JPH052875B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a flow control device used in a blood pressure measurement system, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a flow control device having a fluid passage and a bulge that bulges with respect to the fluid passage. The tube member includes a tube member having a capillary tube provided at the outlet portion, and a closing member having a bulging portion that abuts the bulging portion to close the fluid passage, and the closing member is elastically deformed to close the tube member. When the swollen part of the closure member is separated from the swollen part of the bulge, and the infusion solution is passed through at a relatively large flow rate,
The present invention relates to a flow control device configured to prevent air from remaining in the passage.

[Background of the invention]

In recent years, blood pressure measurement systems that can monitor blood pressure and the like over time have been developed and are now widely used in actual medical settings.

Generally, a blood pressure measurement system includes, for example, an infusion bag that supplies an infusion agent such as physiological saline to the system, a catheter inserted into a patient's blood pressure measurement site, and an infusion agent filled in the catheter. It is generally composed of a pressure transducer that detects a blood pressure value as a transmission medium, and a display/recording device that displays and records the pressure value output from the pressure transducer.

That is, in such a blood pressure measurement system, a catheter is inserted into a patient's artery or vein, and an infusion agent such as physiological saline is supplied to the catheter from an infusion bag at a predetermined very slow flow rate. This prevents blood from flowing into the catheter and coagulating, while the pressure transducer detects changes in the pressure of the infusion agent within the catheter and outputs the value to a display/recording device. In this way, the patient's blood pressure status can be monitored in real time.

In this case, in order to set the flow rate of the infusion agent to a predetermined value, a mechanism for regulating the flow rate is usually provided in the conduit that communicates the infusion bag and the catheter, and the infusion agent is The infusion agent is passed through at a predetermined low flow rate.

By the way, when using a catheter, in order to completely remove the air inside the catheter, it is necessary to perform so-called priming using the above-mentioned infusion agent in advance to flash the infusion agent inside the catheter. . For this reason, various flow control devices have been proposed that are equipped with a mechanism that regulates the flow rate, such as having a low-speed flow path, and a mechanism that opens the flash flow path so that a large flow rate can flow temporarily.

Conventionally, such flow control devices are roughly classified into three types based on differences in their configurations. That is, the first type includes a valve seat provided in a passage serving as a flash flow passage, and a valve plunger etc. that operates elastically within the passage and can freely engage with the valve seat.
There is a flow control device in which the valve plunger is moved away from the valve seat to open a flash passage, and a low-speed liquid flow path is provided to pass through the valve plunger (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-57336). ,
(See Japanese Patent Publication No. 56-8033). However, it has been pointed out that this type of device has the disadvantage that it has a large number of parts and its structure is complicated.

As a second type of flow control device, an elastic body is provided to surround a resistor having a capillary tube as a low-speed flow path, and a predetermined external force is applied to create a flash flow path between the resistor and the elastic body. There are some devices configured to achieve this (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,303, U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,179, and Utility Model Publication No. 61-28624). However, in the configuration of this second type of flow control device, the flash passage is bent so as to go around the side of the resistor, so when the liquid flows through the flash passage, air cannot be completely discharged. Air remains within the flow control device. As a result,
The concept exists that this residual air does not transmit accurate pressure to the pressure transducer.

A third type of flow control device is one in which a capillary-equipped resistor and a flash flow path are provided separately (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-207638, U.S. Pat.
(See No. 4624662). Like the first type, this has a complicated structure, and like the second type, the flow path is curved, so air tends to remain.

By the way, it is conceivable to incorporate the flow control device into the pressure transducer to make the system more compact. From this point of view, there is a demand for further miniaturization of flow control devices, but it has been pointed out that conventional flow control devices have a large number of parts, making it difficult to miniaturize them.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in order to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages, and includes forming a tapered bulge inside a tube member having a fluid passage, and installing a capillary tube in this bulge along the fluid passage. A closing member having a tapered bulge that abuts the bulge and closes the fluid passage is fitted onto the tube member, and the catheter is filled with an infusion fluid prior to measurement. is to elastically deform the closing member to allow the infusion to flow through a gap defined between the bulging portion of the tubular member and the bulging portion of the closing member and within the diameter of the fluid passage as a high-speed flow path; On the other hand, during measurement, the capillary provided in the tube member is used as a low-velocity flow path to allow the infusion to flow through.As a result, it is possible to achieve a simple configuration and further miniaturization, and also to remove air from within the flow control device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a flow control device that can effectively remove blood pressure and measure blood pressure etc. accurately and quickly.

[Means to achieve the purpose]

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a flow control device used in a blood pressure measurement system, which comprises a tube member having an inlet passage and an outlet passage that communicate with each other, and a tube member that is fitted onto the tube member and is elastically deformable. The tube member includes a closing member made of a flexible material, and the tube member is located between the inlet passage and the outlet passage, is formed to bulge inward of the passage, and is connected to the inlet passage and the outlet passage. a first bulge in which a capillary-like passage hole with an inner diameter is disposed, and the closing member abuts the first bulge to close communication between the inlet passage and the outlet passage. A second bulge is formed, and by elastically deforming the closing member, the second bulge is separated from the first bulge, thereby creating a flow path with a larger flow rate than the through hole. It is characterized by being configured so that it can be opened according to the conditions.

[Embodiment]

Next, preferred embodiments of the flow control device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 indicates a blood pressure measurement system in which a flow control device according to the present invention is used. That is, this blood pressure measurement system 10 includes an infusion bag 12 filled with an infusion agent such as physiological saline, and an infusion tube 14 disposed below the infusion bag 12.
is supported by an infusion stand (not shown), and the drip tube 14 is connected via a tube 16 to the upstream side of a flow control device 18 according to the present invention. The downstream side of this flow control device 18 is a tube 2.
0 to the pipe joint 22. At one end of the pipe joint 22, the line branches, ie, one end is connected to a catheter 26 inserted into a blood vessel of a patient 28 through a tube 24, and the other end is connected to a pressure transducer 30. A display/recording device 32 is connected to this pressure transducer 30.

Therefore, details of the flow control device 18 according to the present invention used in such a blood pressure measurement system 10 are shown in FIGS. 2 to 5.

As shown in FIG. 2, this flow control device 18 is basically composed of a tube member 40 and a closure member 42 that is fitted onto the tube member 40.

The tube member 40 is integrally molded from synthetic resin, such as polycarbonate, and has a substantially cylindrical shape. As shown in FIG. 3, an inlet passage 44 and an outlet passage 46 are defined in the tube member 40, and these inlet passage 44 and outlet passage 46 communicate with each other at the central portion of the tube member 40. Moreover, the pipe member 40
A first bulging portion 48 having a trapezoidal longitudinal cross section is formed in the center thereof so as to bulge into the inlet passage 44 and the outlet passage 46. has a flat part 4 on its top.
8a is formed, and inclined portions 48b and 48c which are inclined with respect to the axial direction of the tube member 40 are formed so as to expand in cross section from this flat portion 48a. Furthermore, a capillary tube 50 having a minute inner diameter is inserted into the first bulging portion 48 . The capillary tube 50 is in communication with the inlet passageway 44 and the outlet passageway 46.
A cutout 52 is formed in the center of the side surface of the tube member 40 so as to correspond to the first bulge 48 .

In addition, in this embodiment, the size of each component of this tube member 40 is selected as follows, for example. That is, the tube member 40 has an outer diameter of 4.9 mm,
The inner diameter is 2.0 mm, the total length is 15.0 mm, and the first bulge part 48
has a height of 1.5 mm, a length of its top base of 1.0 mm, and an inclined part of 4.
The angles of 8b and 48c with respect to the axial direction of the tube member 40 are 30 degrees. Further, the capillary tube 50 has a total length of 5.0 mm, an outer diameter of 0.4 mm, and an inner diameter of 50 μm.

Next, the closing member 42 is fitted into the cutout 52 of the tube member 40 . This closing member 42 is made of an elastic material such as silicone rubber. The closing member 42 is liquid-tightly fitted into the cutout 52 of the tube member 40, that is, in this case, the total length is 10 mm, the outer diameter is 7.7 mm, and the inner diameter is 4.9 mm in outer diameter than the tube member 40. is selected slightly smaller than .

In fact, a second bulging portion 54 having a trapezoidal longitudinal cross section is formed protrudingly from the distal end portion of the closing member 42 facing the inside of the tube member 40 so as to match the shape of the cut portion 52. The second bulge 54 has the first
Similar to the bulging portion 48, the flat portion 54a and the inclined portion 54
b, 54c are formed. The inclined portions 54b, 5
4c is formed so that its cross section substantially expands upward. In the normal state, the second bulging portion 54 has the flat portion 54a in contact with the flat portion 48a of the first bulging portion 48 of the tube member 40, and as a result, the inlet passage 44 and the outlet passage 46 are closed. It is configured so that Further, a rod-shaped pull means 56 is attached to the closing member 42 for use in elastically deforming the closing member 42. That is, a top-shaped space 43 is defined in the center of the closing member 42, and a bulging tip 57 of the pull means 56 is fitted into or bonded to this space 43. In addition, the pull means 56
A handle portion 59 is formed at the tail end of the handle.

Moreover, the elastic deformation of the closing member 42
This can also be achieved by pressing the upper side of the body from both sides. That is, pressing members that can be pressed in a so-called pinching manner are provided on both sides of the closing member 42 corresponding to the second bulging portion 54, and by pressing the members, the flush passage described later can be more securely formed with a small force. can be secured.

The control device according to the present invention is basically configured as described above, and its operation and effects will be explained next.

First, in the blood pressure measurement system 10 shown in FIG. 1, the drip tube 14 and the flow control device 18 are connected via the tube 16, and the outlet side of the flow control device 18 and the pipe joint 22 are connected via the tube 20. . Further, on the branching side of this pipe joint 22, one side is connected to a catheter 26 via a tube 24.
is connected to the other end, and the pressure transducer 30 is connected to the other end. Then, the blood pressure measurement system 10
After completing the circuit connection work, as an infusion agent,
For example, infusion bag 1 filled with physiological saline.
2 and the drip tube 14 are set at a predetermined height using an infusion stand (not shown). As a result, the water head pressure equal to the height of the drip tube 14 and the infusion bag 12 are increased.
The pressure of the pressurizing cuff that pressurizes the flow control device 18 acts as a differential pressure across the flow control device 18.

Next, prior to actually measuring the blood pressure, so-called priming is performed, and the pipes constituting the blood pressure measurement system 10 are filled with physiological saline.

Therefore, in priming, the operator pulls the pull means 56 provided on the closing member 42 of the flow control device 18 outward via the handle portion 59 while resisting the elastic force of the closing member 42 itself. . By doing this, as shown in FIG. 4, the closing member 42 is elastically deformed, and as a result, the second bulging portion 54 of the closing member 42 is separated from the first bulging portion 48 of the tube member 40. It comes to that. As described above, when pressing members are provided on both sides of the closing member 42, the operator pinches and presses the pressing members to elastically deform the closing member 42, and the second
The bulge 54 can be spaced apart from the first bulge 48 .

That is, until now, the flat portion 48a of the first bulging portion 48 and the flat portion 54a of the second bulging portion 54 have been in contact with each other, and communication between the inlet passage 44 and the outlet passage 46 has been cut off. Since the flat portion 54a is displaced upwardly with respect to the portion 48a, the inlet passage 4
4 and the outlet passage 46 (see FIG. 5). Therefore, a flow path using this gap as a flush passage is opened, and the physiological saline introduced from the inlet passage 44 through the tube 16 flows through this flush passage at a flow rate higher than that of the capillary tube 50.
It is led out to the tube 20 via the outlet passage 46. Then, the downstream side of the tube 20 is filled with physiological saline in a short time. At this time, since the inclined part 48c of the first bulging part 48 and the inclined part 54c of the second bulging part 54 are widened toward the upstream side of the physiological saline, the flow is as small as possible. The resistance causes the saline to flow into the flash channel.

In the prior art, the flash flow path opened by elastic deformation was configured to be bent so as to go around a resistor including a capillary tube, but in this embodiment, the inlet passage 44 and the outlet passage 46 are bent. Flash channels that are within the diameter and oriented in the same direction are opened. Moreover,
The first bulging portion 48 and the second bulging portion 54 are respectively connected to the inclined portion 4
8b, 48c and 54b, 54c, and are formed in a so-called tapered shape, so that air can be effectively exhausted at the initial stage of priming.

Next, after performing priming as described above and filling the pipe line of the blood pressure measurement system 10 with physiological saline, the tension on the pull means 56 is stopped. As a result, the closing member 42 returns to its original shape, and the flat portion 54a of the second bulging portion 54 comes into contact with the flat portion 48a of the first bulging portion 48, thereby preventing the inlet passage 44 and the outlet passage 46 from communicating with each other. Cut off. Therefore, the flow path in the flow control device 18 is controlled by the first bulge 4.
8 (see FIG. 3).

Therefore, the catheter 26 is inserted into a predetermined part of the artery or vein of the patient 28 to measure the desired blood pressure. Physiological saline dripped from the infusion bag 12 into the drip tube 14 is transferred from the drip tube 14 to the tube 1.
6 and the pressure of the pressurizing cuff which pressurizes the infusion bag 12 is introduced into the flow control device 18 through the inlet passage 44. This physiological saline is limited to a predetermined low flow rate (in this embodiment, when the differential pressure before and after the flow control device 18 is 300 mHg, the flow rate is 3.0 ml/hour) through the capillary tube 50, and the tube 20, the pipe joint 22, tube 2
4 is passed through the catheter 26 and injected into the blood vessel within the patient 28. During this process, the blood pressure of the patient 28 is detected by the pressure transducer 30 using the physiological saline in the catheter 26 and tube 24 as a transmission medium, and the pressure transducer 30 outputs a voltage proportional to the pressure to the display and recording device 32. Output to. As a result, the blood pressure value is displayed on the display/recording device 32 in real time.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, a bulge having a capillary tube is formed inside a tube member having a fluid passage, and a bulge having a bulge that comes into contact with the bulge and closes the fluid passage is provided. The member is configured to be fitted onto the tube member. Since the flow control device is composed of a small number of parts such as the pipe member and the closing member, it is possible to downsize the flow control device itself. Further, the flash flow path defined upon elastic deformation of the closure member is within the diameter of the fluid passageway and oriented in the same direction;
Since each bulge is formed into a tapered shape,
The upstream flow resistance of physiological saline is reduced, and the air removal performance is improved on the downstream side, resulting in the effect of preventing air from remaining in the flow control device. In this case, since each of the bulges has a symmetrical longitudinal section,
In particular, there is no need to distinguish between the upstream side and the downstream side when installing the device, making handling even easier.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Of course, various improvements and changes in design are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention, such as achieving the same objective even if provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a state in which a flow control device according to the present invention is incorporated into a blood pressure measurement system, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the flow control device according to the present invention,
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a flow control device according to the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the flow control device during priming, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the - line in the flow control device of FIG. 4. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Blood pressure measurement system, 12... Infusion bag, 18... Flow control device, 40... Tube member, 42...
Closing member, 44... Inlet passage, 46... Outlet passage, 4
8... Swelling part, 50... Capillary tube, 52... Cutting part, 54
...bulge, 56... pull means.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A flow control device used in a blood pressure measurement system, which is made of a tube member having an inlet passage and an outlet passage communicating with each other, and an elastically deformable material that is fitted onto the tube member. The tube member includes a capillary member having a minute inner diameter, located between the inlet passage and the outlet passage, formed to bulge inward of the passage, and communicating with the inlet passage and the outlet passage. The closing member has a first bulge provided with a through hole, and the closing member has a second bulge that abuts the first bulge and closes communication between the inlet passage and the outlet passage. A section is formed, and by elastically deforming the closing member, the second bulging part is separated from the first bulging part to open a flow path with a flow rate larger than that of the through hole as necessary. A flow control device characterized by comprising: 2. In the device according to claim 1,
The first bulging part and the second bulging part have a trapezoidal longitudinal section, and when they are pressed together, they expand from the flat part that blocks communication between the inlet flow path and the outlet flow path of the pipe member. A flow control device comprising an inclined portion that is inclined so as to be inclined. 3. In the device according to claim 1 or 2, the position where the first bulging part and the second bulging part are in contact and when the first bulging part and the second bulging part are separated A flow control system in which a flow path formed in the tube member is within the diameter of the cross section of the inlet flow path and the outlet flow path of the tube member, and the flow path is configured to be oriented in the same direction as the axial direction of the tube member. Device. 4. In the device according to claim 1,
A flow control device in which the closing member includes a handle for elastically deforming the closing member. 5. In the device according to claim 1,
A flow control device in which the closing member is molded from silicone rubber.