1. A valve assembly comprising:
a first valve member having a first plurality of ports configured to connect to an external loop, an output, and a vent and a second plurality of ports configured to receive a first fluid, a second fluid, and a pressurized gas; and
a second valve member coupled adjacent the first valve member, the second valve member having a plurality of channels configured to connect the external loop to the second fluid in a first orientation for charging the external loop with the second fluid and to connect the external loop to the output in a second orientation for supplying the second fluid from the external loop to the output, and a channel configured to connect to the pressurized gas in at least one of the first orientation or the second orientation for receiving a portion of the pressurized gas and to connect to at least one of the external loop or the output in a third orientation between the first orientation and the second orientation for supplying the portion of the pressurized gas to the at least one of the external loop or the output.
2. The valve assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the first valve member comprises a stator and the second valve member comprises a rotor coupled adjacent the stator.
3. The valve assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the external loop comprises a sample loop, the output comprises a nebulizer, the first fluid comprises a carrier fluid, and the second fluid comprises a sample fluid.
4. The valve assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the first valve member comprises a channel leg configured to connect to the channel of the second valve member in the at least one of the first orientation or the second orientation to connect the channel to the pressurized gas.
5. The valve assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the second valve member further comprises a second channel configured to connect to the pressurized gas in at least one of the first orientation or the second orientation for receiving a second portion of the pressurized gas and to connect to the other of the at least one of the external loop or the output in the third orientation for supplying the second portion of the pressurized gas to the other of the at least one of the external loop or the output.
6. The valve assembly as recited in claim 5, wherein the first valve member comprises a three-legged channel configured to connect to the channel of the second valve member and the second channel of the second valve member in the at least one of the first orientation or the second orientation to connect the channel of the second valve member and the second channel of the second valve member to the pressurized gas.
7. The valve assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein each leg of the three-legged channel extends radially adjacent the second valve member.
8. The valve assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the first valve member further comprises a port connected to one of the first plurality of ports connected to the output to furnish online dilution of at least one of the first fluid or the second fluid.
9. A valve assembly comprising:
a first valve member having a first port configured to connect to an external loop, a second port configured to receive a first fluid, a third port configured to connect to an output, a fourth port configured to connect to the external loop, a fifth port configured to receive a second fluid, a sixth port configured to connect to a vent, and a seventh port configured to receive a pressurized gas; and
a second valve member coupled adjacent the first valve member, the second valve member having a first channel configured to connect the second port to the third port in a first orientation for charging the external loop with the second fluid and to connect the first port to the second port in a second orientation for supplying the second fluid from the external loop to the output, a second channel configured to connect the fourth port to the fifth port in the first orientation and to connect the third port to the fourth port in the second orientation, a third channel configured to connect the sixth port to the first port in the first orientation and to connect the fifth port to the sixth port in the second orientation, and a fourth channel configured to connect to the seventh port in at least one of the first orientation or the second orientation for receiving a portion of the pressurized gas and to connect to at least one of the first port or the third port in a third orientation between the first orientation and the second orientation for supplying the portion of the pressurized gas to at least one of the external loop or the output.
10. The valve assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein the first valve member comprises a stator and the second valve member comprises a rotor coupled adjacent the stator.
11. The valve assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein the external loop comprises a sample loop, the output comprises a nebulizer, the first fluid comprises a carrier fluid, and the second fluid comprises a sample fluid.
12. The valve assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein the first valve member comprises a channel leg configured to connect to the fourth channel of the second valve member in the at least one of the first orientation or the second orientation to connect the fourth channel to the seventh port of the first valve member.
13. The valve assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein the second valve member further comprises a fifth channel configured to connect to the seventh port in at least one of the first orientation or the second orientation for receiving a second portion of the pressurized gas and to connect to the other of the at least one of the first port or the third port in the third orientation for supplying the second portion of the pressurized gas to the other of the at least one of the external loop or the output.
14. The valve assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein the first valve member comprises a three-legged channel configured to connect to the fourth channel of the second valve member and the fifth channel of the second valve member in the at least one of the first orientation or the second orientation to connect the fourth channel of the second valve member and the fifth channel of the second valve member to the seventh port of the first valve member.
15. The valve assembly as recited in claim 14, wherein each leg of the three-legged channel extends radially adjacent the second valve member.
16. The valve assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein the first valve member further comprises an eighth port connected to the third port to furnish online dilution of at least one of the first fluid or the second fluid.
17. A method comprising:
receiving a carrier fluid, a sample fluid, and a pressurized gas at a valve assembly;
connecting a sample loop to the sample fluid via the valve assembly in a first orientation for charging the sample loop with the sample fluid;
connecting the sample loop to a nebulizer via the valve assembly in a second orientation for supplying the sample fluid from the sample loop to the nebulizer;
connecting a channel of the valve assembly to the pressurized gas in at least one of the first orientation or the second orientation for receiving a portion of the pressurized gas; and
connecting the channel of the valve assembly to at least one of the sample loop or the nebulizer in a third orientation between the first orientation and the second orientation for supplying the portion of the pressurized gas to the at least one of the sample loop or the nebulizer.
18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising:
connecting a second channel of the valve assembly to the pressurized gas in at least one of the first orientation or the second orientation for receiving a second portion of the pressurized gas; and
connecting the second channel of the valve assembly to the other of the at least one of the sample loop or the nebulizer in the third orientation for supplying the second portion of the pressurized gas to the other of the at least one of the sample loop or the nebulizer.
19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the valve assembly comprises a three-legged channel configured to connect to the channel of the valve assembly and the second channel of the valve assembly in the at least one of the first orientation or the second orientation to connect the channel of the valve assembly and the second channel of the valve assembly to the pressurized gas.
20. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising receiving a diluent at a diluent port of the valve assembly for supplying the diluent to the nebulizer to furnish online dilution of at least one of the carrier fluid or the sample fluid.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A surgically implantable device comprising:
(a) a medical implant for performing a therapeutic function, the medical implant having a needle penetrable septum and a fluid reservoir;
(b) an attachment mechanism comprising at least two fasteners integral to said implant for attaching said implant to a body tissue, said at least two fasteners having a deployed position and an undeployed position; and
(c) an actuator operable to move the at least two fasteners from said undeployed position to said deployed position and back to said undeployed position, wherein said actuator comprises one or more cam surfaces integral to said medical implant, wherein the one or more cam surfaces are initially separate from the at least two fasteners when the at least two fasteners are in the undeployed position, wherein the one or more cam surfaces are rotatably movable along a first plane into contact with the at least two fasteners, wherein when the one or more cam surfaces are rotated in a first rotational direction upon rotation of the actuator in the first rotational direction, the one or more cam surfaces are configured to engage and push against the at least two fasteners to move the at least two fasteners to the deployed position, wherein the at least two fasteners move along one or more planes to reach the deployed position, wherein the one or more planes are not coplanar with the first plane, wherein when the actuator is rotated in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction, the actuator is operable to pull the at least two fasteners from the deployed position to the undeployed position.
2. A surgically implantable device comprising:
(a) a medical implant for performing a therapeutic function, the medical implant having a housing with a bottom periphery, wherein said bottom periphery defines a substantially flat surface for placement adjacent tissue and a central axis perpendicular to said bottom periphery of the housing, said medical implant further comprising a needle penetrable septum attached relative to said housing, and a fluid reservoir encompassed by the housing and the septum, wherein the central axis passes through the septum and the fluid reservoir;
(b) an attachment mechanism comprising at least two fasteners integral to said implant for attaching said implant into the patient, said at least two fasteners having a deployed position and an undeployed position wherein each fastener moves in an arcuate path about a respective fastener axis, wherein each respective fastener axis extends substantially radially outwardly relative to the central axis; and
(c) an actuator rotatable about the central axis for moving said at least two fasteners from said undeployed position to said deployed position and back to said undeployed position, wherein when said actuator rotates about said central axis, said actuator moves in a circular direction substantially parallel to said substantially flat surface of said housing to operatively engage with each of said at least two fasteners, wherein the actuator is operable to push the at least two fasteners from the undeployed position to the deployed position upon rotation of the actuator in a first rotational direction, wherein the actuator is operable to pull the at least two fasteners from the deployed position to the undeployed position upon rotation of the actuator in a second rotational direction.
3. The device of claim 2, wherein said actuator is configured to resist an undeploying force applied to at least one of said at least two fasteners when said at least two fasteners is disposed in said deployed position.
4. The device of claim 3, wherein said undeploying force is a rotational force.
5. The device of claim 2, wherein each of said at least two fasteners is configured to rotate about a respective fastener axis as said at least two fasteners moves from said undeployed position to said deployed position, wherein each of the fastener axes is substantially perpendicular to the central axis.
6. The device of claim 5, wherein said actuator comprises an associated surface for each of said at least two fasteners, each said surface configured to exert a rotational force on each associated fastener when said actuator is rotated in a deploying direction, thereby pushing each of said at least two fasteners from said undeployed position to said deployed position.
7. The device of claim 5, wherein said actuator is configured to resist being rotated by an undeploying rotational force applied to said at least two fasteners when each of said at least two fasteners is disposed in said deployed position.
8. The device of claim 5, wherein said attachment mechanism comprises an associated member for each of said at least two fasteners, each said member being carried by said actuator, each of said at least two fasteners and its associated member being configured such that said member exerts a rotational force on each associated fastener when said actuator is rotated in an undeploying direction, thereby pulling each of said at least one fastener from said deployed position to said undeployed position.
9. The device of claim 8, wherein each of said at least two fasteners and its associated member are configured such that said member does not exert a deploying force when said actuator is rotated in a deploying direction.
10. The device of claim 2, wherein said actuator comprises a generally annular ring which is rotatably carried by said implant.
11. The device of claim 2, wherein said actuator is configured to be manipulated to move said at least two fasteners by any of one or more standard surgical instruments.
12. The device of claim 2, wherein each of said at least two fasteners comprises a distal tip configured to pierce body tissue, each of said at least two fasteners being disposed in an associated recess of said implant, each said distal tip being disposed in said associated recess when each of said at least two fasteners is disposed in said undeployed position.
13. The device of claim 12, wherein said at least two fasteners are disposed completely within said associated recess when said at least two fasteners are disposed in said undeployed position.
14. The device of claim 12, wherein each said distal tip is disposed in an associated recess, each said distal tip being disposed in said associated recess when said at least two fasteners are disposed in said deployed position.
15. The device of claim 2, wherein each of said at least two fasteners comprises a distal tip configured to pierce body tissue, each of said at least two fasteners being disposed in an associated recess, each said distal tip being disposed in said associated recess when said at least two fasteners are disposed in said deployed position.
16. The device of claim 2, wherein said at least two fasteners are movable concurrently by said actuator.