Air in-line sensing system for iv infusion lines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016346484-A1
Application number	US-201514721928-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 26, 2015
Priority date	May 26, 2015
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A pump cassette body for detecting air bubbles in a fluid pathway, comprises an upstanding flow director vane, a fitment integrally molded into the pump cassette body, wherein the fitment comprises a base integrally molded into the pump cassette body, an elastomeric member attached to the base, and a housing at least partially surrounding the elastomeric member, wherein the elastomeric member is co-molded to the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A pump cassette body for detecting air bubbles in a fluid pathway, the pump cassette body comprising:
an upstanding flow director vane; a fitment integrally molded into the pump cassette body, the fitment comprising:
a base integrally molded into the pump cassette body;
an elastomeric member attached to the base; and
a housing at least partially surrounding the elastomeric member, wherein the elastomeric member is co-molded to the housing.

2 . The pump cassette body of claim 1 , wherein said pump cassette body may removably attach to a pump cassette recess having a slot defined therein, the slot substantially matching the dimensions of the fitment and having opposing walls; and
an acoustic sensor disposed within the pump cassette recess, the acoustic sensor comprising a transmitter and a receiver, the transmitter and receiver being disposed behind opposite opposing walls of the slot.

3 . The pump cassette body of claim 1 , wherein the flow director vane includes angled walls and is disposed within a hollow interior of the elastomeric member to create a substantially U-shaped fluid flow path therein having tapered walls.

4 . The pump cassette body of claim 3 , wherein the elastomeric member further comprises tapered outside walls.

5 . The pump cassette body of claim 4 , wherein the elastomeric member further comprises tapered inside walls.

6 . The pump cassette body of claim 5 , wherein the fluid flow path has a height of between about 0.120″ and 3.05″ at its highest point.

7 . The pump cassette body of claim 5 , wherein the fluid flow path has an upstream portion and a downstream portion, the upstream portion meeting the downstream portion at the highest point of the fluid flow path, the upstream portion having a height of between about 0.047″ and 1.19″ in a first section of the upstream portion, a height of between about 0.047″ and 1.20″ in a second section of the upstream portion, a height of between about 0.060″ and 1.52″ in a third section of the upstream portion, a height of between about 0.097″ and 2.47″ in a fourth section of the upstream portion, and a height of between about 0.115″ and 2.93″ in a fifth section of the upstream portion.

8 . The pump cassette body of claim 7 , the downstream portion having a height of between about 0.115″ and 2.93″ in a first section of the downstream portion, a height of between about 0.097″ and 2.47″ in a second section of the downstream portion, a height of between about 0.060″ and 1.52″ in a third section of the downstream portion, a height of between about 0.047″ and 1.20″ in a fourth section of the downstream portion, and a height of between about 0.047″ and 1.19″ in a fifth section of the downstream portion.

9 . The pump cassette body of claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric member is wedge shaped and its widest portion is wider than the sensor slot.

10 . The pump cassette body of claim 1 , wherein the housing surrounding the elastomeric member is arcuate.

11 . The pump cassette body of claim 10 , wherein the housing surrounding the elastomeric member further comprises an opening and the elastomeric member further comprises an extension that substantially fits in the opening of the housing surrounding the elastomeric member.

12 . The pump cassette body of claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric member is a thermoplastic elastomer.

13 . A pump cassette body for detecting air bubbles in a fluid pathway, the pump cassette body comprising:
a tapered U-shaped fluid flow path defined therein, the tapered fluid flow path having its largest volume at a top portion of the U-shape of the fluid flow path, with the volume tapering down moving away from the top portion of the U-shape of the fluid flow path, the fluid flow path passing through a fluid pathway extension member that is upstanding from the pump cassette body.

14 . The pump cassette body of claim 14 , wherein the pump cassette body may removably attach to a pump cassette recess having an opening defined thereon, the opening substantially matching the shape of the fluid pathway extension member, the pump cassette recess having a sensor defined thereon, the sensor having a transmitter and a receiver disposed on opposite sides of the opening.

15 . The pump cassette body of claim 14 , wherein the transmitter is capable of transmitting an acoustic beam across the fluid flow path to the receiver to form a sensing area when the pump cassette body is in place in the pump cassette recess.

16 . The pump cassette body of claim 15 , wherein the extended fluid flow path passes through at least 50% of the sensing area between the transmitter and the receiver when the pump cassette body is in place in the pump cassette recess.

17 . A system for detecting air bubbles in a fluid pathway, the system comprising:
a pump cassette body having an upstanding flow director vane; a fitment integrally molded into the pump cassette body, the fitment comprising:
a base integrally molded into the pump cassette body;
an elastomeric member attached to the base;
a housing at least partially surrounding the elastomeric member, wherein the elastomeric member is co-molded to the housing;
a pump cassette recess having a slot defined therein, the slot substantially matching the dimensions of the fitment and having opposing walls; and
an acoustic sensor disposed within the pump cassette recess, the acoustic sensor comprising a transmitter and a receiver, the transmitter and receiver being disposed behind opposite opposing walls of the slot.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the fluid flow path has an upstream portion and a downstream portion, the upstream portion meeting the downstream portion at the highest point of the fluid flow path, the upstream portion having a height of between about 0.047″ and 1.19″ in a first section of the upstream portion, a height of between about 0.047″ and 1.20″ in a second section of the upstream portion, a height of between about 0.060″ and 1.52″ in a third section of the upstream portion, a height of between about 0.097″ and 2.47″ in a fourth section of the upstream portion, and a height of between about 0.115″ and 2.93″ in a fifth section of the upstream portion.

19 . The system of claim 18 , the downstream portion having a height of between about 0.115″ and 2.93″ in a first section of the downstream portion, a height of between about 0.097″ and 2.47″ in a second section of the downstream portion, a height of between about 0.060″ and 1.52″ in a third section of the downstream portion, a height of between about 0.047″ and 1.20″ in a fourth section of the downstream portion, and a height of between about 0.047″ and 1.19″ in a fifth section of the downstream portion.

20 . A system for detecting air bubbles in a fluid pathway, the system comprising:
a pump cassette body having an upstanding flow director vane; a fitment integrally molded into the pump cassette body, the fitment comprising:
a base integrally molded into the pump cassette body;
an elastomeric member attached to the base;
a housing at least partially surrounding the elastomeric member;
a pump cassette recess having a slot defined therein, the slot substantially matching the dimensions of the fitment and having opposing walls such that insertion of the fitment into the slot creates a compression load between the fitment and the walls of the slot; and
an acoustic sensor disposed within the pump cassette recess, the acoustic sensor comprising a transmitter and a receiver, the transmitter and re

Assignees

• Carefusion 2200 Inc

Inventors

• Abal Daniel

Classifications

• A61M5/365

  Air detectors (A61M5/1684 takes precedence; in extracorporeal blood circuits A61M1/3626) · CPC title

• A61M5/36 Primary

  with means for eliminating or preventing injection or infusion of air into body (dialysis systems, blood oxygenators A61M1/14; haemofiltration equipment A61M1/34; {automatic tube cut-off A61M39/281}) · CPC title

• A61M5/16831

  Monitoring, detecting, signalling or eliminating infusion flow anomalies (low-level float-valves causing cut-off A61M5/40; indicating or recording presence, absence or direction of flow in general G01P13/0066) · CPC title

• A61M2205/12

  with interchangeable cassettes forming partially or totally the fluid circuit · CPC title