Title of Invention

A SPHYGMOMANOMETER

Abstract This invention provides a second air release valve in addition to the air release valve in the control valve, between the inflation valve (for inflating air) and the pressure-measuring device of mercury or anaeroid sphygmomanometers for enabling quick deflation of the bladder for repeated sphygmomanometry.
Full Text This invention relates to sphygmomanometers of the mercury or anaeroid type. Sphygmomanometers of the mercury and anaeroid type are provided with an inflation valve and a control valve for controlling the flow of air. The control valve houses an air release valve operated by a control knob, said control knob having threaded mating parts with the valve body, the valve opening being closed or opened by the turning movements of the control knob with respect to the valve body, said control valve providing an opening of the ( tubular system to the exterior through the valve opening of said air release valve. A commonly used embodiment of this control valve has a threaded stem working within the threaded body of the valve, the outer end of said threaded stem being dimensioned to work against the main valve opening of the release valve. An exit valve opening is also usually provided for letting out the air coming through the main valve opening. The main valve opening is usually very small and is closed by the pointed tip of the threaded stem. This type of release valve usually made of brass is found to be sturdy and long lasting and eminently suited for the manual operation required for these sphygmomanometers. By turning the control knob the air release at any time may be arrested, the bladder re-inflated, and the air released slowly or quickly according to the judgment of the operator. As such this type of release valve has become part of the standard equipment of the manually operated mercury or anaeroid sphygmomanometers. The release valve in existing sphygmomanometers has to perform the dual function of slow titrated release of air during the reading of the dial and quick release of air for rapid deflation of the cuff for repeated measurement of blood pressure. For slow release of air the valve opening of the release valve has to be small and for quick release the valve opening has to be large. As correct reading is more important the release valve opening in existing mechanical sphygmomanometers is usually very small. This causes delay in deflation of the cuff for repeated measurements of the blood pressure. The present method to quickly deflate the bladder is to detach the connecting pieces of the connector for the flexible tube lengths and allow the air to escape out through the larger opening of the detached connector. This disengagement and refitting can be done only with the help of the two hands and is often inconvenient for the operator. The object of this invention is to provide a separate valve for quick release of air from the tubular system of mechanical sphygmomanometers thereby preserving a narrow opening for titrated release of air during measurement, said valve having a valve handle for quick operation with only one hand of the operator. Constant rate deflators (e.g. as envisaged in US Pat.No.5833620) are generally being used for cuff type electronic sphygmomanometers wherein the sensor accurately and quickly checks the pressure within a constantly deflating cuff. The mechanical sphygmomanometers require a varying manually

adjustable deflator valve so that the human brain can judge the right pressure without the
restriction of time. Moreover the present invention provides two valves for air release - the
conventional control valve and the additional air release valve, which is not thought of in the
prior patent.
Accordingly this invention provides a mercury or anaeroid sphygmomanometer comprising a flexible elastic bulb (with an air inlet valve) for inflating air, said bulb capable of being connected to an inflatable bladder through an inflation valve, a control valve and a flexible tubing, said bladder capable of being housed in an inelastic cuff, said tubular system capable of being hermetically connected to a pressure measuring device comprising a mercury reservoir leading to a calibrated transparent tube or an anaeroid gauge, said control valve having an air release valve operated by a control knob, said control knob having threaded mating parts with the valve body, the valve opening being closed or opened by the turning movements of the control knob with respect to the valve body, said control valve providing an opening of the tubular system to the exterior through the valve opening of said air release valve, characterized in that an additional air release valve opening capable of being closed or opened by operating a valve handle is provided for the sphygmomanometer, said additional air release valve opening is provided between the said inflation valve and the pressure measuring device so as to provide an additional opening of the said tubular system to the exterior, so as to enable quick deflation of the bladder for repeated operations of the sphygmomanometer.
The control knob of the control valve of mechanical sphygmomanometers has threaded mating parts with the valve body, the valve opening being closed or opened by the turning movements of the control knob with respect to the valve body. Preferably, the additional release valve opening is larger than the said first release valve opening to enable quick deflation. For efficient and quick operation it is preferable that the said additional release valve is fitted on a rigid structure such as the body of the sphygmomanometer. In the preferred embodiment it is fitted on top of the mercury reservoir that is rigidly fitted on to the body of the mercury sphygmomanometer. A stopcock provided as the said additional release valve is ideal for quick operation.
The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: -
Fig.l: is the diagrammatic view of a mercury sphygmomanometer according to the invention; Fig.2: is the exploded sectional view of the control valve used in the sphygmomanometer shown in Fig.l; Fig.3: is the mercury reservoir fitted with the release valve according to the invention, the

rigid tube on top of the reservoir being shown in sectional view;
Fig.4: is the sectional view of the additional release valve according to the invention.
The figures illustrate a mercury sphygmomanometer fitted with the additional release valve according to the invention. As shown in the figures the mercury sphygmomanometer according to the invention comprises a flexible rubber bulb R for inflating air, a control valve C leading from said bulb through a flexible tubing L to an inflatable rubber bladder B dimensioned to be housed in an inelastic cuff D, said tubular system being connected to the pressure measuring device (a mercury reservoir Q leading to a calibrated transparent tube M), said control valve C having an inflation valve J, and a release valve operated by a control knob, said control valve providing an opening of the tubular system to the exterior through the said release valve. The control valve C shown houses the inflation valve J but it is possible to have an inflation valve that is separate from the control valve housing the air release valve. The air inlet valve at the tip of the rubber bulb R is denoted as I. The valve, usually made of leather, for allowing to and fro movement of air but restricting the movement of mercury from the reservoir is not shown in the figure but is situated towards the top end P of the mercury reservoir.
As per the invention an additional air release valve V is provided between the inflation valve J and the pressure-measuring device so as to provide a second opening of the tubular system to the exterior. The size of the valve opening of the additional release valve is greater than that of the said first release valve so as to enable quick deflation of the bladder for repeated sphygmomanometry. E and F determine the size of the valve opening of the first release valve whereas G and H determine the size of the valve opening of the additional release valve. In the sphygmomanometer shown in Fig.l, the additional release valve V is provided on one of the connecting pieces connecting the two flexible tube lengths L and as such is not rigidly fixed. The additional release valve V may also be provided on the control valve C. In the sphygmomanometer according to Fig.3, the additional release valve V is rigidly fitted to the rigid body of the sphygmomanometer through the mercury reservoir Q (which is rigidly fitted to the body of the sphygmomanometer). The additional release valve preferred according to the invention is a stopcock with a handle, as shown in Fig.4. The stopcock enables easy and quick operation of the pipe valve V. The stopcock is fitted on to the limb M of the T shaped portion of the tubular system. The T shaped rigid tube and the stopcock are preferably made of brass but may also be made of plastic, glass or any other metal. For the additional release valve shown in Fig.l, if the stopcock V shown in Fig.4 is used, it is to be fitted on to the limb M of one of the connecting pieces (that is T shaped).

The blood pressure is measured by operating the control knob of the control valve. Then the additional release valve is opened by turning the valve handle K. The air escapes quickly through the openings G and H and the bladder is deflated within seconds. The two valves are now closed and the cuff is inflated again to repeat the measurement.


I claim:
1. A mercury or anaeroid sphygmomanometer comprising a flexible elastic bulb (with an air
inlet valve) for inflating air, said bulb capable of being connected to an inflatable bladder
through an inflation valve, a control valve and a flexible tubing, said bladder capable of being
housed in an inelastic cuff, said tubular system capable of being hermetically connected to a
pressure measuring device comprising a mercury reservoir leading to a calibrated transparent
tube or an anaeroid gauge, said control valve having an air release valve operated by a control
knob, said control knob having threaded mating parts with the valve body, the valve opening
being closed or opened by the turning movements of the control knob with respect to the valve
body, said control valve providing an opening of the tubular system to the exterior through the
valve opening of said air release valve, characterized in that an additional air release valve
opening capable of being closed or opened by operating a valve handle is provided for the
sphygmomanometer, said additional air release valve opening is provided between the said
inflation valve and the pressure measuring device so as to provide an additional opening of the
said tubular system to the exterior, so as to enable quick deflation of the bladder for repeated
operations of the sphygmomanometer.
2. The sphygmomanometer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said additional release valve
opening is larger than the said first release valve opening.
3. The sphygmomanometer as claimed in claims 1 to 2, wherein said additional release valve opening is provided on the said control valve.
4. The sphygmomanometer as claimed in claims 1 to 3, wherein said additional release valve housing the said additional valve opening is capable of being rigidly fitted on to the rigid body of the sphygmomanometer.

5. The sphygmomanometer as claimed in claims 1 to 4, wherein said additional release valve is a stopcock.
6. A mercury or anaeroid sphygmomanometer substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.


Documents:

2464-mas-1997 abstract duplicate.pdf

2464-mas-1997 abstract.pdf

2464-mas-1997 claims duplicate.pdf

2464-mas-1997 claims.pdf

2464-mas-1997 correspondence others.pdf

2464-mas-1997 correspondence po.pdf

2464-mas-1997 description (complete) duplicate.pdf

2464-mas-1997 description (complete).pdf

2464-mas-1997 drawing duplicate.pdf

2464-mas-1997 drawing.pdf

2464-mas-1997 form-1.pdf

2464-mas-1997 form-19.pdf

2464-mas-1997 form-3.pdf


Patent Number 200824
Indian Patent Application Number 2464/MAS/1997
PG Journal Number 30/2009
Publication Date 24-Jul-2009
Grant Date
Date of Filing 29-Oct-1997
Name of Patentee DR. JOSE THAIKATTIL, PHYSICIAN, UNIVERSITY HEALTH CENTRE,
Applicant Address DR. JOSE THAIKATTIL, PHYSICIAN, UNIVERSITY HEALTH CENTRE, CALLICUT UNIVERSITY P.O., KERALA
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 DR. JOSE THAIKATTIL, PHYSICIAN, UNIVERSITY HEALTH CENTRE, DR. JOSE THAIKATTIL, PHYSICIAN, UNIVERSITY HEALTH CENTRE, CALLICUT UNIVERSITY P.O., KERALA
PCT International Classification Number A61B5/022
PCT International Application Number N/A
PCT International Filing date
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 NA