Airtrap, system and method for removing microbubbles from a fluid stream

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017232173-A1
Application number	US-201615046048-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 17, 2016
Priority date	Feb 17, 2016
Publication date	Aug 17, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An airtrap for a medical or physiological fluid in one embodiment includes a conical housing having a radius that increases from its top to its bottom when the housing is positioned for operation; a medical or physiological fluid inlet located at an upper portion of the conical housing; a medical or physiological fluid outlet located at a lower portion of the conical housing, the inlet and the outlet positioned and arranged so that medical or physiological fluid spirals in an increasing arc around an inside of the conical housing downwardly from the inlet to the outlet; and a gas collection area located at an upper portion of the conical housing. In another embodiment, the airtrap is shaped like a seahorse having a head section and a tail section. Any of the airtraps herein may be used for example in blood sets, peritoneal dialysis cassette tubing, and drug delivery sets.

First claim

The invention is claimed as follows:

1 . An airtrap for a medical or physiological fluid comprising:
a conical housing having a radius that increases from its top to its bottom when the housing is positioned for operation; a medical or physiological fluid inlet located at an upper portion of the conical housing; a medical or physiological fluid outlet located at a lower portion of the conical housing, the inlet and the outlet positioned and arranged so that medical or physiological fluid spirals in an increasing arc around an inside of the conical housing downwardly from the inlet to the outlet; and a gas collection area located at the upper portion of the conical housing.

2 . The airtrap of claim 1 , which includes a gas release valve located at an opening in the upper portion of the conical housing.

3 . The airtrap of claim 2 , wherein the gas release valve is a check valve.

4 . The airtrap of claim 2 , wherein the gas release valve includes a seal that stretches to open under gas pressure and self-closes once the gas pressure is released.

5 . The airtrap of claim 1 , which includes a hydrophobic membrane located beneath an opening in the upper portion of the conical housing.

6 . The airtrap of claim 1 , wherein the medical or physiological fluid inlet is at least substantially horizontally disposed when the airtrap is positioned for operation.

7 . The airtrap of claim 1 , wherein the medical or physiological fluid outlet is at least substantially horizontally disposed when the airtrap is positioned for operation.

8 . The airtrap of claim 1 , wherein the top of the conical housing at the upper portion is flat and defines a gas release outlet.

9 . The airtrap of claim 1 , wherein a bottom wall of the conical housing at the lower portion of the conical housing rises within an outer conical wall of the conical housing.

10 . The airtrap of claim 9 , wherein the rising bottom wall forms an inner conical wall inside of the outer conical wall.

11 . The airtrap of claim 9 , wherein the rising bottom wall helps the medical or physiological fluid to spiral around the inside of the conical housing.

12 . The airtrap of claim 1 , wherein the gas collection area is located at an upper, central portion of the conical housing.

13 . The airtrap of claim 1 , which includes structure for being mounted in its position for operation.

14 . A renal therapy blood treatment system comprising:
a blood pump; and a blood set for operation with the blood pump, the blood set having an airtrap including
a conical housing having a radius that increases from its top to its bottom when the housing is positioned for operation,
a blood inlet located at an upper portion of the conical housing,
a blood outlet located at a lower portion of the conical housing, the inlet and the outlet positioned and arranged so that blood spirals around an inside of the conical housing downwardly from the inlet to the outlet, and
a gas collection area located at an upper portion of the conical housing.

15 . The renal therapy blood treatment system of claim 14 , wherein the blood set includes an arterial line and a venous line, and wherein the airtrap is located in the venous line.

16 . The renal therapy blood treatment system of claim 14 , which includes a dialysis fluid circuit, the airtrap a first airtrap, and which includes at least one second conical airtrap located in the dialysis fluid circuit.

17 . The renal therapy blood treatment system of claim 14 , which incudes a chassis housing the blood pump and including mounting features for removeably mounting the airtrap in its position for operation.

18 . The renal therapy blood treatment system of claim 14 , wherein the blood set is configured to be connected to a patient, and wherein the airtrap aims to prevent air from reaching the patient.

19 . A peritoneal dialysis system comprising:
a peritoneal dialysis fluid pump; and a disposable cassette for operation with the peritoneal dialysis fluid pump, the disposable cassette in fluid communication with a patient line having an airtrap including
a conical housing having a radius that increases from its top to its bottom when the housing is positioned for operation,
a peritoneal dialysis fluid inlet located at an upper portion of the conical housing,
a peritoneal dialysis fluid outlet located at a lower portion of the conical housing, the inlet and the outlet positioned and arranged so that peritoneal dialysis fluid spirals around an inside of the conical housing downwardly from the inlet to the outlet, and
a gas collection area located at an upper portion of the conical housing.

20 . The peritoneal dialysis system of claim 19 , which includes a chassis housing the peritoneal dialysis fluid pump and including mounting features for removeably mounting the airtrap in its position for operation.

21 . The peritoneal dialysis system of claim 19 , wherein the patient line is configured to be connected to a patient, and wherein the airtrap aims to prevent air from reaching the patient.

22 . An infusion pump system comprising:
a drug delivery pump; and a drug delivery set for operation with the drug delivery pump, the drug delivery set including a drug delivery line having an airtrap, the airtrap including
a conical housing having a radius that increases from its top to its bottom when the housing is positioned for operation,
an intravenous drug inlet located at an upper portion of the conical housing,
an intravenous drug outlet located at a lower portion of the conical housing, the inlet and the outlet positioned and arranged so that an intravenous drug spirals around an inside of the conical housing downwardly from the inlet to the outlet, and
a gas collection area located at an upper portion of the conical housing.

23 . The infusion pump system of claim 22 , which includes a chassis housing the drug delivery pump and including mounting features for removeably mounting the airtrap in its position for operation.

24 . The infusion pump system of claim 22 , wherein the drug delivery line is configured to be connected to a patient, and wherein the airtrap aims to prevent air from reaching the patient.

25 . An airtrap for a medical or physiological fluid comprising:
a head section having (i) a largest diameter extending perpendicular to a plane bisecting the airtrap or (ii) a largest width and height extending perpendicular to the plane bisecting the airtrap; a medical or physiological fluid inlet provided by the head section; a tubular tail section, which when the airtrap is mounted for operation extends downwardly from the head section, the tubular tail section smaller in (a) diameter or (b) largest cross-sectional distance than (i) the largest diameter of the head section or (ii) the largest width or height of the head section, the tubular tail section including at least one smooth curve, jog and/or undulation positioned and arranged to cause fluid flowing from the head section, through the tubular tail section, to change direction at least one time; and a medical or physiological fluid outlet located at a distal end of the tubular section, beneath the medical or physiological fluid inlet when the airtrap is mounted for operation, such that air rises to a top of the head section via buoyancy, and wherein the at least one smooth curve, jog and/or undulation helps to dislodge air from the medical or p

Assignees

• Baxter Int
• Baxter Healthcare Sa

Inventors

• Perry Mark
• Delcastillo Jorge
• Muller Matthew
• Corrales Carlos
• Yardimci Atif
• Laird James

Classifications

• A61M2205/7536

  allowing gas passage, but preventing liquid passage, e.g. liquophobic, hydrophobic, water-repellent membranes · CPC title

• B01D19/0057

  the centrifugal movement being caused by a vortex, e.g. using a cyclone, or by a tangential inlet · CPC title

• A61M2206/16

  Rotating swirling helical flow, e.g. by tangential inflows · CPC title

• A61M2205/123

  with incorporated reservoirs · 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