Penile Pump with Side Release Mechanism
A pump and valve assembly for an implantable prosthesis is provided with an internal actuating bar positioned such that when any portion of the housing is compressed, the check valves within are opened allowing for deflation of the cylinders. The pump and valve assembly also includes a textured surface over a portion of the housing to allow for quick identification of the component, as well as to make it easier for the patient to grasp it. The valve assembly further comprising an actuating bar which has ribs to enhance the spring force applied to a flow valve, a support structure to support and appropriately position the actuating bar, and a check valve made of metal with a segment covered with a plastic material.
1 . A pump assembly for an implantable prosthesis, comprising:
a housing having an outer wall with at least a portion of the outer wall being compressible;
a first flow valve positioned within the housing and having a seated and an unseated position; and
a bar, having a flexible angularly extending arm, positioned within the housing and wherein said flexible angularly extending arm of said bar is moveable between a first and a second position so that when the flexible angularly extending arm of said bar is moved from the first position to the second position the flexible angularly extending arm of said bar causes the first flow valve to move from the seated to the unseated position.
2 . The pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein the outer wall further comprises:
a first compressible side wall positioned to intersect an axis defined by a path of travel of the first flow valve from the seated to the unseated position;
a second compressible side wall adjacent to the first compressible side wall, located such that a first portion, the flexible angularly extending arm, of the bar is adjacent to the first compressible side wall and a second portion of the bar is adjacent to the second compressible side wall so that if either the first or the second compressible side wall is compressed, the bar is caused to engage the first flow valve and move the first flow valve from the seated to the unseated position.
3 . The pump assembly of claim 2 wherein the housing has a substantially rectangular configuration with the first compressible side wall being shorter than the second compressible side wall.
4 . The pump assembly of claim 3 wherein the second portion of the bar is substantially parallel with the second compressible side wall when the second compressible side wall is in an uncompressed state.
5 . The pump assembly of claim 4 wherein an interior angle formed between the first portion of the bar and the second portion of the bar is obtuse.
6 . The pump assembly of claim 2 wherein the bar includes stainless steel.
7 . The pump assembly of claim 2 wherein the bar includes plastic.
8 . The pump assembly of claim 3 wherein the first portion of the bar includes a curved free end wherein a curvature of the free end operatively associates with a curvature of the first flow valve.
9 . The pump assembly of claim 8 wherein the curvature of the free end also operatively associates with a curvature of an interior portion of the outer wall.
10 . The pump assembly of claim 2 , further comprising:
a pump bulb coupled to the housing, wherein the pump bulb has a first exterior texture and the housing has a second exterior texture that is different than the first exterior texture.
11 . The pump of claim 10 wherein the second exterior texture includes a plurality of raised panels.
12 . The pump of claim 11 wherein the raised panels are circular.
13 . The pump assembly of claim 2 further comprising a second flow valve positioned such that when the first flow valve is moved from the seated to the unseated position, the first flow valve contacts the second flow valve and moves the second flow valve from a seated to an unseated position.
14 . A pump and valve assembly for an inflatable prosthesis, comprising:
a valve block having a flow valve; and
a shell attached to the valve block wherein the shell includes a pump bulb and wherein said valve block includes a periphery with pairs of opposing surfaces, and wherein upon any pair of said opposing surfaces of said valve block being compressed said inflatable prosthesis is deflated.
15 . A pump assembly for an implantable prosthesis, comprising:
a housing having an outer wall with at least a portion of the outer wall being compressible;
a first flow valve positioned within the housing and having a seated and an unseated position; and
a bar, having a flexible angularly extending arm, positioned within the housing, the bar comprising a spring, wherein the movement of the flexible angularly extending arm provides the moving action of the spring, and being moveable between a first and a second position so that when the bar is moved from the first position to the second position the bar causes the first flow valve to move from the seated to the unseated position.
16 . The assembly of claim 15 wherein the bar has a bend connecting a first portion and a second portion of the bar, at least one rib extending the first and second portions of the bar such that the bend augments the spring, the outer wall further comprising:
a first compressible side wall positioned to intersect an axis defined by a path of travel of the first flow valve from the seated to the unseated position; and
a second compressible side wall adjacent to the first compressible side wall, located such that the first portion of the bar is adjacent to the first compressible side wall and the second portion of the bar is adjacent to the second compressible side wall so that if either the first or the second compressible side wall is compressed, the bar causes the first flow valve to move from the seated to the unseated position.
17 . The assembly of claim 16 wherein the bar is a thin elongate member, an end portion of the second portion of the bar engaging an end of the first flow valve when the bar is in the first position.
18 . The assembly of claim 16 wherein the second portion of the bar is substantially parallel with the second compressible side wall when the second compressible side wall is in an uncompressed state.
19 . The assembly of claim 18 wherein the at least one rib extending across the bend is shaped to as to make the bar stiff, such that resistance to deflection forces is enhanced.
20 . The assembly of claim 19 wherein the first portion of the bar comprises at least one rib centrally located on thereon, such that the when the first portion of the bar is compressed by the first compressible side wall compression forces exerted on the first portion of the bar are distributed substantially evenly along the first portion of the bar.
21 . The assembly of claim 15 wherein the first flow valve comprises a synthetic portion and a metal portion.
22 . The assembly of claim 17 wherein a segment of the first flow valve includes a plastic member disposed thereon such that the bar contacts the plastic member when the bar is in the first position.
23 . The assembly of claim 16 further comprising a support member coupled to the housing, wherein the support member contacts a portion of the first flow valve in such as manner as to prevent sideways movement of the first flow valve.
24 . The assembly of claim 23 wherein the support member further comprises a shelf in contact with the first flow valve.
25 . The pump assembly of claim 16 further comprising a second flow valve positioned such that when the first flow valve is moved from the seated to the unseated position, the first flow valve contacts the second flow valve and move the second flow valve from a seated to an unseated position.