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Innovatek Medical Corporation

Innovatec Medical Corp.

Roy Abell

Michael A Hardy

Thomas W Shilling

Kenneth E Hill

Paul J Mann

A method of providing a colonic lavage includes the steps of delivering a predetermined volume of lavage liquid to the colon to fill the colon with lavage liquid to a predetermined level, substantially maintaining the predetermined level of lavage liquid within the colon for a predetermined time in a hold cycle to hydrate impacted material within the colon, inducing a pulsed motion of the lavage liquid within the colon during the hold cycle to enhance hydration and break up of impacted material within the colon and to induce peristaltic activity of the colon, and draining lavage liquid from the colon. The step of inducing pulsed motion of the lavage liquid within the colon may be accomplished through an inverse pulsed technique or a pulsed hold technique.

Method and apparatus for delivering a colonic lavage

A sphincter valve for controlling the flow of fluid through a fluid delivery line has a body molded of a unitary piece of substantially flexible silicone material. The body is formed with an outer shell, and interior tube disposed within said outer shell, an end portion, and a pressure chamber defined between the outer shell and the interior tube. A separate end cap is secured to and closes the end of the body opposite the end portion thereof and a central passageway extends through the interior tube and through the ends of the valve. In use, the valve is spliced in a fluid delivery line and the pressure chamber is coupled to a source of selectively deliverable pressurized air. When pressurized air is forced into the pressure chamber, the inward force created by the pressure collapses the interior tube onto itself shutting off flow through the valve.

Unitary sphincter valve assembly

A portable apparatus (51) for delivering a colonic lavage to a patient includes a portable frame (52) preferably constructed of tubing, a lavage liquid reservoir (71) and a waste reservoir (72) both stowable in the frame (52), a speculum (78) for delivering the lavage liquid to the interior of a colon and for receiving waste from the colon, a waste conduit (88) communicating at one end with the speculum (78) and at another end with the waste reservoir (72), and a first sphincter valve (87) selectively opening and closing the waste conduit (88). A pump (66) housed in the frame (52) delivers the lavage liquid from an interior cavity of the frame (52) to the speculum (78) via a delivery conduit (91) coupling the speculum (78) with a pump tube (102) communicating with the pump (66). A regulator valve assembly (58) communicates with the pump tube (102) and ensures that the lavage liquid is never delivered to the colon above a predetermined pressure. A second sphincter valve (92) selectively opens and closes the delivery conduit (91) responsive to a controller (64), which may operate according to a predetermined schedule to deliver a pulsed supply of lavage liquid to the colon for dislodging impacted fecal material therefrom. The controller (64), operatively connected to both the first sphincter valve (87) and the second sphincter valve (92), effects the closing of waste conduit (88) during delivery of the lavage liquid, as well as the closing of the delivery conduit (91) during removal of waste from the colon.

A portable, lightweight bowel evacuation system is made up of a water bag which is elevated above the patient with a check valve in the delivery line from the water bag into a rectal insertion tube or speculum, a drain line leading from the speculum includes a disposable valve member for selectively opening and closing the drain line, and one or more pressurizing members in the form of manual squeeze bulbs are provided to simultaneously open the check valve for delivery of water from the water bag through the speculum and close the drain valve while the check valve is open and further is open to simultaneously close the check valve when the drain is opened. In a modified form, a flow control valve in communication with a source of air under pressure takes the place of the manual squeeze bulb to control opening and closing of the valve members.

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Duluth, GA, United States of America

Roy Abell