumen are disposed within a single tube fluidly coupled to the dressing.

9. The reduced-pressure treatment system of claim 1 , wherein:
the supply lumen and the feedback lumen are disposed within a single tube fluidly coupled to the dressing;
the supply lumen is fluidly coupled to a first port in the supply chamber; and
the feedback lumen is fluidly coupled to a second port in the control chamber.

10. The reduced-pressure treatment system of claim 1 , wherein:
the charging chamber comprises a piston opposing a closed end;
an elastic member is operably engaged to the piston;
the piston defines a wall of the supply chamber; and
the port is a passage through the piston.

11. The reduced-pressure treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the control pressure is measured through the feedback lumen.

12. The reduced-pressure treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the regulator valve comprises an elastic member calibrated to the therapy pressure.

13. The reduced-pressure treatment system of claim 1 , wherein:
a piston divides an ambient pressure from the control pressure in the control chamber;
an elastic member is disposed in the control chamber and engaged to the piston to bias the piston against the ambient pressure;
the supply lumen and the feedback lumen are disposed within a single tube fluidly coupled to the dressing;
the supply lumen is fluidly coupled to a first port in the supply chamber;
the feedback lumen is fluidly coupled to the control pressure through a second port in the control chamber;
a first pressure in the charging chamber is less than a second pressure in the supply chamber, and
the second pressure in the supply chamber is less than the ambient pressure.

14. The reduced-pressure treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the regulator valve comprises:
a piston;
a valve body coupled to the piston, the valve body movable with the piston to engage the port; and
an elastic member coupled to the valve body to bias the piston against ambient pressure in the control chamber.

Assignees

• Kci Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Coulthard Richard Daniel John
• Locke Christopher Brian

Classifications

• A61M2205/3341

  stabilising pressure or flow to avoid excessive variation · CPC title

• A61M1/0088

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A61M1/0031 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A61M1/96

  Suction control thereof · CPC title

• A61M1/74 Primary

  Suction control (underwater drainage A61M1/61) · CPC title