Patent ID: 8790318
Filing Date: 2014-07-29
Classification: A61M,F16K,G05D,Y10T

Abstract:
1. Flow regulator comprising a fluid inlet adapted to be connected to a fluid reservoir and a fluid outlet adapted to be connected to a delivery location, said regulator comprising: a rigid substrate with a top surface and a bottom surface and a membrane comprising a top surface, a bottom surface and a flexible portion; wherein the top surface of the substrate is attached to the bottom surface of the membrane; said substrate and/or said membrane having: a recess so as to define, when said membrane is in a rest position, a cavity between said membrane and said substrate; a through hole contiguous with said cavity and communicating with said fluid outlet, at least two pillars within said cavity, the height of each of said pillars being such that, when said membrane is at rest, a gap is formed between the pillar free end and the opposite cavity wall; said regulator further comprising two additional through holes contiguous with said cavity and communicating with said fluid inlet wherein at least one of said additional holes is arranged in the substrate; wherein each of said pillars is furthermore aligned with one of said additional through holes and forming a valve in said gap and said pillars have furthermore a width that is larger than the width of said aligned through hole; wherein the fluid, which flows through said regulator, applies a pressure on the to surface of the membrane in such a way that said membrane is able to come into contact with: at least a first part of said substrate, within said cavity and with a portion including a first of said valves, in case a greater pressure than a first predefined threshold value is applied on the top surface of the membrane, which results in lowering said gap height up to zero and hindering a fluid from flowing through said first valve, at least a second part of said substrate, within said cavity and with a portion including a second of said valves, in case a pressure larger than a second predefined threshold value is applied on the top surface of the membrane, which results in hindering a fluid from flowing through said second valve; wherein the pillars and the additional through holes positions and dimensions are arranged so that the fluid flow rate is passively regulated at least in a range of pressure going from said first and said second predefined threshold values.