Pulmonary artery catheter monitoring bridge

An apparatus for selectively routing fluid flow between a plurality of fluid lines in patient hemodynamic monitoring situations, one of said lines connected to a central vein of a patient, another of said lines connected to a pulmonary artery of said patient, another of said lines connected to a pressure reading apparatus and the remainder of said plurality of lines connected to at least one intravenous solution reservoir, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of fluid path means for carrying fluid between two or more fluid lines;
• a plurality of connection means for connecting said fluid path means to said fluid lines;
• a plurality of fluid flow routing means, each routing means disposed between two or more fluid path means, for routing fluid flow amongst said fluid path means to selectively provide for a first fluid communication path between said pulmonary artery and said pressure reading apparatus to obtain a pulmonary artery pressure reading while also selectively providing for a second fluid communication path between said central vein and one of said intravenous solutions to administer said solutions to the patient, and to selectively provide for a third fluid communication path between said central vein and said pressure reading apparatus to obtain a central venous pressure reading while also inhibiting fluid communication between said central vein and said plurality of intravenous solutions and between said pulmonary artery and said pressure reading apparatus wherein each said routing means comprises a valve, said valve being selectively manipulable to route fluid flow between two or more fluid path means wherein said first fluid communication path and said second fluid communication path may be selectively active both simultaneously and separately, and wherein said third fluid communication path is active when said first fluid communication path and said communication path is occluded, wherein said fluid path means is capable of precluding exposure of said intravenous solution to the atmosphere;
• and
• at least one fluid flow path marking for indicating to which two or more fluid path means fluid flow is routed by said routing means, said path marking corresponding to one of said fluid communication paths.

A method for identifying a plurality of fluid lines and for routing fluid flow between said fluid lines, one of said fluid lines communicating with a patient central vein, another of said fluid lines communicating with said patient pulmonary artery, another of said fluid lines communicating with a pressure reading apparatus and the remainder of said fluid lines communicating with at least one intravenous solution, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) connecting said fluid lines to a fluid routing bridge;
• (b) identifying two or more fluid lines between which fluid communication is desired, said identified combinations including a fluid path between said pulmonary artery and said pressure reading apparatus for obtaining pulmonary artery pressure reading, a fluid path between one of said intravenous solutions and said central vein for administering said solution to said patient, and a fluid path between said central vein and said pressure reading apparatus for obtaining a central venous pressure reading;
• and
• (c) manipulating a plurality of fluid routing valves, disposed within said fluid routing bridge, to route the flow of fluid between said desired fluid lines wherein said pulmonary artery pressure reading path and said intravenous administration path may be selectively active both simultaneously and separately, and wherein when said central venous pressure reading path is active said pulmonary artery and said intravenous solution fluid lines are occluded.