Fluidics cart and degassing system for histotripsy systems and methods

A fluidics system configured to support acoustically coupling an ultrasound transducer to a patient, comprising:

• a portable cart housing;
• a fluid tank in the portable cart housing;
• a first tubing set having first input/output port and a second input/output port;
• a degas mechanism fluidly coupled to the first tubing set;
• a first pump operatively coupled to the first tubing set;
• a processor operatively coupled to the first pump, the processor being configured to control the fluidics system to operate in:
• 1) a fill configuration in which the first input/output port is fluidly coupled to a fluid source and the second input/output is fluidly coupled to the fluid tank, wherein the first pump is controlled in a first operating direction to move fluid from the fluid source into the first input/output port, through the degas mechanism, out of the second input/output port, and into the fluid tank to remove a first preset percentage of gas from the fluid;
• 2) a circulation configuration in which the first and second input/output ports are fluidly coupled to the fluid tank, wherein the first pump is controlled automatically in the first operating direction or a second operating direction to circulate fluid from the fluid tank through the first tubing set and degas mechanism to remove a second preset percentage of gas from the fluid;
• 3) a fluid transfer configuration in which the first input/output port is fluidly coupled to an acoustic coupling container and the second input/output is fluidly coupled to the fluid tank, wherein the first pump is controlled in the second operating direction to move fluid from the fluid tank into the second input/output port, through the degas mechanism, out of the first input/output port, and into the acoustic coupling container to remove a third preset percentage of gas from the fluid.

A fluidics system configured to support acoustically coupling an ultrasound transducer to a patient, comprising:

• a housing;
• a fluid tank in the housing;
• a sensor operatively coupled to the fluid tank, the sensor being configured to determine a volume of fluid in the fluid tank;
• a first tubing set having first input/output port and a second input/output port;
• a degas mechanism fluidly coupled to the first tubing set;
• a first pump operatively coupled to the first tubing set;
• a processor operatively coupled to the first pump and the sensor, the processor being configured to control the fluidics system to pull fluid into the first input/output port of the first tubing set and deliver the fluid into the fluid tank with the second input/output port of the first tubing set until the volume of fluid as determined by the sensor equals a desired fill volume.