Patent ID: 7819838

Claim:
A fluid-tight disposable assembly for removably coupling to a reusable flow sensor assembly, the disposable assembly comprising: a sealed body having a lid portion connected to a base portion, the body defining a fluid flow passage forming an inlet and an outlet, the lid portion having a first opening and a second opening; a flow restricting element positioned in the fluid flow passage between the inlet and the outlet and between the first opening and the second opening; an impermeable fluid pressure membrane disposed along the fluid flow passage between the inlet and the outlet and located between the lid portion and the base portion of the body so as to be accessible at the first opening and the second opening of the lid portion, the fluid pressure membrane being secured to the base portion and the lid portion so as to provide a first movable pressure responsive wall portion that sealingly covers a first chamber of the fluid flow passage at a location upstream of the flow restricting element and moves with respect to the first opening in response to fluid pressure in the first chamber of the fluid flow passage and a second movable pressure responsive wall portion that sealingly covers a second chamber of the fluid flow passage at a location downstream of the flow restricting element and moves with respect to the second opening in response to fluid pressure in the second chamber of the fluid flow passage; a first reinforcing ring disposed on the first movable pressure responsive wall portion of the fluid pressure membrane in surrounding relation to and outwardly adjacent to the first opening of the lid portion, the first reinforcing ring being positioned between the lid portion and the fluid pressure membrane and being movable into contact with the lid portion by fluid pressure in the first chamber of the fluid flow passage; and a second reinforcing ring disposed on the second movable pressure responsive wall portion of the fluid pressure membrane and in surrounding relation to and outwardly adjacent to the second opening of the lid portion, the second reinforcing ring being positioned between the lid portion and the fluid pressure membrane and being movable into contact with the lid portion by fluid pressure in the second chamber of the fluid flow passage.