Pudenz-Schulte Medical Research Corporation

American Hospital Supply Corporation

Pudenz-Schulte Med, Research Corp.

Rudolf R Schulte

Gary P East

Alfons Heindl

Marga M Bryant

Stephen W Laguette

Alfons Heindle

A totally subcutaneously implantable infusion reservoir and pump system includes a variable capacity reservoir for receiving and storing fluid medication for delivery to a catheter which directs the medication to a specific infusion location in the body. In a preferred form of the invention, a control assembly is interposed between the reservoir and the catheter to facilitate and control the transfer of the medication from the reservoir to the catheter in a safe and efficient manner. This control assembly includes a normally closed valve and a pump, both of which are manually actuable by percutaneous pressure when subcutaneously implanted, and defines a portion of a fluid flow conduit between the reservoir and the catheter. Moreover, the control assembly is constructed to prevent the backflow of fluid from the catheter to the reservoir, as well as the unrestricted flow of medication through the control assembly when the normally closed valve is opened. This is accomplished by requiring at least two deliberate and sequential applications of selective pressure to the control assembly before any medication stored in the reservoir can be transferred to the catheter.

Subcutaneous infusion reservoir and pump system

A subcutaneously implantable siphon control device is provided for use in a physiological shunt system including a proximal catheter, a flow control valve and a distal catheter. The siphon control device limits fluid flow through the shunt system due to the siphoning effect of hydrostatic pressure created by the elevation of the proximal catheter inlet with respect to the distal catheter outlet. The siphon control device includes, generally, a base having an inlet typically placed in fluid communication with an outlet of the flow control valve, and an outlet typically placed in fluid communication with the distal catheter, and a housing for the base which, in connection with the base, defines a fluid flow pathway between the inlet and the outlet. The base provides a wall having substantially parallel upper and lower seating surfaces, which separates the inlet from the outlet. A pair of spaced, substantially parallel, flexible and elastic diaphragms having inner and outer surfaces are provided by the housing, and are situated on opposite sides of the wall to position a portion of each inner surface in contact with an adjacent one of the seating surfaces.

Siphon control device

A surgically implantable flow control valve positionable over a burr-hole through a patient's skull is provided for use in shunt systems for controlling the release of entrapped body fluids. The valve includes a relatively rigid, unitized molded plastic base having a planar valve seat portion, an inlet passageway through the base which terminates at an inlet port situated within the planar valve seat portion of the base, a resilient membrane which is molded of a material different from the material of the plastic base and which is secured to the base in a manner surrounding and covering the inlet port, and an outlet separated from the inlet by the resilient membrane. Radiopaque indicators and markers are provided which permit a surgeon to ascertain specific information about the device and the functioning of the shunt system which would otherwise be unavailable without additional surgery.

Burr-hole flow control valve

A totally subcutaneously implantable infusion reservoir and pump system includes a variable capacity reservoir for receiving and storing fluids containing medications for delivery to a catheter which directs the medications to a specific infusion location in the body. A pump and a valving arrangement is interposed between the reservoir and the catheter to facilitate and control the transfer of the medications from the reservoir to the catheter in a safe and efficient manner. In one preferred form, a normally closed first valve is situated between the reservoir and a pump, and a normally closed second valve is situated between the pump and the catheter in a manner such that the pump and valving arrangement defines a portion of a fluid flow conduit between the reservoir and the catheter. The pump and valving arrangement requires at least two deliberate and sequential steps before the medications stored in the reservoir can be transferred to the catheter. As an additional safety feature, an integral flow occluder can be added to the pump and valving arrangement to prevent the emptying of the medications in the reservoir through the catheter into the body when both normally closed valves are opened simultaneously. When the system is used in the treatment of terminally ill patients, the catheter can be placed within the body to direct morphine or other pain killing medications directly into the lateral ventricle of the brain or into the lumbar subarachnoid space.

Infusion reservoir and pump system

A surgically implantable flow control valve is provided for use in shunt systems for controlling the release of entrapped body fluids. The valve includes a relatively rigid, unitized molded plastic base separating an inlet chamber from an outlet chamber and including one or more apertures passing from the inlet chamber to the outlet chamber, and a resilient membrane which is molded of a material different from the material of the plastic base and which is secured to the base in a manner covering the apertures through the base on the outlet chamber side of the base. Fluid flow occluders on the base facilitate both proximal and distal flushing, and radiopaque indicators and markers permit a surgeon to ascertain specific information about the device and the functioning of the shunt system which would otherwise be unavailable without additional surgery.

Flow control valve

For use in controlling the release of entrapped body fluids, a surgically implantable flow control valve is provided which includes a molded plastic base separating an inlet chamber from an outlet chamber and including one or more apertures passing from the inlet chamber to the outlet chamber, and a resilient membrane which is molded of a material different from the material of the plastic base and which is secured to the base covering the aperture or apertures through the base on the outlet chamber side of the base.

Catheter clip

Surgical drain

A puncturable resealable housing for surgical implantation beneath the skin and which is adapted to receive repeated hypodermic punctures through the skin and into the housing. The housing has an improved dimensional and shape configuration of a sealant layer to receive hypodermic punctures from widely angled positions.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Rudolf R Schulte