Cannulae-flushing means

Claim 1

A cannulae-flushing apparatus, comprising: a base; a manually adjustable timer and electric switch device; a motor on said base operatively associated with said timer switch device and adapted to be energized thereby at preset time intervals, said motor having a drive shaft; a driving cam mounted fast on said motor drive shaft, a rod-supporting element mounted on said base; a plurality of elongated horizontal rods axially movably canned by said rod-supporting element, each of said horizontal rods having a rearward end and a forward end; cam-engaging means associated with said axially movable rods; spring means yieldably maintaining said cam-engaging means in pressurable engagement with said driving cam; a syringe holder mounted on said base forwardly of said axially movable rods; a plurality of syringes having a quantity of flushing fluid therein removably horizontally supported by said syringe holder and adapted to communicate with cannulae in patients'' arteries; a plunger axially movably carried in each of said syringes and projecting rearwardly therefrom; means on the forward ends of said axially movable rods removably securing the same to the rearward, projecting ends of said syringe plungers, whereby when said driving motor is energized the driving cam thereon turns and urges said axially movable rods forwardly to push said plungers axially inwardly in the syringes, thereby discharging flushing fluid into a cannulae with which said syringe is in communication to purge any blood clots forming therein, the continued rotation of said driving cam causing said spring-loaded rods to move rearwardly to their initial position while retracting said plungers to a position wherein said syringes can be refilled with flushing fluid; means for adjusting the stroke length of said axially movable rods to vary the quantity of flushing fluid discharged from said syringes, depending upon the requirements of the particular patient; a shutoff switch associated with said motor; a shutoff cam mounted fast on the motor drive shaft positioned to engage and actuate said shutoff switch when said syringe plungers have been fully retracted to turn off said driving motor, said motor remaining in an off condition until again automatically energized by the aforesaid timer switch device after a preset time interval; and auxiliary manual switch means for energizing said driving motor independently of said timing and automatic switch means.