Methods and apparatuses for additively manufactured tubular passages, additively manufactured manifolds, and additively manufactured heaters are provided.

Manifold for a medical/surgical waste collection assembly. A shell includes a proximal end base, and a lip extending proximally from the proximal end base. The lip extends around an outlet opening defined in the proximal end base that is off-centered to a longitudinal axis of the shell. A cap including a cap head is coupled to a side wall of the shell. A drip stop may be seated within a space defined by the lip to cover the outlet opening. An arcuate section of the lip may be flush with an adjacent section of the side wall. The cap head may define a through hole, and a flapper valve unit may be coupled to the cap head with another component having ears extending through the through hole. A fence may extend from the cap head and configured to be grasped by a user.

A bridge (30) comprises a first inlet port (31) at the end of a capillary, a narrower second inlet port (32) which is an end of a capillary, an outlet port (33) which is an end of a capillary, and a chamber (34) for silicone oil. The oil is density-matched with the reactor droplets such that a neutrally buoyant environment is created within the chamber (34). The oil within the chamber is continuously replenished by the oil separating the reactor droplets. This causes the droplets to assume a stable capillary-suspended spherical form upon entering the chamber (34). The spherical shape grows until large enough to span the gap between the ports, forming an axisymmetric liquid bridge. The introduction of a second droplet from the second inlet port (32) causes the formation of an unstable funicular bridge that quickly ruptures from the, finer, second inlet port (32), and the droplets combine at the liquid bridge (30). In another embodiment, a droplet (55) segments into smaller droplets which bridge the gap between the inlet and outlet ports.

A manifold for a medical/surgical waste collection assembly. The manifold includes a housing shaped to be removably received within a manifold receiver of the medical/surgical waste collection assembly. An inlet fitting is coupled to the housing and adapted to be coupled with a suction line. An outlet opening is in fluid communication with the inlet fitting to define a fluid communication path from the suction line to the outlet opening and through a filter. The manifold includes a data carrier storing data useable to regulate operation of the medical/surgical waste collection assembly. The data carrier may include a radiofrequency identification tag having memory storing data suitable for determining whether the manifold is usable with the medical/surgical waste collection assembly. The RFID tag is adapted to be in electronic communication with a data reader when the manifold is coupled with the manifold receiver for communicating the data from the manifold.

A water delivery system is disclosed. The water delivery system may have an electronic user interface. The electronic user interface may be a portable device. The electronic user interface may include inputs to select water temperature, water flow rates, water flow patterns, and/or task based presets. A mixing valve for use with either manual faucets or electronic faucets is disclosed.

A water delivery system is disclosed. The water delivery system may have an electronic user interface. The electronic user interface may be a portable device. The electronic user interface may include inputs to select water temperature, water flow rates, water flow patterns, and/or task based presets. A mixing valve for use with either manual faucets or electronic faucets is disclosed.

A manifold apparatus and method of opening a valve in a medical/surgical waste collection unit. The manifold includes a base at a proximal end with the base defining an opening off center from an axis of the manifold. The manifold further includes two arcuately spaced tabs, each subtending arcs having different arcuate lengths. The manifold is positioned such that the tabs mate with at least two slots of a lock ring of the waste collection unit so as to cause the opening of the manifold to be, upon insertion into a bore of the waste collection unit, in a specific rotational alignment in the bore. The manifold is rotated within the bore to cause a valve disk to move between a first position in which the valve disk blocks fluid flow through the receiver and a second position in which the valve disk allows fluid flow through the receiver.

A fluid delivery device includes a body and a reed. The body has a primary inflow passage, a secondary inflow passage, and an outflow passage. The reed is disposed at least partially within the body. The reed is configured to move to a first position when a fluid flows from the primary inflow passage and move to a second position when the fluid flows from the secondary inflow passage.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a stopcock including a housing element defining at least first, second and third ports, a handle element which is selectably positionable relative to the housing element, at least one fluid passageway communicating between at least two of the at least first, second and third ports, the at least one fluid passageway being selectably defined by at least one of the housing element and the handle element, the at least one fluid passageway being configured for enabling flushing an internal volume of at least one of the first, second and third ports by a fluid flow which does not flow entirely through the port whose internal volume is being flushed.

Methods and apparatuses for additively manufactured tubular passages, additively manufactured manifolds, and additively manufactured heaters are provided.