Bubble trap for blood
AssigneeVernon C. Maine PLLC
InventorsRobert Christian Gustafson, Vernon C. Maine
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bubble trap for an extracorporeal blood handling or other fluid handling system has a chamber (10) constructed from a top section (20) and bottom section (30). There is a fluid inlet (50), gas vent port (70) for purging gas that has separated from the fluid in the chamber, and a fluid outlet (50). There are two balls (64) and (74), which act as check valves to prevent fluid flowing out the vent port, and gas escaping through the fluid outlet. The chamber geometry prevents entrapment of either ball in the corner as blood level rises or falls. Squeeze bulbs (66) and (76), and shutoff valves (68) and (78), provide for unseating the check balls.
Claims16
A bubble trap for separating gas from a fluid in a pressurized fluid handling system comprising:
- a vertically oriented circular chamber with a coaxial vent port and vent port ball seat at the top end, a fluid inlet near said top end, and a coaxial fluid outlet and fluid outlet ball seat at the bottom end, said inlet port connectible to a source of said fluid under pressure, said fluid outlet connectible to a fluid receiver,
- an upper check ball and a lower check ball, each lighter in density than said fluid so as to float, both confined within said chamber, said vent port and said fluid outlet being independently closable to outflow from within said chamber by respective said check balls being seated in respective said ball seats when fluid levels transport respective said balls thereto,
- externally accessible means for dislodging said upper check ball from said vent port ball seat, and
- externally accessible means for dislodging said lower check ball from said fluid outlet ball seat.
A bubble trap for separating gas from blood in an extracorporeal blood handling system comprising:
- a vertically oriented circular chamber with a coaxial vent port and vent port ball seat at the top end, a blood inlet near said top end, and a coaxial fluid outlet and fluid outlet ball seat at the bottom end, said inlet port connectible to a source of said blood under pressure, said blood outlet connectible to a blood receiver,
- an upper check ball and a lower check ball, each lighter in density than said blood so as to float therein, both confined within said chamber, said vent port and said blood outlet being independently closable to outflow from within said chamber by respective said check balls being seated in respective said ball seats when blood levels transport respective said balls thereto,
- said chamber constructed of a transparent tubular section closed off at the upper end with a top configured with said fluid inlet, said vent port, and an externally accessible means for dislodging said upper check ball, and closed off at the lower end with a bottom configured with said fluid outlet and an externally accessible means for dislodging said lower check ball, the geometry of said check balls, said chamber and said ball seats preventing the interchanging of upper and lower check ball positions and the entrapment of a check ball within a corner of said chamber.
A bubble trap for separating gas from blood in a corporeal blood handling system comprising:
- a vertically oriented circular chamber with a coaxial vent port and vent port ball seat at the top end, a blood inlet near said top end, and a coaxial blood outlet and blood outlet ball seat at the bottom end, said inlet port connectible to a source of said blood under pressure, said blood outlet connectible to a blood receiver,
- an upper check ball and a lower check ball, each lighter in density than said blood so as to float therein, both said balls confined within said chamber, said vent port and said blood outlet being independently closable to outflow from within said chamber by respective said check balls being seated in respective said ball seats when fluid levels transport respective said balls thereto,
- externally accessible means for dislodging said upper check ball from said vent port ball seat, and
- externally accessible means for dislodging said lower check ball from said blood outlet ball seat, the geometry of said check balls, said chamber and said ball seats preventing the interchanging of upper and lower check ball positions and the entrapment of a check ball within a corner of said chamber, said chamber comprising a circular top section configured with a lower open end and a said fluid inlet and terminating at its top end with said vent port, and a bottom section configured with an upper open end and terminating at its lower end with said fluid outlet, said top section and said bottom section being joined at said open ends.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.