Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
THIS INVENTION relates to a valve device for temporarily
blocking a fluid flow line.
BACKGRoUND TO THE INVENTION
The invention has been devised particularly, although not
exclusively, for use in surgical applications where it is
necessary to provide an occlusion in blood vessels such as
arteries.
Where a patient is undergoing surgery and it is necessary
to restrict or prevent blood flow to the surgical site, it
is usual to provide occlusions in blood vessels in the
locality of the site. Conventionally, the occlusions are
provided by applying clamps, snares or tapes to the
outside of the blood vessels and crimping the lumins of
the blood vessels to block blood flow. This procedure has
a number of disadvantages, one of which i~ that it is
generally necessary to dissect the blood vessel from its
anatomical position in the body of the patient to provide
full circumferential access to the blood vessel to allow
for the occlusion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention seeks to provide a novel and useful
means for providing an occlusion in a fluid flow passage
such as a blood vessel.
In one form the invention resides in a valve device
comprising a pair of inflatable members, and a delivery
line one~ end olf whicih is in communication with said
inflatable members and the other end of which is
connectable to a source of inflation fluid.
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Preferably said one end of the delivery line includes two
branch lines each of which is connected to a respective
one of the inflatable members.
Preferably, said branch lines are substantially rigid so
as to maintain the inflatable members in spaced
relationship while being sufficiently resilient to allow
deflection for insertion of the inflatable members into,
and removal of the inflation members from, a fluid flow
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line.
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Preferably said branch lines are arranged in a
substantially V formation when said inflation members are
in said spaced relationship. -
Preferably said branch lines can resiliently deflect
towards eachother into substantially side-by-side
relationship. -;~
Preferably said branch lines are of different lengths - -~
whereby said inflatable members are offset from one
another when said branch lines are in said side-by-side
relationship.
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Preferably, said inflatable members comprise balloons
fitted onto the ends of the branch line. Conveniently,
the baIloons are made of latex material.
PreferabIy, said delivery line is flexible.
Preferabay, thel' inflation fluid~is a liguid. Where ! bhe~
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valve apparatus is to be used in surgical applications,
tho liquid preferably comprises an isotonic liquid.
Preferably, the source of inflation fluid comprises a
syringe having inflation fluid in its barrel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be better under6tood by reference to
the following description of speclfic embodiment thereof
and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view (on an
enlarged scale) of a valve device according to the
embodiment;
Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the valve device
showing the branch lines and inflatable members in
spaced relationship;
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Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 except that the
branch lines are shown in side-by-side relation;
Fig. 4 is a schematic view illustrating the valve
device being inserted into a blood vessel through a
surgical incision in the vessel;
Fig. 5 is a schematic view illustrating the valve
device in position in the blood vessel prior to
inflation of the inflatable members;
Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 except that the
inflatable members are shown in an inflated
condition so as to provide an occlusion in the
blood vessel; and
Fig. 7 is a schematic view illustrating the valve
device being withdrawn from the blood vessel
towards the end of a grafting procedure.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRE~ EMBODIMENT
The embodiment shown in the drawings is directed to a
valve device for surgical applications to provide an
occlusion `in a~'bloodii ve6sel 6uch as,i an !~ artery,
particularly for bypass grafting or vessel repair.
Th~e;~valve device compri6es a flexible fluid delivery line
11 having a pair of branch lines 13 at one of its ends.
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An inflatable member 15 in the form of a latex balloon is
fitted onto the outer end of each branch line.
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The branch lines 13 are arranged in a V formation. The
branch lines 13 are formed of resiliently flexible tube
material which normally maintains the inflatable in spaced
relationship ~as shown in Fig. 2) but which can
resiliently deflect to allow the branch lines 13 to assume
a position in which they are in side-by-side relation (as
shown in Fig. 3). So that the inflatable members are ;~
off et from eachother when the branch lines 13 are in
side-by-side relation (as best seen in Fig. 3), the branch
lines are different from eachother in length. ~
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The end of the fluid delivery line 11 opposite the branch
liens 13 is adapted for connection to a source 17 of `- -
inflation fluid such as a syringe containing such fluid.
A reference mark 19 is provided on the syringe 17 and the
position of the syringe is aligned with the reference mark
when the inflatable members 15 are in the deflated
condition. In this embodiment the inflation fluid
comprises an isotonic liquid.
Operation of the valve devioe will now be described in -
relation to a surgical operation which involves grafting a
graft vessel 20 onto an existing blood vessel 21, as ~ ,
illustrated in in Pigs. 4 to 7 of the accompanying
drawings-(where both the blood vessel and graft vessel are
depicted by broken lines). During the surgical operation,
it is necessary to provide an occlusion in the blood
vessel ~1 and theldevice according to the~embodimentic!an
be used to provide such occlusion. During the procedure,
a surgiaal incision 23 is formed in the side wall of the
blood vessel 21 and the branch lines 13 of the valve
dsvice~ are inserted into the lumen of the blood ves~el 21
suoh~that one inflatable member 15 is disposed to each
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side of, and spaced inwardly from the incision 23, as
illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings. ~he syringe
17 is then operated to introduce inflation fluid into the
inflatable members 15 via the delivery line 11 and the
branch lines 13. The inflatable members 15 expand and
sealingly engage against the inner wall of the blood
vessel 21 and block blood flow therealong, as illustrated
in Fig. 6 of the drawings.
Because the inflatable members 15 are in fluid
communication with eachother by way of the branch lines
and the delivery line, the pressure within the chambers
can equalise. This allows the inflatable members to
accommodate situations where the vessel lumen differs in
cross-section size on opposed sides of the surgical
incision.
Once the occlusion has been established in the blood
vessel, the graft vessel 20 can be sutured to the blood
vessel 21 in conventional manner. ~he final few sutures
are, however, left loose so that the occlusion can be
removed. The plunger of the syringe i8 then retracted to
the reference mark 19 so as to draw the inflation fluid
back into the syringe and so deflate the inflatable
members. Following their deflation, the inflatable
members can be removed from the blood vessel by gently
pulling on the delivery line. As the branch lines leave
the blood vessel 21 they are urged towards eachother to
asæume said side-by-side relation for convenient passage
through the loose sutures. Because the inflatable members
are offsèt from'eachother at this;stage, one follow8 the
other through the loose sutures without damaging the
suture8 or the grafted ve8sel8. When the valve device has
been removed from the surgical site, the ioose sutures can
be pulled tight and tied.
From the foregoing it is evident that the present :~ :
invention enables a temporary occlusion to be established
in a blood vessel in a relatively convenient and easy ,
manner.
Although the invention has been described with reference
to one specific embodiment it should be appreciated that ~ :
it is not limited to such embodiment and that the valve .
device may have applications in fields other than ~
formation of occlusions in blood vessels during surgical - ~ :
procedures.
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