US1973351A - Blood transfusion apparatus - Google Patents

Description

sept. 11, 1934. s. MEEKER 1,973,351

BLOOD TRANsFUsIoN APPARATUS Filed June 15, 1952 Lili;

Patented Sept. 11, 1934 ..1973351" Bmo 1 yiv'.iiii1isiiiJSLIQN Armas-TUS Y Y A Sidney Meeker, lvlelnphis,` Tenn. Y Application une 13, 1932, serial Nt.l 617,623' Claims 01: l1.2.8:-2140 lh'isinvention relates toimprove'ments ina direct blood transfusion apparatus, 4and the primary objects of the-invention are to provide an apparatus whichwilllca'u'se a continuousffiow of blood rfrema` donorto a recipient by the use of multiple syringes 4and a fourway valve; which will permit the transfusion- -of blood to' be given irl-one half the-timethat required with they vapparatus new in' genera-l use; -that will retain only a relatively small amount of dormant bloodi -`(or'none `at all by one type of Valve) and retain this amount only fone halt-as llong as the instruments now in general useand which will allow a small arnountofy sodium citrateor other solution tobe mixed with-the blood, to make the clotting time ustflon'gfenough -to prevent coagulation while the blood is passing vthrough -the instrument. Afurtherlobject is to provide an instrument of this character, which maybe readily dismantled tofacilitate cleaning, transportation or storage. Another 'object is-to kfurnish anapparatus of this character, Awhich-is of simple and inexpensive construction, and which-.will last `indefinitely without the necessity ofv replacing parts.

With the'iforegoing objects .outlined and with other objectsin-fview which will appear as the description proceeds, my inventionconsists inthe novel features hereinafter described in` detail, illustrated inrthe accompanying drawing, and more particularly pointed out `the appended claims. Y l @Referring :to the drawing, Fignlvis a plan View of `the .apparatus Vpartly in horizontal sectiomand 'showing the ,parts .in thel position in which one .of `thesyringes is deliveringwblood totherecipient,.through a valve plug .having fourparts.` 1 .1

Fig..2 isa similar,'view'butshowing theparts in the ,position which :they occupyiwhen 4the syringe is delivering `blood to the recipient.. -v Fig. `3 is `aiverticalsectional view on .the .line 3-3 of Fig. 2. l

Figs a'sectional'view of the needle valve.

The apparatus shown in the drawing comprises a base or plate 2, to which is attached a four way Valve 9.

The casing 3 of the valve has an upstanding annular Wall 4 forming a tapered bore, and there are four'radial passageways 5, 6, 7 and 8, extending horizontally through the wall and arranged at about 90 degrees relatively to one another. In the use of the apparatus, the p-assageway 5 is connected with the recipient, the passageway 6, with the donor, the passageway 7 with one syringe 17, and the passageway 8 with the other be provided with a projecting nipplel i A plug 9 is rotatably mountedin the tapered bore and its periphery is-tapered to accord with the wall ofthe bore, and va spring -10 is mounted on the wall 4 and bears against the plug to urge the same into-thebore." Ihe spring 101Inay` be replaced by 'a coil-spring `19 surroundingA aprojec'tion 20 of the `plug v9 and held in place and tension applied by set nut 2,1. A handle'll is firmly secured .to the .plug to permit the same to be rotated. 'l i As best shown in Figs. land 2, the plug is provided with two curved ports 12 and 1.3, the ends of .which are 90 degreesV apart, so as Ato cooperate with the passageways of the casing, and the plug is also provided with crossed .ports 14 andal, whose rends are 190 Vdegrees rapart in .order that they may register with the passagevvays of the casing'when the plug is turned intothe position shown in Fig. 2. At this time-it will be noted that all of .theports of the .plug are always out of communication.

.Whenthepartsare in the position shown in Fig. 1, the blood willbe o'wing rornthe donor through passageway 6, port `13 ,and passageway .8 to the right hand Luer syringe. 16,-.and. from .the left hand -Luer syringe `17, ythrough passageway 7, port .l2 `and passageway 5 .to Vthe recipient. On ,the other hand, .when the .parts are Iin the position showny in Fig. 2, blood will be flowing `from the donor through passageway, port laand passageway 7 4to .the vsyringe `17, .and :from syringe 116, through passageway .8, port 15 ,and passageway `5 to Ythe recipient. vTo accomplish .this result, and allow the bloodito` flow continuously, the ,pistonsQ-f thesyringes are continuouslyreciprocated, but in theopposite directions. l i'. i

It will be understood that the valve'plug is to Voscillate inA unison withthe strokes of 4thesyringe pistons, `and to Ifacilitate the registrationof 4the plugports with the passagewaysof the casing, and to limit the movement of the p1ug,1suita ble stop means are provided. Such means may include a recess cut in the upper portion of the casing 3, and having opposite abutments 18 engaging the handle 11.

To facilitate the addition of sodium citrate solution or the like to the blood while in transit, I arrange in the donors pipe line, a valve structure 22 (Fig. 4) having a passageway 23 for the blood, and a port 24 for the introduction of the solution. This port 24 is controlled by a needle valve 25. The arrangement of the parts is such that where there is a short clotting of the donors blood, that syringe 16, and each of these-passageways may 'les is, less than three minutes, the needle valve 25 will allow as small amount of sodium citrate or other solution as is possible, to mix with the blood, to make the clotting time just long enough to prevent coagulation while the blood is passing through the instrument.

In operation the passageway 6 will be placed in communication with the donor, and the passageway 5 in communication with the recipient, and the valve plug 9 will be in the position shown in Fig. 1. Now, when the piston of syringe 16 moves outwardly to the position shown in Fig; 2, blood will be fed from the donor through passagewayg, port 13 and passageway 8, into the barrel of syringe 16, until the barrel is lled with blood. When theH valve is shifted into the position shown in Fig. 2, and while the piston of syringe 16 is forcing blood from the syringe through passageway 8, port 15 and passageway 5 to the recipient, the piston of syringe 17 will be drawing blood from the donor through passageway 6, port 14 and passageway 7. Consequently, while the apparatus is in operation, blood will be continuously drawn from the donor and passed to the recipient. Furthermore, the structure is such that the only dormant blood during the transfusion will be that retained by ports of the valve plug, while those ports are not interposed in the lines through which the blood is iiowing. Howeven as the apparatus will be operated continuously, it will be apparent that the dormant blood will only be retained in the ports for a short period of time, that is, the time period during which the blood is flowing through the other ports of the valve.

As to the advantages of the invention over the instruments now generally used, they may be summarized as follows:-

1. A continuous flow of blood from donor to recipient.

2. The transfusion is given in half the time of a one-syringe instrument.

3. The amount of dormant blood in theports 14, 15, or 12, 13, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is less than two inches in length. Hence, there is only a very small amount that is liable to coagulate.

4. The amount of dormant blood in the onesyringe method, is fifteen inches or more, depending on the length of the tubing connecting the syringe to the donor and to the recipient. Hence, there is not over one-fifteenth as much blood in my apparatus liable to coagulation, as shown in the valve of Figs. 1 and 2.

5. 'Ihe dormant blood lies stagnant only half as long with the present instrument.

6. A simple means for changing the current of blood from one syringe to the other. l

'7. The syringes are of the Luer type in common use, hence new ones are quickly available'in case of breakage.

8. The instrument can be employed for injecting any kind of fluid intravenously by connecting the passageway 6 to the container for the iiuid that is to be injected.

9. The instrument can be readily sterilized, by boiling or other methods and this is facilitated by the use of removable parts.

10. A simple means for adding sodium citrate or other solution if necessary, in definite percentages, to the stream of blood, to prevent coagulation.

11. Few working parts to get out of order.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction, operation and kadvantages of the invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art, and I am aware that changes may be made in the details disclosed, without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in the claims.

`What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. In an apparatus of the character described, a valvecasing having an inlet passageway, an outlet passageway and a plurality of combined inlet and outlet passageways, syringe barrels in constant communication with said combined inlet and outlet passageways, pistons for said barrels, the pistons reciprocating in opposite directions by hand, and a valve plug cooperating with said casing and provided with two pairs of ports adapted when the plug is shifted, to alternately cooperate with said passageways for alternately placing each syringe in communication with said inlet passageway.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the valve casing and plug have contacting frusto-conical surfaces.

3., An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the plug is rotatably mounted in the valve casing, and is providedwith means for yieldingly urging the plug into the casing.

4. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a base plate, a valve casing, said casing having four passageways spaced at 90 degrees relatively to one another, a rotatable plug detachably mounted in the casing and having two pairs of ports adapted when the plug is oscillated, to alternately place a pair of passageways in communication with the otherpair of passageways, and syringes having barrels constantly communicating with a pair of said passageways.

. 5. In an apparatus of the character described, abase plate, a valve casing mounted on the base plate and having four passageways arranged at 90 degrees relatively to one another, a rotatable plug mounted in the casing and having a first pair of ports with their ends arranged at 90 degrees relatively to one another, said plug having a secondpair of ports with their ends arranged at 90 degrees relatively to one another but spaced degrees from the ends of the rst pair of ports, all of the ports cooperating with said passageways, syringe barrels communicating with a pair of said passageways,l and pistons reciprocating, in said barrels, simultaneously in opposite directions by hand.

SIDNEY MEEKER.

Images