Sherwood Services Ag

Clarence L Walker

Mark A Davis

John P Moran

Angela M Noecker

Glen G Fournie

A one-piece unitary occluder is disclosed which is utilized with a fluid administration set to occlude a portion of a tube assembly which is interconnected between a source of fluid and a patient. The one-piece unitary occluder has a body with a pair of openings which are diametrically aligned with an aperture to allow fluid flow therethrough; however, once activated, the openings are misaligned relative to the aperture to occlude a portion of the tubing to prevent fluid free-flow if the tube assembly becomes disassociated from the pump.

One-piece unitary occluder

A valve device is disclosed which is incorporated into the lower portion of a drip chamber for preventing the free flow of fluid through a tube assembly when the tube assembly is disengaged from a pump of a fluid administration system, while permitting fluid flow when the tube assembly is engaged around a rotor of the pump. The valve device comprises a valve body having a top component sealingly engaged with a bottom component. The top component is integrally formed with the lower portion of the drip chamber and defines a plurality of axial fluid passageways formed around a stationary plunger which seals against a opening formed at the upper portion of the bottom component. The opening is in communication with a lumen that extends into a hollow tube assembly which is attached to the bottom component of the valve body. The bottom component further includes a flex joint made of a flexible material that is adapted to flex and pull the opening away from the plunger to establish fluid flow through the valve device. In operation, a user applies a tensile force along the tube assembly by engaging the tube assembly around a rotor of a pump which pulls the flex joint away from the plunger and opens the valve device to fluid flow therethrough. When the tube assembly is disengaged from the rotor the flex joint is forced back to its original position such that the plunger is sealed against the opening, thereby preventing fluid free flow through the fluid administration system.

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St. Louis, MO, United States of America

Clarence L Walker