US2552469A

US2552469A - Catheter with ball valve

Info

Publication number: US2552469A
Application number: US132643A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wahlbeck Ragnar
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-12-13
Filing date: 1949-12-13
Publication date: 1951-05-08
Anticipated expiration: 1968-05-08

Description

May 8, 1951 R. WAHLBECK CATHETER WITH BALL VALVE Filed Dec. 15, 1949 A INVENTOR Rag/Wm WflHL/EECK ATTORNEY Patented May 8, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CATHETER WITH BALL VALVE Ragnar Wahlbecli, New York, N. Y.

Application December 13, 1949, Serial No. 132,643

4 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in catheters, and has more particular reference to an improved valve construction and operation for catheters.

Heretofore, catheters have been constructed with valves which were either inconvenient to.

operate, or after some use became inoperative. This invention particularly proposes a new valve construction which is exceptionally simple to manipulate and which will remain operative in this way as long as the catheter itself lasts.

The new improved catheter with valve is characterized by a rubber bag which may be inflated with a liquid under pressure. This bag is provided at its top with a neck portion into which a nozzle or tip may be connected. This nozzle or tip may be integral with the neck portion, or may be of the hard rubber type generally used and merely connected with the neck portion. A dominating feature of the invention resides in forming said neck portion with downwardly and outwardly tapering sides, and providing a light ball within said rubber bag which will float in said liquid and become wedged into said tapering sides of the neck portion when said bag is filled with said liquid to its neck portion, so as to confine said liquid in the bag in a manner so that said ball may be manually forced downwards out of said neck portion by fiexing the neck portion with the fingers in order to release said confined liquid during the use of the catheter. It is suggested that this light ball be of rigid type plastic material so as to be smooth and durable. Obviously, the ball will last indefinitely and will function as long as the rubber bag of the catheter is usable.

The invention also proposes the provision of means by which a supply of liquid may be connected with the neck portion of the bag for filling the bag. It is contemplated that these means include a tube connected with or integral with said neck portion, and a rubber pipe connector on the tube. This rubber pipe connector may be of a number of different design and shapes and may operate in any number of different ways as long as it may be engaged upon a faucet or other supply of liquid in order to guide the liquid into the rubber bag with sufficient pressure for inflating the bag. It is proposed that a nozzle or tip generally used with catheters be inserted into the top of said tube, or that it be integral with the tube.

Anoher object of this invention resides in providing the rubber bag with a large opening through which the ball may be easily inserted into the bag, and then to provide a satisfactory plug or means for closing said opening so that the bag may hold water under pressure. Since the ball is of larger diameter than the neck portion of the bag it cannot very well be inserted through the neck portion and it is for this reason that the auxiliary opening is provided in the bag.

Another object of the invention is the construction of a device as described which is simple and durable and which may be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a catheter constructed in accordance with this invention, certain dot and dash lines bein added to this View to indicate different positions of certain of the parts, and certain parts being illustrated broken to disclose interior parts.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed view of the bot-- tom portion of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational View of another catheter embodying the same invention.

The catheter illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 includes a rubber bag Ill of sufficiently thin latex so that it may be inflated with liquid under pressure. Said rubber bag Ill i formed at its top with a neck portion H to which a nozzle or tip may be connected. In this particular form of the invention a tube I2 is integral with the neck portion II and extends upwards and terminates in a nozzle l3. A stiffening tube It of flexible plastic material is forced into the tube l2 to provide the necessary rigidity required in inserting the tube I2 into a body cavity.

The neck portion H has downwardly and outwardly tapering sides l5. A light ball l6, preferably of rigid plastic material, is disposed within said bag I0 and is sufficiently light to float in a liquid with which the bag In is filled. This ball I6 is sufiiciently large so that when it floats to the top of the bag l0, when the latter is filled with the liquid, it becomes wedged into the tapering sides 15 of said neck portion l I, so as to confine said liquid in the bag Ill. The ball 16 may be manually forced downwards out of said neck portion I5 by flexing said neck portion IS with the fingers in order to release said confined liquid.

Means is associated with said neck portion l5 top of the.:tube l2 and then turned inside out so as to besdirected upwards above the nozzle 53 as indicated by the dot and dash lines l8. It

may then be engaged upon the bottom of a fauceta or another pipe. Moreover, in this position the connector may act as a funnel through which medication may be poured from a bottle through."

the nozzle [3 and into the bag In. The ribs 19 serve to better grip a faucetonpiper Said bag In is provided with an openingzllthrough which the ball It: may be easily inserted into.the bag JD. Means is provided for closing this opening 20; This means consists of a rubber plug 2| having a peripheral groove 22; The. edge portion 23of the bag liiiwhich surrounds the opening 201is engaged into said groove 22. A rubber clampring 24 engages around the edge portion 23 and forces same into the groove 22.. The extremeedge-of the edge portion 23 is turned around the clamp ring 24 (see Fig; 2). Hi isconstructed relativelythick at the neck portion I I so that this portion does not expand materially duringinflation. The main portion of the bag 10 isthin so as to be capable of inflating, as indicated by. the dot. and dash lines I0 in Fig.1.

In Fig.3 a modified'form ofthe. invention has been disclosed'which distinguishesfrom the prior.v

form merely in. the. fact that a relatively short tube 25 is'connected with the neck portion H of the bag 1.. In other respects this form of the invention is identical tothe prior form and identical. parts have been indicated by like reference numerals. A hard rubber tip may be inserted into this tube 25.. The tube 25 flares slightly at its top in order to prevent the rubber pipe: connector l8 from falling off. The pipe connector I8 is used by turning it insideout to extend upwards, as indicated .by the dot and dash lines .58. Then the bag. It may be filled in the same Way previously described.

The. operation and use of the new. catheters. may be'understood. from the following;

The-connector I8. is .used to fill the bag Ill with liquid and suitable medication. While the liquid enters the bag It! the force; of ;the liquid keeps the ball l6 out of the neckportion ll. The bag. I0 becomes inflated so as to hold alarger quantity of "the" medicated liquid. When sufiicient The bag liquid. has. entered the bag the supplyis turned off. Immediately, the balllfi floats upwards and shown in Fig. l theconnector I8 is merely slipped down to. its original position, shown by the full. lines on the. drawing, and it is ready to be used.

The nozzle or tip is inserted in' a rbOdyCaVity.iI1-

the usual .way. Then the ball I6 is slipped downwards with. the fingers through the flexible neck portion ll'so that the liquid is free to discharge through the nozzle'or tip.

While. I' have illustrated'and described the preferred. embodiments of my invention, it is Ito beunderstood that I do not limit myself to -.the-

precise. constructions herein disclosedandithe .4 right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a catheter having a rubber bag which may be inflated with a liquid under pressure, said rubber bag having at its top a flexible neck portion to which a nozzle may be connected, said neck portion having downwardly and outwardly taperingsides sufficiently flexible to be deformed by ,ones fingers engaging the outside face of said neck-portion, alight ball which will float in said liquid and become wedged into said tapering flexible sides of said neck portion when said bag is'filledwith said liquid to its neck portion so as to confine said liquid in said bag, and said neck portion being sufiiciently -fiexible so that said ball maybe manually forced downwards out of said neck portion'by flexing said neck portion with the'fingers engaging the outside'of said'neck POT-1 tion'in' order to release'said conflnedliquid: 2..In a catheter having arubber bag which may be inflated witha liquid'under pressure, said rubber bag having at its top a neck portion to which a nozzle may be connected, said neck por-- tion having downwardly and outwardly tapering sides; a light ball which will float in said. liquid and become wedged into said tapering sides of said neckp'ortion when said bag is'filled with said liquid to; its neck portion so asto confine said liquidin' saidbag in a manner so that said ball may. be manually" forced downwardsout'of' said neck'por'tionby flexing said neck portion with the fingers inorder to release said confined liquid, and means forc'onnecting a'supply of liquid with saidneckportion', comprising a tube connected with said "neck portion, and a rubber pipe connector on said' tube; said" tube terminating in a nozzle, said pipeconnector' being of 'frusto-conical shape and'sli'dably 'mounted on said tubegand 1 said. pipe connector; being flexible in order that it may "flex into'a diverging position'when'it'is at the outer'endof saidtub'e and maybe flexed into a convex position to engage over said'neck. portion when it is at the inner end of said tube.

3.;In' a catheter having a rubber bag which maybe inflatedwitha liquid under pressure, said rubber'bag having at its top a neck portion'to which vanozzlemay beconnect'ed,- said neck portion havii'ig'downwardly. and outwardly tapering sides, a light ball. which will float in said liquid and become wedged into said tapering sides of said neck portion when said bag is filled with said liquid. to its neck portion so as to confine said liquid in. said bag in.a manner so that said. ballinayr be manually forced downwards out of said neck portion by. flexing saidlneck portion withthe fingers in order to release said-confined liquidfand means for..connecting a supply of liquid. with said. neck portion, comprising a tube connectedwith'said neck portion, and a rubber pipe connector onsaid tube, said tube being ofrubber and terminating-in a nozzle, anda stiffeningtube mounted=coaxially of said tube.

4. lfn aicathetershaving a rubber bag-Which may be. inflatedwith a liquidunder. pressure, said rubber-bag. havingat itstop a neck portion. to which. a nozzle-may .be connected-,-- said-neck 1 portion having downwardly and .ou-twardlymtat pering sides, .a light ball which will float imsaid liquid and become wedg-ed into said tapering sides oflsaid neck-lportion when: saidbag-is filled withsaid! liquid-to .its; nec k' portion 50: as to confine? said liquid in said bag in a manner so that said ball may be manually forced downwards out of said neck portion by flexing said neck portion with the fingers in order to release said confined liquid, said bag having an opening through which said ball may be inserted into said bag, and means for closing said opening, comprising a plug with a peripheral groove, the edge portion of said opening engaging said groove, and a 6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number clamp ring clamping said edge portion into said 10 1,373,505

groove.

RAGNAR WAHLBECK.

Name Date Connable Apr. 22, 1879 Rees et a1. May 2, 1911 Herschlay Dec. 21, 1909 Holland Apr. 5, 1921 Derryberry Jan. 15, 1929