Stable flow regulator assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12440662-B2
Application number	US-202217901381-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2022
Priority date	Sep 1, 2022
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

A stable flow regulator assembly includes a body having a tube slot adjacent a perimeter of the body and having an opening at the perimeter to slidingly receive a portion of an intravenous (IV) tube, and a spiral slide groove extending into the body from the tube slot, wherein a width of the spiral slide groove narrows as the spiral slide groove extends further into the body. A tube arm is rotatingly coupled to the body, the tube arm having a slot open to the perimeter of the body and configured to slidingly receive the IV tube when the slot is aligned with the tube slot of the body and to regulate a flow rate through the IV tube based on a compression of the IV tube due to a position of the IV tube within the spiral slide groove. Methods of operating a stable flow regulator assembly are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stable flow regulator assembly comprising:
a body comprising:
a tube slot disposed adjacent a perimeter of the body, the tube slot having an opening at the perimeter to slidingly receive a portion of an intravenous (IV) tube; and
a spiral slide groove extending into the body from the tube slot, wherein a width of the spiral slide groove narrows as the spiral slide groove extends further into the body; and

a tube arm rotatingly coupled to the body, the tube arm having a slot open to the perimeter of the body and configured to slidingly receive the IV tube when the slot is aligned with the tube slot of the body,
wherein the stable flow regulator assembly is configured to regulate a flow rate of fluid flowing through the IV tube based on an amount of compression of the IV tube due to a position of the IV tube within the spiral slide groove.

2. The stable flow regulator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tube arm comprises a shaft rotatingly coupled through a shaft hole of the body.

3. The stable flow regulator assembly of claim 2 , wherein the shaft includes a snap member configured to compress when the shaft is fed through the shaft hole and to expand when the snap member exits the shaft hole on an opposing side of the body.

4. The stable flow regulator assembly of claim 3 , wherein the tube arm comprises opposing arm segments coupled together by hinge members, wherein the shaft and the snap member are disposed on a first arm segment of the opposing arm segments and a receiving hole is disposed on a second arm segment of the opposing arm segments, wherein the second arm segment is configured to fold over the perimeter of the body via the hinge members and the snap member is disposed through the receiving hole.

5. The stable flow regulator assembly of claim 4 , wherein the first arm segment and the second arm segment and the hinge members collectively have two side portions that define the slot in the tube arm.

6. The stable flow regulator assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of holding members disposed on a surface of at least one side of the body, the plurality of holding members spaced along a portion of the spiral slide groove.

7. The stable flow regulator assembly of claim 6 , wherein the tube arm includes one or more arm holding members configured to slidingly engage with the plurality of holding members on the body.

8. The stable flow regulator assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of indicator markings disposed on a surface of at least one side of the body, the plurality of indicator markings spaced along one of a portion of the spiral slide groove and the perimeter of the body.

9. The stable flow regulator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spiral slide groove has a widest width of 4 mm and a narrowest width of 0.15 mm.

10. The stable flow regulator assembly of claim 1 , further comprising at least one flap extending from the body into the tube slot, the at least one flap configured to flex inward to allow slidable sideways movement of the IV tube into the tube slot and to flex back to a default position to prevent slidable sideways movement of the IV tube back out of the body.

11. The stable flow regulator assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a locking member coupled to the body and movably disposed over the tube slot, wherein the locking member is clear of the tube slot in a first position for slidable passage of the IV tube into the tube slot, and wherein the locking member is positioned to block slidable passage of the IV tube out of the body in a second position.

12. The stable flow regulator assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a grip disposed on the perimeter of the body, the grip comprising a plurality of projections extending radially outward from the body.

13. The stable flow regulator assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of ratchet teeth disposed on a surface of at least one side of the body, the plurality of ratchet teeth spaced around a portion of the spiral slide groove and configured for a ratchet engagement with the tube arm.

14. The stable flow regulator assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of flaps disposed on a surface of at least one side of the body, the plurality of flaps spaced around the perimeter of the body and extending outward past the perimeter of the body.

15. The stable flow regulator assembly of claim 1 , further comprising one or more flaps disposed on the tube arm.

16. A method of operating the stable flow regulator assembly of claim 1 , the method comprising:
inserting an intravenous (IV) tube into the slot on the tube arm that is rotatingly coupled to the body;
inserting the IV tube into the spiral slide groove disposed within the body of the stable flow regulator assembly wherein the inserted IV tube is uncompressed by side walls of the spiral slide groove;
rotating the tube arm relative to the body to slide the IV tube along varying widths of the spiral slide groove; and
ceasing rotating the tube arm relative to the body when the IV tube is positioned within a particular width of the spiral slide groove for which a resulting compression of the IV tube corresponds to a particular fluid flow rate through the IV tube.

Assignees

• Carefusion 303 Inc

Inventors

• Sanikommu Narsireddy

Classifications

• A61M5/16804

  Flow controllers · CPC title

• A61M5/16877

  Adjusting flow; Devices for setting a flow rate · CPC title

• A61M39/28

  Clamping means for squeezing flexible tubes, e.g. roller clamps {(tube strippers A61M1/83)} · CPC title

• A61M2205/3334

  Measuring or controlling the flow rate · CPC title

• A61M5/16813 Primary

  by controlling the degree of opening of the flow line · CPC title