The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 04, 1998
Filed:
Jan. 17, 1996
Robert F Gremel, Huntington Beach, CA (US);
Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US);
Abstract
The present invention is an outlet connector configuration for an oxygenator that prevents excessively high positive or negative pressure from forming in the oxygenator and helps to minimize the possibility of misidentifying the outlet connector. The outlet connector is hollow and substantially cylindrically tubular in shape so that a hollow inner conduit is formed. The outlet connector is in fluid communication with the outlet manifold of an oxygenator through the inner conduit. In one embodiment, the outlet connector has an elongated hole extending through the tubular material of the outlet connector into the hollow inner conduit formed therein. The elongated hole is preferable large enough to be felt by the fingers of the person connecting tubing to the outlet connector. The elongated hole is preferably arrow shaped with the arrow pointing in the direction of fluid flow out of the outlet manifold. In an alternate embodiment, the outlet connector has a channel formed in the outer surface of the outlet connector. The channel extends from the distal end of the outlet connector opposite the point of connection of the outlet connector to the oxygenator towards the oxygenator. The channel does not extend entirely through the tubular material making up the wall of the outlet connector but instead extends into the wall material from the exterior surface only a fraction of the thickness of the wall material.