Bow spring driven suction valve for an endoscope

1 . A suction valve assembly for a medical device, comprising:

a valve body having a valve well, an inlet channel in fluid communication with the valve well, and an outlet channel in fluid communication with the valve well; and

a bow spring configured to move within the valve well, comprising a central arc having inner and outer sides, such that the bow spring, when flexed, moves the central arc towards the outer side, and a valve stem attached to the inner side of the central arc of the bow spring;

wherein the bow spring is positioned with the inner surface of the central arc facing the inlet channel of the valve body such that the bow spring, when unflexed, presses the valve stem into the inlet channel to close the suction valve assembly; and

wherein the bow spring, when flexed, pulls the valve stem away from the inlet channel to open the suction valve assembly.

2 . The suction valve assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:

a cap accessible from outside the valve body, the cap in mechanical communication with the bow spring such that actuating the cap flexes the bow spring and releasing the cap unflexes the bow spring.

3 . The suction valve assembly of claim 2 , wherein the cap comprises a projection extending into the valve well in contact with the bow spring.

4 . The suction valve assembly of claim 1 ,

wherein the valve well extends the length of the longest dimension of the valve body between a top face and an opposing bottom face of the valve body; and

wherein the inlet channel and the outlet channel are positioned in side surfaces of the valve well.

5 . The suction valve assembly of claim 1 ,

wherein the valve well comprises a curved wall and a flat wall each extending between a top face and an opposing bottom face of the valve body; and

wherein one or more of the bow spring and a cap comprise a shaped portion abutting at least the flat wall to prevent rotation within the valve body.

6 . The suction valve assembly of claim 5 , wherein a top anchor of the bow spring and a bottom anchor of the bow spring are each shaped portions of the bow spring abutting the flat wall of the valve well to prevent rotation of the bow spring within the valve body.

7 . The suction valve assembly of claim 5 , wherein a flange of the cap is a shaped portion of the cap abutting the flat wall of the valve well to prevent rotation of the flange within the valve well.

8 . The suction valve assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a circumferential seal disposed about the valve stem that presses against the inlet opening when the suction valve assembly is closed.

9 . The suction valve assembly of claim 1 ,

the valve body further comprising a collar at an upper opening of the valve well; and

a cap further comprising a clip in contact with the collar of the valve body when the suction valve assembly is in a closed position.

10 . The suction valve assembly of claim 1 ,

the bow spring further comprising an anchor having an inclined bottom surface, and

the valve well further comprising an inclined floor surface mirroring a shape and an angle of the inclined bottom surface of the bow spring anchor such that the inclined bottom surface and the inclined floor surface meet within the valve well.

11 . The suction valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve body comprises a single piece of uniform material.

12 . The suction valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein a cap comprises a single piece of uniform material.

13 . The suction valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bow spring comprises a single piece of uniform material.

14 . The suction valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein a cap, the valve body, and the bow spring are made of polyethylene plastic.

15 . A suction valve assembly for use in an endoscope having a lumen configured to extend into a patient's body cavity, the suction valve assembly comprising:

a valve body having a valve well, an inlet channel in fluid communication with the valve well, and an outlet channel in fluid communication with the valve well; and

a bow spring configured to move within the valve well, comprising a central arc having inner and outer sides, such that the bow spring, when flexed, moves the central arc towards the outer side, and a valve stem attached to the inner side of the central arc of the bow spring;

wherein the bow spring is positioned with the inner surface of the central arc facing the inlet channel of the valve body such that the bow spring, when unflexed, presses the valve stem into the inlet channel to close the suction valve assembly; and

wherein the bow spring, when flexed, pulls the valve stem away from the inlet channel to open the suction valve assembly.

16 . The suction valve assembly of claim 15 , further comprising:

a cap accessible from outside the valve body, the cap in mechanical communication with the bow spring such that actuating the cap flexes the bow spring and releasing the cap unflexes the bow spring.

17 . The suction valve assembly of claim 15 ,

wherein the valve well extends the length of the longest dimension of the valve body between a top face and an opposing bottom face of the valve body; and

wherein the inlet channel and the outlet channel are positioned in side surfaces of the valve well.

18 . The suction valve assembly of claim 15 ,

wherein the valve well comprises a curved wall and a flat wall each extending between a top face and an opposing bottom face of the valve body; and

wherein one or more of the bow spring and a cap comprise a shaped portion abutting at least the flat wall to prevent rotation within the valve body.

19 . An endoscopic surgical device, comprising:

an endoscopic probe;

a suction valve assembly, comprising:

a valve body having a valve well, an inlet channel in fluid communication with the valve well, and an outlet channel in fluid communication with the valve well, and

a bow spring configured to move within the valve well, comprising a central arc having inner and outer sides, such that the bow spring, when flexed, moves the central arc towards the outer side, and a valve stem attached to the inner side of the central arc of the bow spring; and

a source of suction in fluid communication with the inlet passage of the suction valve assembly, such that opening the suction valve assembly provides suction to the endoscopic probe from the inlet channel, through the valve well, and into the outlet channel.

20 . The endoscopic surgical device of claim 19 ,

wherein the bow spring of the suction valve assembly is positioned with the inner surface of the central arc facing the inlet channel of the valve body such that the bow spring, when unflexed, presses the valve stem into the inlet channel to close the suction valve assembly; and

wherein the bow spring of the suction valve assembly, when flexed, pulls the valve stem away from the inlet channel to open the suction valve assembly.