Implantable Penile Prosthesis Pump Asymmetric Poppet Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pumps for inflatable penile prostheses face challenges such as vacuum lock interruptions during inflation and complex fluid pathway management, which can complicate the reliable inflation and deflation processes.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a pump housing with fluid ports, a pump bulb, and poppets with sealing surfaces and flanges to establish a free fluid path, sliding poppet engagement, and a bypass chamber with a non-parallel check valve axis, allowing for efficient fluid transfer and reducing the risk of vacuum locks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If traditional pump designs with aligned poppet valves are used, then the fluid pathway control is straightforward, but the device size increases and vacuum lock interruptions occur during inflation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by offsetting the alignment between the reservoir poppet and cylinder poppet valves. The reservoir poppet is positioned at a first location while the cylinder poppet is positioned at a second location that is offset from the first location. This asymmetric arrangement allows the poppets to slide past each other during operation, enabling continuous fluid flow paths that prevent vacuum lock interruptions and reduce the overall pump size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics through the sliding engagement mechanism of the offset poppets. As fluid pressure changes during inflation and deflation cycles, the poppets dynamically slide past each other along their respective seats, maintaining continuous fluid pathways. This dynamic movement prevents the formation of vacuum locks and ensures reliable operation throughout the pumping cycle.
2Reliability
If complex fluid pathway management is used to prevent vacuum locks, then inflation reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric offset positioning of poppets simplifies fluid pathway management by creating naturally continuous flow paths. Instead of requiring complex valve mechanisms or multiple fluid channels to prevent vacuum locks, the offset arrangement allows fluid to continuously flow around the poppets as they slide, achieving reliable inflation with a simpler overall fluid pathway design.
3Volume of moving object
If poppet valves are positioned close together to reduce pump size, then compactness improves, but fluid flow management becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The offset asymmetric positioning of poppets enables compact pump design while maintaining ease of fluid flow management. The deliberate misalignment creates sliding engagement that naturally guides fluid flow around the closely positioned poppets, eliminating the need for complex flow management mechanisms and making the compact design equally easy to operate.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration ensures reliable and efficient inflation and deflation of penile prostheses by preventing vacuum locks and simplifying fluid pathway management, providing a compact and user-friendly operation.
Implementation Method 1
The design incorporates a pump housing with fluid ports, a pump bulb, and poppets with sealing surfaces and flanges to establish a free fluid path, sliding poppet engagement, and a bypass chamber with a non-parallel check valve axis, allowing for efficient fluid transfer and reducing the risk of vacuum locks.
Implementation Method 2
The pump bulb is in fluid communication with the fluid passageway and can be operated to transfer fluid between the first and second fluid ports through the fluid passageway.
Implementation Method 3
The pump includes a poppet positioned within the fluid passageway. The poppet includes an extending portion extending away from a body portion of the poppet. The extending portion has a sealing surface biased toward a valve seat within the fluid passageway.
Implementation Method 4
The design incorporates a bypass chamber with a non-parallel check valve axis, allowing for efficient fluid transfer and reducing the risk of vacuum locks.
Data Source
AI summary
Pumps for use with inflatable implantable penile prostheses in accordance with the invention include features that can provide for free fluid flow during inflation and deflation modes of the pump. Pumps may also include a bypass chamber that is fluidly connected to the fluid passageway by a bypass input channel and a bypass output channel. The bypass chamber comprises a bypass check valve biased toward a closed position.