Importance

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Abstract

The present invention is a gas/saline valve for use in an gas/saline insufflation system which includes a gas insufflator and a saline source. The gas insufflator is fluidly coupled to a gas inlet of an arthroscopic attachment by a first tubing. The saline source is fluidly coupled to a saline inlet of an arthroscope by a second tubing. The gas/saline valve includes a housing with an open end and a gas/saline control knob. The housing has a first bore and a second bore. The housing also has a first slotted chamber and a second slotted chamber both of which are contiguous to the first and second bores, respectively, and within which the first and second tubings, respectively, are disposed. The gas/saline control knob has a solid cylinder which has a first semi-cylindrical notch and a second semi-cylindrical notch so that when the solid cylinder is disposed inside the housing, the first and second semi-cylindrical notches are aligned with the first and second slotted chambers, respectively. When an unnotched portion of the solid cylinder is contiguous to the first or second tubing, it compresses the tubing into the first or second slotted chamber thereby closing off the flow of gas or saline, respectively, therein and when the first or second semi-cylindrical notch becomes contiguous to the first or second tubing, respectively, the tubing is no longer compressed thereby maintaining or turning on the flow of gas or saline, respectively, therethrough.

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First Claim