Alliedsignal Inc.

Aquarius Medical Corporation

Ernest W Cassaday

James S Roundy

John F Thurston

Roger Etherington

Michael J Egan

John Kane

Howard S Phillips

W Jeffrey Chandler

Stuart L Booth

George W Carrie

An improved fluid management system for irrigation of a body cavity and in particular for use in arthroscopic surgery having a pressurized fluid circuit for supplying irrigation fluid and a vacuum fluid circuit for withdrawing waste fluid from the cavity. In a preferred embodiment there is an uninterrupted fluid supply comprised of a plurality of sterile solution saline bags with an automatic spiker to perforate the bags. The system is processor controlled with numerous safety and design features to automate arthroscopy to the highest degree possible. Some of the features include the monitoring and tracking of cavity pressure and flow rates to predetermined pressure and flow rates, tracking cavity to mean blood pressure, overpressure protection, a plurality of pressure and flow rate baseline settings, monitoring, setting and controlling saline supply, and specialized functions for providing pressure and flow rates for typical surgical procedures such as lavage, clear view, and burr/shaver. One or more vacuum discharge lines may be provided with an automatic self-cleaning feature. The system is compact and optionally employs a number of disposable components, including a novel fluid accumulator.

Fluid management system for arthroscopic surgery

An improved fluid management system for irrigation of a body cavity and in particular for use in arthroscopic surgery having a pressurized fluid circuit for supplying irrigation fluid and a vacuum fluid circuit for withdrawing waste fluid from the cavity. In a preferred embodiment there is an uninterrupted fluid supply comprised of a plurality of sterile solution saline bags with an automatic spiker to perforate the bags. The system is processor controlled with numerous safety and design features to automate arthroscopy to the highest degree possible. Some of the features include the monitoring and tracking of cavity pressure and flow rates to predetermined pressure and flow rates, tracking cavity to mean blood pressure, overpressure protection, a plurality of pressure and flow rate baseline settings, monitoring, setting and controlling saline supply, and specialized functions for providing pressure and flow rates for typical surgical procedures such as lavage, clear view, and burr/shaver. One or more vacuum discharge lines may be provided with an automatic self-cleaning feature. The system is compact and optionally employs a number of disposable components, including a novel fluid accumulator. In one preferred embodiment there is a compact gravity irrigation fluid management apparatus employing automatic pressure regulating means. An improved console for monitoring out-of-fluid anomalous conditions is also disclosed.

Fluidic proximity sensing apparatus for use with a linear induction motor car. The apparatus is comprised of a floating sensor head in operative combination with a dual flapper valve which forms two air gaps. A change in the proximity of the sensor head to a track surface is converted to a dimensional variation in the air gaps, which in turn is sensed by fluidic oscillators.

Fluidic proximity sensor and related process

A fluidic generator (38) employing a fluidic feedback oscillator (12) in combination with a magnetogenerator (41) is described. Oscillational changes in pressure produced within the feedback oscillator are transmitted to opposite sides of a pole cap (74) which reciprocates a coil (70) in a magnetic field.

Fluidic generator

A process for monitoring fluid density by use of a fluidic jet oscillator (26) absent the necessity for a high-precision pressure regulator. Fluid is delivered to the fluidic oscillator (26) via a pressure divider (28). As the fluid flows through the oscillator the latter generates a pressure wavetrain at a frequency which is indicative of the density of the fluid, but is inaccurate to the extent that the pressure difference across the oscillator varies from a predetermined value. A differential pressure transducer (30) senses the pressure difference. Accordingly, the process is adapted for use with a gated sampling and control system (84) which operatively responds to the oscillator output only when the differential pressure is substantially in accord with a predetermined value thereof.

Growing community of inventors

Apache Junction, AZ, United States of America

Ernest W Cassaday