Device having a flow channel, a nonreturn valve, and a flow detector that detects a position of the nonreturn valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9770542-B2
Application number	US-201414782107-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2014
Priority date	Apr 2, 2013
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

A device having a flow channel for a fluid has a nonreturn valve arranged in the flow channel, the nonreturn valve allowing the fluid to flow through the flow channel in a first direction and preventing it from flowing through the flow channel in a direction counter to the first direction. The device furthermore has a flow detector for detecting the flow of the fluid through the flow channel, wherein the flow detector detects a change in the nonreturn valve. This detected change serves as an indicator for the flow of the fluid. The device enables simplified flow detection, in that a nonreturn valve that is present is used as an indicator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device having a flow channel for a fluid, wherein a nonreturn valve is arranged in the flow channel, said nonreturn valve allowing the fluid to flow through the flow channel in a first direction and preventing it from flowing through the flow channel in a direction counter to the first direction, wherein the device furthermore has a flow detector for detecting the flow of the fluid through the flow channel, wherein the flow detector detects a change in the nonreturn valve and wherein this detected change serves as an indicator for the flow of the fluid, wherein the nonreturn valve has a valve flap, wherein the flow detector has an optical or mechanical detector for detecting a deflection of the valve flap, wherein the valve flap opens and closes a valve seat of the nonreturn valve, wherein the valve flap is fastened to the valve seat in a first peripheral region and is movable relative to the valve seat in a second peripheral region located opposite the first peripheral region, wherein the nonreturn valve is provided with a lug arranged on the valve flap, wherein a position of the lug is detected by the flow detector.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the flow detector is a flow meter for determining the flow and wherein the detected change serves as a measure of the flow.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical detector comprises a light emitter and a light detector, wherein the nonreturn valve is arranged, in the changed and/or in the unchanged state, in a light path between the light emitter and the light detector.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the lug is arranged in the light path.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the lug is arranged in the second peripheral region.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is a breast shield of a breastpump unit for expressing human breast milk, wherein the breast shield is designed to be placed on a human breast.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is an adapter for connecting to a fluid collection container.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is part of a drainage device.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the drainage device is part of a fluid collection container.

10. A breastpump system comprising:
a device according to claim 1 connectable to at least one of a breastshield and a fluid channel between the breastshield and a collection container of the system, the system comprising a display configured to represent information about the amount of milk flowing in the system.

11. The breastpump system as claimed in claim 10 , the device determining the deflection of the nonreturn valve, the display connectable, directly or indirectly, to the breastpump system.

12. A method for detecting flow of fluid through a flow channel, wherein a nonreturn valve is arranged in the flow channel, wherein the nonreturn valve allows fluid to flow through the flow channel in a first direction and prevents fluid from flowing through the flow channel in a direction counter to the first direction, wherein the nonreturn valve has a valve flap, wherein the valve flap opens and closes a valve seat of the nonreturn valve, wherein the valve flap is fastened to the valve seat in a first peripheral region and is movable relative to the valve seat in a second peripheral region located opposite the first peripheral region and wherein the nonreturn valve is provided with a lug arranged on the valve flap, the method comprising the step of:
detecting, via a flow detector, a change in at least one of position or shape of a nonreturn valve arranged when a fluid flows through the nonreturn valve, the flow detector having an optical or mechanical detector detecting a deflection of the valve flap, wherein the optical or mechanical detector detects a position of the lug.

13. The method of claim 12 , detecting the change in at least one of position or shape of the nonreturn valve, detecting a degree of deflection of the nonreturn valve, and based on the detected degree of deflection of the nonreturn valve, calculating a volume of fluid that has flowed through the nonreturn valve.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising repeatedly detecting the degree of deflection of the nonreturn valve for a plurality of deflections of the nonreturn valve over a predetermined period of time, and adding the calculated volumes of fluid that have flowed through the nonreturn valve to determine a volume of fluid that has flowed through the nonreturn valve over the predetermined period of time.

Assignees

• Medela Holding Ag

Inventors

• Felber Armin

Classifications

• A61M1/06 Primary

  Milking pumps · CPC title

• F16K15/144

  the closure elements being fixed along all or a part of their periphery · CPC title

• F16K37/0091

  by measuring fluid parameters · CPC title

• F16K37/0075

  For recording or indicating the functioning of a valve in combination with test equipment · CPC title

• A61M2039/246

  being fixed along all or a part of its periphery · CPC title