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:
May. 08, 2001
Filed:
Jun. 16, 1999
John R. Boehringer, Wynnewood, PA (US);
John Karpowicz, Chester Springs, PA (US);
Michael I. Hegedus, Royersford, PA (US);
Anthony Turchi, Collegeville, PA (US);
Boehringer Laboratories, Inc., Norristown, PA (US);
Abstract
An intermittent regulator is provided in which the regulator alternates between supplying partial vacuum to a patient for withdrawing fluids from the body of a patient, and supplying atmosphere to a patient, at a selected intermittent rate, that is adjustable upon adjusting a timing mechanism. The timing mechanism is isolated from communicating with the vacuum being drawn from a patient, separating the regulator into a “wet” side and a “dry” side. The regulator includes a piston and spool, each having magnets therein, whereby intermittent motion of the piston controls the motion of the spool and which thereby controls the opening of ports for delivery/non-delivery of vacuum to a patient. An alternative embodiment has porting for sensing occlusion in the patient line and converting the regulator from a continuous-on operation to an intermittent operation. An alternative embodiment has separate air inlet and outlet conduits to atmosphere from the “dry” side of the regulator.