Rotatable handle for a multi-port control valve for use in blood sampling, blood pressure measurement systems

Abstract

Disclosed is a multi-port control valve with multi-lumen paths diverging flow so that, the multi-port control valve fills and expels fluid at the same time through the same port for use in a blood sampling, blood pressure monitoring system that includes a sampling site, a pressure transducer, and reservoir. The multi-port control valve may include a rotatable valve member and three ports. Each of the three ports is connected to one of the sampling site, the pressure transducer, and the reservoir. In particular, the rotatable valve member is rotatable, such that, depending upon a position of the rotatable valve member, one of the three ports is blocked from fluid communication with the other two ports.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A rotatable valve handle for use by a clinician mounted to a multi-port control valve for use in a blood sampling-blood pressure monitoring system that includes a reservoir, a sampling site, and a pressure transducer, the rotatable valve handle coupled to a rotatable valve member that rotates around to one of a reservoir port connected to the reservoir, a sampling site port connected to the sampling site, or a pressure transducer port connected to the pressure transducer, to block fluid communication, the rotatable valve member rotating in synchrony with the rotatable valve handle, the rotatable valve handle comprising:
 a handle member for rotating by the clinician to rotate the rotatable valve handle; and   a visual indicator, wherein, depending upon a position of the rotatable valve handle, one of the reservoir port, the sampling site port, or the pressure transducer port, is blocked from fluid communication with the other two ports, or none of the ports are blocked from fluid communication with each other, respectively, such that the visual indicator is visually indicative of one of a plurality of modes of operation based upon the position of the rotatable valve handle.   
     
     
         2 . The rotatable valve handle of  claim 1 , wherein the visual indicator further comprises an “OFF” indicator located on the handle member. 
     
     
         3 . The rotatable valve handle of  claim 2 , wherein the “OFF” indicator is elevated relative to the rotatable valve handle. 
     
     
         4 . The rotatable valve handle of  claim 2 , wherein the visual indicator further comprises a plurality of arrows that align with ports and lines that connect to the arrows. 
     
     
         5 . The rotatable valve handle of  claim 4 , wherein the “OFF” indicator aligned with a port indicates the port is closed and the arrows indicate a port is open. 
     
     
         6 . The rotatable valve handle of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of arrows and lines are elevated relative to the rotatable valve handle. 
     
     
         7 . The rotatable valve handle of  claim 4 , wherein the “OFF” indicator, the arrows, and the lines are molded onto the rotatable valve handle and hot foil stamped to provide color contrast with the rotatable valve handle. 
     
     
         8 . The rotatable valve handle of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of modes of operation comprise: a monitoring mode, a drawing/re-infusing mode, a sampling mode, and a flushing/priming mode, wherein, in the monitoring mode, the reservoir port connected to the reservoir is blocked from fluid communication with the rest of the other ports, wherein, in the drawing/re-infusing mode, the pressure transducer port connected to the pressure transducer is blocked from fluid communication with the rest of the other ports, wherein, in the sampling mode, the sampling port connected to the sampling site is blocked from fluid communication with the rest of the other ports, wherein, in the flushing/priming mode all of the ports are open. 
     
     
         9 . The rotatable valve handle of  claim 8 , wherein the “OFF” indicator aligned with a port indicates the port is closed. 
     
     
         10 . The rotatable valve handle of  claim 9 , wherein: the “OFF” indicator aligned with the reservoir port indicates a monitoring mode and that the port connected to the reservoir is blocked from fluid communication with rest of the other ports; the “OFF” indicator aligned with the pressure transducer port indicates a drawing/re-infusing mode and that the port connected to the pressure transducer is blocked from fluid communication with rest of the other ports; the “OFF” indicator aligned with the sampling port indicates a sampling mode and that the port connected to the sampling site is blocked from fluid communication with the rest of the other ports; and the “OFF” indicator pointed upwards indicates the flush/priming mode and that all ports are open. 
     
     
         11 . The rotatable valve handle of  claim 10 , wherein, the rotatable valve handle further comprises a pair of rectangular lines that align with a rectangular indicator on the multi-port control valve when the “OFF” indicator is pointed downwards and aligned with the reservoir port to indicate the monitoring mode. 
     
     
         12 . A blood sampling-blood pressure monitoring system comprising:
 a reservoir;   a sampling site;   a pressure transducer;   a multi-port control valve including a reservoir port, a sampling site port, and pressure transducer port; and   a rotatable valve handle for use by a clinician mounted to the multi-port control valve, the rotatable valve handle coupled to a rotatable valve member that rotates around to one of the reservoir port connected to the reservoir, the sampling site port connected to the sampling site, or the pressure transducer port connected to the pressure transducer, to block fluid communication, the rotatable valve member rotating in synchrony with the rotatable valve handle, the rotatable valve handle comprising:
 a handle member for rotating by the clinician to rotate the rotatable valve handle; and 
 a visual indicator, wherein, depending upon a position of the rotatable valve handle, one of the reservoir port, the sampling site port, or the pressure transducer port, is blocked from fluid communication with the other two ports, or none of the ports are blocked from fluid communication with each other, respectively, such that the visual indicator is visually indicative of one of a plurality of modes of operation based upon the position of the rotatable valve handle. 
   
     
     
         13 . The blood sampling-blood pressure monitoring system of  claim 12 , wherein the visual indicator further comprises an “OFF” indicator located on the handle member. 
     
     
         14 . The blood sampling-blood pressure monitoring system of  claim 13 , wherein the “OFF” indicator is elevated relative to the rotatable valve handle. 
     
     
         15 . The blood sampling-blood pressure monitoring system of  claim 13 , wherein the visual indicator further comprises a plurality of arrows that align with ports and lines that connect to the arrows. 
     
     
         16 . The blood sampling-blood pressure monitoring system of  claim 15 , wherein the “OFF” indicator aligned with a port indicates the port is closed and the arrows indicate a port is open. 
     
     
         17 . The blood sampling-blood pressure monitoring system of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of arrows and lines are elevated relative to the rotatable valve handle. 
     
     
         18 . The blood sampling-blood pressure monitoring system of  claim 15 , wherein the “OFF” indicator, the arrows, and the lines are molded onto the rotatable valve handle and hot foil stamped to provide color contrast with the rotatable valve handle. 
     
     
         19 . The blood sampling-blood pressure monitoring system of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of modes of operation comprise: a monitoring mode, a drawing/re-infusing mode, a sampling mode, and a flushing/priming mode, wherein, in the monitoring mode, the reservoir port connected to the reservoir is blocked from fluid communication with the rest of the other ports, wherein, in the drawing/re-infusing mode, the pressure transducer port connected to the pressure transducer is blocked from fluid communication with the rest of the other ports, wherein, in the sampling mode, the sampling port connected to the sampling site is blocked from fluid communication with the rest of the other ports, wherein, in the flushing/priming mode all of the ports are open. 
     
     
         20 . The blood sampling-blood pressure monitoring system of  claim 19 , wherein the “OFF” indicator aligned with a port indicates the port is closed. 
     
     
         21 . The blood sampling-blood pressure monitoring system of  claim 20 , wherein:
 the “OFF” indicator aligned with the reservoir port indicates a monitoring mode and that the port connected to the reservoir is blocked from fluid communication with rest of the other ports;   the “OFF” indicator aligned with the pressure transducer port indicates a drawing/re-infusing mode and that the port connected to the pressure transducer is blocked from fluid communication with rest of the other ports; the “OFF” indicator aligned with the sampling port indicates a sampling mode and that the port connected to the sampling site is blocked from fluid communication with the rest of the other ports; and the “OFF” indicator pointed upwards indicates the flush/priming mode and that all ports are open.   
     
     
         22 . The blood sampling-blood pressure monitoring system of  claim 21 , wherein, the rotatable valve handle further comprises a pair of rectangular lines that align with a rectangular indicator on the multi-port control valve when the “OFF” indicator is pointed downwards and aligned with the reservoir port to indicate the monitoring mode. 
     
     
         23 . A method for use by a clinician to rotate a rotatable valve handle mounted to a multi-port control valve for use in a blood sampling-blood pressure monitoring system that includes a reservoir, a sampling site, and a pressure transducer, the rotatable valve handle coupled to a rotatable valve member that rotates around to one of a reservoir port connected to the reservoir, a sampling site port connected to the sampling site, or a pressure transducer port connected to the pressure transducer, to block fluid communication, the rotatable valve member rotating in synchrony with the rotatable valve handle, the method comprising:
 allowing for the rotation of a handle member of the rotatable valve handle by the clinician to obtain a desired mode of operation; and   providing a visual indicator to the clinician that is visually indicative of the desired mode of operation from a plurality of modes of operation, wherein, depending upon a position of the rotatable valve handle, one of the reservoir port, the sampling site port, or the pressure transducer port, is blocked from fluid communication with the other two ports, or none of the ports are blocked from fluid communication with each other, respectively, to enable a mode of operation.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the visual indicator further comprises an “OFF” indicator located on the handle member. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the “OFF” indicator is elevated relative to the rotatable valve handle. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the visual indicator further comprises a plurality of arrows that align with ports and lines that connect to the arrows. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the “OFF” indicator aligned with a port indicates the port is closed and the arrows indicate a port is open. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the plurality of arrows and lines are elevated relative to the rotatable valve handle. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the “OFF” indicator, the arrows, and the lines are molded onto the rotatable valve handle and hot foil stamped to provide color contrast with the rotatable valve handle. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the plurality of modes of operation comprise: a monitoring mode, a drawing/re-infusing mode, a sampling mode, and a flushing/priming mode, wherein, in the monitoring mode, the reservoir port connected to the reservoir is blocked from fluid communication with the rest of the other ports, wherein, in the drawing/re-infusing mode, the pressure transducer port connected to the pressure transducer is blocked from fluid communication with the rest of the other ports, wherein, in the sampling mode, the sampling port connected to the sampling site is blocked from fluid communication with the rest of the other ports, wherein, in the flushing/priming mode all of the ports are open. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the “OFF” indicator aligned with a port indicates the port is closed. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein: the “OFF” indicator aligned with the reservoir port indicates a monitoring mode and that the port connected to the reservoir is blocked from fluid communication with rest of the other ports; the “OFF” indicator aligned with the pressure transducer port indicates a drawing/re-infusing mode and that the port connected to the pressure transducer is blocked from fluid communication with rest of the other ports; the “OFF” indicator aligned with the sampling port indicates a sampling mode and that the port connected to the sampling site is blocked from fluid communication with the rest of the other ports; and the “OFF” indicator pointed upwards indicates the flush/priming mode and that all ports are open. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein, the rotatable valve handle further comprises a pair of rectangular lines that align with a rectangular indicator on the multi-port control valve when the “OFF” indicator is pointed downwards and aligned with the reservoir port to indicate the monitoring mode.