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:
Feb. 06, 2001
Filed:
Dec. 08, 1997
Ilan Zadik Samson, London NW3 7DE, GB;
Other;
Abstract
Vacuum in a non-invasive medical probe having a source of vacuum interconnected with a suction cup by a resilient walled tube, is reduced in a controlled manner by creating a valve aperture in the wall of the tube at a desired location through which aperture no appreciable leakage will occur when vacuum is applied and the tube is in a relaxed state, whereby with the suction cup secured by vacuum on a patient's skin, application of a force to the tube wall will open the aperture and permit a controlled reduction of vacuum in the suction cup to a specified amount. Releasing the force permits the aperture to close so that lower vacuum is maintained and the suction cup continues to be secured on the patient's skin. In a preferred application there is provided a probe adapted for application to the scalp of a fetus with the rim of the suction cup in sealing contact with the surface of the scalp. There is also provided a method of enabling a controlled flow into a resilient walled tube inside which the pressure is lower than outside the tube, by creating a valve aperture in the wall of the tube in a desired location through which no appreciable leakage will occur when the tube is in a relaxed state. The aperture opens on application of a force to the tube wall and permits a controlled flow therethrough into the tube, and the aperture closes when the force is released.