Patent attributes
An occlusion assembly for compressing at least one tube, e.g. a pair of side-by-side flexible tubes, that comprises an occluding member for each tube placed within the assembly. Each occluding member is pressed into an occluding position by an element that is movable, e.g. in a space between the occluding members, to cause a tube-contacting portion of each occluding member to translate toward its associated tubing to compress it. In an embodiment, the element is a spreader that is positioned between two occluding members and acts to spread the distal ends of the occluding members away from each other as they press against their respective tubes. A main spring may be included that urges the spreader toward the distal ends of the occluding elements into an occluding position. The spreader may be moved against the biasing force of the main spring to move the occluding members into a non-occluding position near the proximal ends of the occluding elements, for example manually through a button and linkage assembly coupled to the spreading element, or by control of a controller activating an actuator that is also coupled to the spreader.
