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:
Oct. 08, 2002
Filed:
Mar. 13, 2001
Reginald H. Fowler, Meridian, TX (US);
Garrett L. Barker, Meridian, TX (US);
C. Kenneth French, Meridian, TX (US);
Other;
Abstract
The automatically controlled pump supplies pressurized irrigation fluid to a surgical site. The pump system includes a motor in a housing and a pump in a housing defining input and output ports. The pump has a rotatable impeller. The motor is powered by one or more batteries. An ON/OFF motor switch is controlled by fluid flow above a nominal flow by a sensor typically mounted downstream of the pump. The system operates in conjunction with a downstream manual control valve. Flow above a system minimal flow is detected by a negative buoyancy poppet having a “leaky” valve seat. When the poppet moves into a flow chamber, the switched motor is ON. Various position sensors may be used, i.e., an optical sensor. The method automatically controls a pump by monitoring fluid flow above a system minimal flow and turning ON/OFF the motor based upon flow above the minimum.