Cardioplegia delivery system with improved bubble trap

A bubble trap for removing bubbles from cardioplegia medication or a mixture of arterial blood and medication in a cardioplegia system, said bubble trap having an infusion fluid inlet connected to the supply of cardioplegia infusion fluid and an outlet leading to the heart cannula, and said bubble trap comprising:

• (a) a primary chamber having an entrance way for infusion fluid disposed at the bottom, said entrance way adapted for connection with said infusion fluid inlet, said primary chamber capable of providing a passageway for infusion fluid leaving said entrance way, and said primary chamber having a greater cross-sectional area than said entrance way, such that when infusion fluid enters said primary chamber from said entrance way the average velocity of said infusion fluid is caused to decelerate;
• and
• (b) a secondary chamber separated from said primary chamber by a dam, the area above said dam provinding a passageway for infusion fluid flowing from said primary chamber to said secondary chamber, said secondary chamber bounded by said dam, an exterior side wall which is disposed opposite said dam, a front wall and a back wall which is disposed opposite said front wall, and said secondary chamber having a shelf extending from said exterior wall into said secondary chamber in a direction towards said dam but not extending so far into said secondary chamber as to block the passage of infusion fluid through said secondary chamber, and said secondary chamber having said outlet for infusion fluid disposed at the bottom of said secondary chamber said shelf capable of re-directing infusion fluid flow in said secondary chamber away from said outlet and towards the top of said secondary chamber.

An improved cardioplegia system in which cardioplegia medication or a mixture of arterial blood and medication is delivered to the heart of a patient during open heart surgery, wherein the improvement comprises a one-piece monitoring module, said monitoring module having an inlet connected to the supply of cardioplegic infusion fluid and an outlet leading to the heart cannula, and said monitoring module comprising:

• (a) a pressure measuring device for measuring the internal pressure of said infusion fluid in said cardioplegia system;
• (b) a temperature measuring device for measuring the temperature of said infusion fluid;
• and
• (c) a bubble trap for removing bubbles from said infusion fluid before it passes through said outlet to said heart cannula, said bubble trap comprising:
• (1) a primary chamber having an entrance way for infusion fluid disposed at the bottom, said primary chamber capable of providing a passageway for infusion fluid leaving said entrance way, and said primary chamber having a greater cross-sectional area than said entrance way, such that when infusion fluid enters said primary chamber from entrance way the average velocity of said infusion fluid is caused to decelerate;
• and
• (2) a secondary chamber separated from said primary chamber by a dam, the area above said dam providing a passageway for infusion fluid flowing from said primary chamber to said secondary chamber bounded by said dam, an exterior side wall which is disposed opposite said dam, a front wall and a back wall which is disposed opposite said front wall, and said secondary chamber having a shelf extending from said exterior wall into said secondary chamber in a direction towards said dam but not extending so far into said secondary chamber as to block the passage of infusion fluid through said secondary chamber, and said secondary chamber having said outlet for infusion fluid disposed at the bottom of said secondary chamber said shelf capable of re-directing infusion fluid flow in said secondary chamber away from said outlet and towards the top of said secondary chamber.

A method of debubbling a liquid comprising the steps of:

• (a) passing the liquid through an entrance way into a primary chamber, said entrance way being connected at the bottom of said primary chamber, and said primary chamber having a greater cross-sectional area than said entrance way, so that the average velocity of liquid entering said primary chamber from said entrance way decelerates;
• (b) causing said liquid to discharge into a secondary chamber separated from said primary chamber by a dam, the area above said dam providing the passageway for said liquid from said primary chamber to said secondary chamber, said secondary chamber bounded by said dam, an exterior side wall which is disposed opposite said dam, a front wall and a back wall which is disposed opposite said front wall, and said secondary chamber having a shelf extending from said exterior wall into said secondary chamber in a direction towards said dam but not extending so far into said secondary chamber as to block the passage of liquids through said secondary chamber, and said secondary chamber having an outlet for liquid disposed at the bottom of said secondary chamber said shelf capable of re-directing liquid flow in said secondary chamber away from said outlet and towards the top of said secondary chamber;
• and
• (c) discharging said liquid through said outlet at the bottom of said secondary chamber.