Valve device, valve insert, external functional means, treatment apparatus, and method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a valve device comprising an elastic valve insert and a reception means for the valve insert. It further relates to a valve insert, an external functional means and a treatment apparatus, as well as a manufacturing method and methods in which the valve device of the invention may be employed.

Claims

1. A valve device comprising: at least one valve insert which is elastic in at least one portion thereof; and at least one reception means for receiving the valve insert, wherein the valve insert is configured such that due to its elasticity it may be switched between at least three different valve states upon an impression of path and/or an application of force, and wherein the valve states are selected from the group consisting of an opened functional state of the valve, a check valve state, a control or regulation valve state and a closed valve state.

2. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein one of the at least three different valve states is the opened functional state of the valve.

3. The valve device according claim 1, wherein one of the at least three different valve states is the check valve state.

4. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein one of the at least three different valve states is the control or regulation valve state.

5. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein one of the at least three different valve states is the closed valve state.

6. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the valve insert comprises an elastomer material at least in a portion thereof.

7. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the valve insert comprises impressions at least in a portion thereof.

8. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the valve insert comprises at least one first sealing means provided and adapted for being pressed in at least one portion thereof by form closure and/or frictionally with at least one portion of a second sealing means of the reception means.

9. The valve device according to claim 8, wherein the first sealing means is pressable with the second sealing means by impression of path and/or transmission of force to the valve insert.

10. The valve device according to claim 8, wherein a force acting on the valve insert is a pressing force introduced by installation of the valve device into a treatment apparatus.

11. The valve device according to claim 9, wherein the impression of path on the valve insert is a displacement introduced by installation of the valve device into a treatment apparatus.

12. The valve device according to claim 10, wherein the pressing force is transmitted by a transmission member of the treatment apparatus.

13. The valve device according to claim 11, wherein the displacement is transmitted by a transmission member of the treatment apparatus.

14. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the valve insert comprises at least one guiding means for introducing the valve insert into the reception means.

15. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the valve insert comprises at least one elastic bending ring region.

16. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the valve device is provided with a cover means at least on one upper side thereof.

17. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the valve insert is switchable across the cover means by a force and/or an impression of path transmitted by a treatment apparatus.

18. An external functional means comprising at least one valve device according to claim 1.

19. The external functional means according to claim 18, wherein the external functional means is configured as a blood treatment cassette having blood-conducting passages for extracorporeal blood treatment, wherein substituate and/or one or several drugs are introducable into the blood-conducting passages via the valve device.

20. A method of controlling or regulating a passage of fluid, including the step of: controlling the valve device according to claim 1 to control or regulate the passage of the fluid.

21. The method according to claim 20, further including the step of: applying a defined force and/or a defined impression of path to an upper side of the valve insert for the purpose of switching the valve insert.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the force and/or the impression of path is applied to the upper side of the valve insert by a transmission member.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the force and/or the impression of path is applied to the valve insert across a cover means.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the force is a pressing force or the impression of path is a displacement, and the force and/or the impression of path is introduced by installation of the valve device or of an external functional means comprising the valve device into a treatment apparatus.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein the force and/or the displacement is a force and/or displacement resulting from the flow of fluids passing through the valve device.

26. A treatment apparatus comprising at least one valve device according to claim 1 and/or an external functional means comprising at least one valve device according to claim 1.

27. The treatment apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the treatment apparatus is configured as a blood treatment apparatus.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of components of a valve device in accordance with the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a schematically simplified lateral view of a valve insert of a valve device in accordance with the present invention.

(3) FIG. 3 schematically shows a sectional, lateral view of a valve device in accordance with the present invention in a valve state of a sterilization or storage position.

(4) FIG. 4 schematically shows a sectional, lateral view of a valve device in accordance with the present invention in a valve state of a permanently opened valve position.

(5) FIG. 5 schematically shows a sectional, lateral view of a valve device in accordance with the present invention in a valve state of a closed check valve.

(6) FIG. 6 schematically shows a sectional, lateral view of a valve device in accordance with the present invention in a valve state of an opened check valve.

(7) FIG. 7 schematically shows a sectional, lateral view of a valve device in accordance with the present invention in a valve state as a permanently closed valve or as a control valve.

(8) FIG. 8 shows a lateral view of an external functional means of the invention in accordance with a preferred embodiment, which is provided with a cover means at its front side.

(9) FIG. 9 shows the external functional means of FIG. 8 with a cover means having been opened.

(10) FIG. 10 shows the external functional means of FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 from its rear side.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(11) In the following, the valve device of the invention shall be described by way of preferred embodiments thereof while making reference to the drawings. In the figures of the drawing, same reference symbols designate same or identical elements, wherein:

(12) In accordance with the exploded view of FIG. 1, the valve device 100 comprises a valve insert 1 being inserted into a reception means 3. The valve insert 1 is covered at its upper side by a cover means, for example a film element 5, which comprises a static sealing strip 7.

(13) In accordance with the invention, the sealing strip 7 may be configured, e.g., in the shape of a sealing ring or seal rim, a dent, or the like.

(14) Above the film element 5 a transmission member 9 is arranged which comprises a movement transmission means 11 for transmitting movements or forces in the axial direction of the valve insert (in FIG. 1 a direction “from top to bottom”) or vice versa.

(15) The transmission member 9 may be arranged on the machine side, i.e., it may be part of a treatment apparatus not shown in FIG. 1 such as, for example, a treatment apparatus for treating blood.

(16) The reception means 3 is provided in a housing element 13. As is shown in FIG. 1, for instance, the housing element 13 may be part of an external functional means (not shown).

(17) The housing element 13 may be made of a stiff or comparatively stiff material such as, for example, a thermoplastic material.

(18) The reception means 3 comprises a second sealing means having the form, for instance, of a rigid sealing ring 15 as well as an upper seat bush 17, a static sealing ring 19, and a lower seat bush 21. The lower seat bush 21 has a rigid front end portion 23.

(19) The rigid sealing ring 15 of FIG. 1 exemplarily has an undulating, i.e., slightly curved, configuration.

(20) The reception means 3 further comprises a partly semi-open flow passage 25 for the fluids passing through the valve device 100 such as, for example, blood and/or substituate liquid and/or sterilizing liquid. The flow passage 25 includes flow passage portions 27 and 29. In FIG. 1, the flow passage portion 27 is shown as an inflow passage and the flow passage portion 29 as an outflow passage, as is indicated by the arrows. However, the valve device 100 may also be flushed in a different direction, in particular in the reverse direction.

(21) The valve insert 1 may open or close the flow passage 25 depending on the mode of function, wherein the valve insert 1 correspondingly adopts one of the valve states described in the foregoing and also represented in the following by way of the figures.

(22) FIG. 2 shows a schematic lateral view of a valve insert 1 of a valve device 100 of the invention in a partly cut-open representation.

(23) The valve insert 1 comprises a first sealing means having, for instance, the form of an elastic sealing ring 31, a bending ring region 33, as well as a guiding means having, for instance, the form of guide ribs 45. Furthermore a static valve seat 35, an elastic seat region having the form of an elastic seat region 37, an outer front ring region 39, an inner front ring region 41, and an front end stop 43 are shown.

(24) The elastic sealing ring 31 has a planar, i.e., flat configuration at its lower side (i.e., at the bottom in the representation of FIG. 2).

(25) Upon application of an axial displacement and/or an axial force, in particular a pressing force, to the inner front ring region 41, a compression zone 47—e.g., a zone of axial compression—of the valve insert 1 may undergo elastic deformation, e.g., compression. FIG. 2 shows a deformation space 49 whose shape and volume are variable depending on the valve state of the valve device 100.

(26) The above-mentioned central region is exemplarily shown in FIG. 3 designated by reference numeral 44. As is visible in FIG. 2, the accumulation of material of the central region 44 may be effected, e.g., by the convergence of guide ribs 45 in an axis of symmetry of the valve insert 1.

(27) FIGS. 3 to 7 show different, exemplarily selected valve states of the valve device 100 that may be obtained by applying a displacement and/or a force such as, for example, a pressing force on the part of a treatment apparatus or a force of a fluid to the valve insert 1. The valve insert 1 is adapted to be switched between the valve states by applying or releasing the force. FIG. 3 shows in a schematically simplified manner a sectional view of the valve device 100 in a valve state that will in the following be referred to as a sterilization or storage position.

(28) The valve insert 1 is placed inside the reception means 3. The valve insert 1 contacts the rigid front end portion 23 of the lower seat bush 21 of the reception means 3 through its guide ribs 45. The valve insert 1 is covered by the film element 5.

(29) With this design of the bending ring region 33 of the valve insert 1, the frictional connection between the guide ribs 45 (cf. FIG. 2) and the inner wall of the lower seat bush 21 of the reception means 3 preferably is advantageously just sufficient to securely prevent the valve insert 1 from falling out due to its own weight.

(30) The bending ring region 33 is preferably adapted such that a transient axial displacement—for example upon assemblance—of the front end stop 43 of the valve insert 1 to the bottom of the lower seat bush 21 is advantageously entirely reversed by the reset force of the bending ring region 33. Here, the reset forces of the bending ring region 33 preferably overcome the frictional forces between the guide ribs 45 and the inner walls of the lower seat bush 21 or the guide bush of the reception means 3. In this way, a particularly simple assembly may advantageously be ensured.

(31) In the sterilization position shown in FIG. 3 no external forces are acting on the valve insert 1. The valve insert 1 is thus substantially not subjected to any bias and/or material stress. All of the regions of the valve insert 1 that are relevant for its main functions are not pressed with either the reception means 3 or the housing element 13 (not shown here). They are free from significant material stresses.

(32) As no forces or displacements are acting on the elastic seat region 37 in FIG. 3, the deformation space 49 of the valve insert 1 takes a maximum volume.

(33) The valve device 100 is in a state which is opened for a fluid flowing through the valve device 100. In this case, the fluids may flow bidirectionally through the valve device 100, as can be seen from the double arrows represented in FIG. 3.

(34) The fluid flow through the valve device 100 takes place through a gap 51 located between the elastic sealing ring 31 of the valve insert 1 and the rigid sealing ring 15 of the reception means 3.

(35) Such a state is particularly well suited for sterilization of the valve device 100 or for sterilization of an external functional means connected to a valve device 100.

(36) As the single components are arranged without any stresses—construction stresses among each other and internal stress as well—in such a valve state, this valve is furthermore preferably suited for prolonged storage of the valve device 100 or of an external functional means including a like valve device 100. A loss of tension and an impairment of the respective component parts associated therewith do not occur in the absence of tension.

(37) The open sterilization position of the valve device 100 may now allow to perform any sterilization or other preliminary treatments that require the free bidirectional passage of sterilization or treatment fluids such as, for example, blood and/or substituate liquid, through the flow passage 25.

(38) FIG. 4 shows in a schematically simplified manner a lateral view of the valve device 100 of FIG. 3 in a permanently opened valve position as the valve state. In contrast to the representation of FIG. 3, the valve device 100 in FIG. 4 is arranged inside a treatment apparatus. This may be recognizable from the fact that a transmission member 9, for example a pressure actor of a treatment apparatus, is arranged above the film element 5.

(39) The valve insert 1 is held between the reception means 3 and the transmission member 9 by means of the guide ribs 45 and through the intermediary of the outer front ring region 39.

(40) The transmission member 9 may be adapted such that a bidirectional flow through the valve insert 1 is possible in the permanently opened valve position. The valve device 100 is thus in an opened position, either inherently due to its presence inside the machine, or due to machine control.

(41) The transmission member 9 rests on the film element 5 such that a closure between film element 5 and outer front ring region 39 is obtained, which is different from the position shown in FIG. 3 in which a space between film element 5 and outer front ring region 39 is kept open for the purpose of sterilization.

(42) FIGS. 5 and 6 show in a schematically simplified manner lateral views of the valve device 100 of FIGS. 3 and 4 in a valve state of a closed check valve (FIG. 5) and in a valve state of an opened check valve (FIG. 6), respectively.

(43) In FIG. 5, installation pressing of the valve insert 1 is enhanced by shortening a path distance (in the axial direction, i.e. in the direction “from top to bottom” in FIG. 5) between the reception means 3 and the transmission member 9, and is then kept constant. In passive machine arrangements not provided with active valve functions, this may done solely by placing the external functional means inside the machine. In active machine arrangements having additional open/close functions of the valve devices 100, this may be done by driving the transmission member 9 correspondingly.

(44) FIG. 5 shows the biased, closed valve state of the valve device 100 when a fluid present accumulates against the passing direction at the rigid sealing ring 15, or when the fluid accumulates in the passing direction, however the pressure difference between the inflow and outflow sides is still smaller than the adjusted minimum response pressure of the check valve.

(45) In a contact/pressing region 53 the elastic sealing ring 31 and the rigid sealing ring 15 rest on each other or are pressed against each other.

(46) FIG. 6 shows the valve state during a flow through the valve device 100 in the passing direction. Particularly in this valve state, the above-described compensation of tolerances may be effected in the axial direction between the inner front ring region 41 and the front end stop 43 and ensures constant functional properties. In the check valve position, the front end stop 43 of the valve insert 1 is then already placed at a stop against the rigid front end portion 23 of the lower seat bush 21.

(47) A gap 51 remains between the elastic sealing ring 31 and the rigid sealing ring 15.

(48) FIG. 7 shows in a schematically simplified manner a lateral view of a valve device 100 in a valve state as a permanently closed valve or as a control valve. Such a control valve may act as pressure or volume flow control valve.

(49) In this valve state, the transmission member 9 enhances pressing in the axial direction (which refers to a direction extending vertically downward from above in the figure) to a larger extent of axial displacement until the outer front ring region 39 enters into mechanical pressing contact with the elastic sealing ring 31 in the axial direction.

(50) In this way, pressing between the elastic sealing ring 31 and the rigid sealing ring 15 is increased to such a degree that the valve device 100 is closed bidirectionally against the pressure difference resulting from construction.

(51) In the valve state shown in FIG. 7, the valve device 100 of the invention may act as a pressure or volume flow control valve.

(52) When the seat region 37 of the valve insert 1, which is elastic in the axial direction, or the elastic sealing ring 31 associated as a contact mate are adapted to have a defined resilience, e.g. by providing it/them with an additional groove or with resilient, thin annular bars or knobs which effect an intended contact between the axial elastic seat region 37 and the elastic sealing ring 31 in the event of the further axial deflection of the valve insert 1 mentioned above, then a definitely higher bias of the valve device 100 may result in this valve state.

(53) Such a higher bias may either take place in two discrete stages (gap 51 between axial elastic seat region 37 and elastic sealing ring 31) before axial actuation and contact after axial actuation or in a continuous manner (initial contact between the named partners), in a path-dependent manner depending on the axial displacement of the transmission member 9.

(54) FIG. 8 shows a lateral view of an external functional means which is provided with a cover means at the surface which one looks upon in FIG. 8.

(55) Here, the external functional means is exemplarily configured as a blood treatment cassette 1000 having chambers, passages, valves, and the like. The blood treatment cassette 1000 of FIG. 8 is provided at its front side with a cover means, in the present case examplarily a film 5 as already specified in the foregoing.

(56) The blood treatment cassette 1000 may be coupled, at least by the front side shown in FIG. 8, to a blood treatment apparatus (not shown in FIG. 1).

(57) The blood treatment cassette 1000 comprises an arterial heparin addition site 63. Here, it should be noted that the heparin addition site 63 may also be suited and intended for adding other pharmacological active agents than heparin, which are only in a preferred manner anti-coagulants or combinations of active agents. This should also be considered whenever heparin is mentioned before or afterwards in any kind of context.

(58) The blood treatment cassette 1000 comprises a check valve 65 of the arterial heparin addition site 63. The check valve 65 is a practical example of the valve device of the invention of the present application.

(59) The blood treatment cassette 1000 further includes a check valve 69 for a venous heparin addition site 67.

(60) By actuating a check valve 71 as another embodiment of the valve means of the invention, substituate may be introduced into a substituate conduit 73.

(61) FIG. 9 shows the blood treatment cassette 1000 of FIG. 8, wherein the film is shown as cut open at the left margin of the blood treatment cassette 1000 as well as at the top and bottom and having been opened to the right.

(62) FIG. 9 shows the elements inside the blood treatment cassette 1000 which are visible in more detail after having cut open the film.

(63) In order to avoid repetitions, reference is made to the configurations of the individual elements discussed in the foregoing in the description of FIG. 8.

(64) FIG. 10 shows the blood treatment cassette 1000 from its rear side. When the blood treatment cassette 1000 is coupled to the blood treatment apparatus, an observer opening a door of the blood treatment apparatus for removing the blood treatment cassette 1000 will look upon this rear side.

(65) For further details concerning the blood treatment cassette 1000, reference is made to its detailed description in the above-mentioned application directed thereat.

(66) The following is a List of Reference Numerals used herein:

(67) TABLE-US-00001 Reference numeral Description 100 valve device 1000 blood treatment cassette 1 valve insert 3 reception means 5 film element 7 static sealing strip 9 transmission member 11 axial movement transmission means 13 housing element 15 rigid sealing ring 17 upper seat bush 19 static sealing ring 21 lower seat bush 23 rigid front end portion of the lower seat bush 25 semi-open flow passage 27 flow passage portion 29 flow passage portion 27 and 29 flow passage 31 elastic sealing ring 33 bending ring region 35 static valve seat 37 elastic seat region 39 outer front ring region 41 inner front ring region 43 front end stop 44 central region 45 guide ribs 47 compression zone 49 deformation space 51 gap 53 contact/pressing region 63 arterial heparin addition site 65 check valve of the arterial heparin addition site 67 venous heparin addition site 69 check valve of the venous addition site 71 check valve for substituate conduit 73 substituate conduit