Medical system including vented tip protector

• US 20050173344A1
• Filed: 03/11/2005
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaro Jose, Ben Kellam, Bruce Ming-Da Eu, Don Busby, Joseph H. Bowman Jr, Loren M. Lundtveit
• Original Assignee: Alvaro Jose, Ben Kellam, Bruce Ming-Da Eu, Don Busby, Joseph H. Bowman Jr, Loren M. Lundtveit
• Inventors: Bowman, Joseph H. Jr., Busby, Don, Lundtveit, Loren M., Kellam, Ben, Eu, Bruce Ming-Da, Alvaro, Jose
• Granted Patent: US 7,083,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/646
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/153 the cassette being adapted for heating or cooling the treating fluid, e.g. the dialysate or the treating gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/155 with treatment-fluid pumping means or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1561 at least one cassette surface or portion thereof being flexible, e.g. the cassette having a rigid base portion with preformed channels and being covered with a foil
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1565 Details of valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/159 specially adapted for peritoneal dialysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/166 Heating for sterilisation A61M1/1686
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/28 Peritoneal dialysis ; Other peritoneal treatment, e.g. oxygenation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/288 Priming priming in extracorporeal blood circuits A61M1/3643
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/205 comprising air venting means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/12 with interchangeable cassettes forming partially or totally the fluid circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/581 by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/7536 allowing gas passage, but preventing liquid passage, e.g. liquophobic, hydrophobic, water-repellent membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/10 Tube connectors; Tube couplings A61M39/02 takes precedence; connecting needles to syringes or hubs A61M5/34; connecting catheter tubes to hubs A61M25/0014
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/20 Closure caps or plugs for connectors or open ends of tubes

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for performing peritoneal dialysis are provided. To this end, in part, a medical system is provided that includes (i) a liquid pump; (ii) tubing in communication with the liquid pump; and (iii) at least one processor that operates with the liquid pump to: (a) pump liquid through the tubing, the tubing having an end and a hydrophobic filter at the end, the filter allowing air but not the liquid to escape from the end of the tubing, (b) receive a signal indicating a pressure increase inside the tubing, and (c) cause the pumping to stop when air has been purged substantially from the tubing.

Claims

1. A medical system comprising:

a liquid pump;

tubing in communication with the liquid pump; and

at least one processor that operates with the liquid pump to;

pump liquid through the tubing, the tubing having an end and a hydrophobic filter at the end, the filter allowing air but not the liquid to escape from the end of the tubing,

receive a signal indicating a pressure increase inside the tubing, and

cause the pumping to stop when air has been purged substantially from the tubing.

2. The medical system of claim 1, which includes at least one of a dialysate supply bag and a disposable dialysis unit in fluid communication with the liquid pump.

3. The medical system of claim 1, which includes a sensor that senses the pressure increase and generates the pressure increase signal.

4. The medical system of claim 1, wherein the filter is positioned so that liquid backing up against the filter causes the pressure increase.

5. The medical system of claim 1, which includes a removable tip protector secured to the tubing, the tip protector housing the filter and defining a space, the space minimized to lessen an amount of liquid that escapes from the tip protector due to priming.

6. The medical system of claim 1, wherein the tubing includes multiple tubes, and which includes a body having tubing connections configured to connect the multiple tubes according to steps of a procedure.

7. The medical system of claim 1, wherein the tubing includes a patient line that is connected to the patient after the pumping is stopped.

8. The medical system of claim 7, wherein the at least one processor is operable to determine whether one of a patient drain procedure and a patient fill procedure needs to be performed once the patient line is connected to a patient.

9. The medical system of claim 1, wherein the signal indicating a pressure increase inside the tubing occurs when air has been purged substantially from the tubing.

10. The medical system of claim 1, wherein the filter is attached:

(i) to a tip protector located at the end of the tubing;

(ii) to a connector located at the end of the tubing;

or (iii) to the tubing through a process selected from the group consisting of;

sonic sealing and heat sealing.

11. A medical system comprising:

a liquid pump;

tubing in communication with the pump and connected at one end to a body, the body including a hydrophobic filter that allows air but not liquid to escape from an end of the tubing; and

at least one processor that operates with the liquid pump to;

pump liquid through the tubing,

receive a signal indicating a pressure increase inside the tubing, and

cause the pumping to stop upon receiving the signal.

12. The medical system of claim 11, wherein the tubing including multiple tubes, and wherein the body includes multiple connections for the tubes, the connections arranged according to steps of a procedure.

13. The medical system of claim 12, wherein the filter is fitted to a patient line tubing connection of the body.

14. The medical system of claim 11, wherein the filter is positioned so that liquid backing up against the filter causes the pressure increase inside the tubing.

15. The medical system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform at least one procedure selected from the group consisting of:

(i) urge a patient line connection with the patient after the pumping is stopped; and

(ii) sense whether one of a patient drain procedure and a patient fill procedure needs to be performed once the patient line is connected to the patient.

16. The medical system of claim 11, wherein the body is a tip protector located at the end of the tubing or a connector located at the end of the tubing.

17. A medical system comprising:

a body, a drain line, a supply line and a patient line;

a hydrophobic filter located at an end of the patient line, the filter allowing air but not liquid to escape from the end of the patient line;

a liquid pump; and

at least one processor that operates with the pump to;

pump liquid through at least the patient line,

receive a signal indicating a pressure increase inside the patient line, and

cause the pumping to stop when air has been purged substantially from the tubing.

18. The medical system of claim 17, wherein the filter is attached:

(i) to a tip protector located at the end of the patient line;

(ii) to a connector located at the end of the patient line;

or (iii) to the patient line through a process selected from the group consisting of;

sonic sealing and heat sealing.

19. The medical system of claim 17, which includes a body having a drain line connection, a supply line connection and a patient line connection, the end of the patient line connected to the patient line connection, the filter fitted with the patient line connection.

20. The medical system of claim 18, wherein the signal indicating a pressure increase inside the patient line occurs when air has been purged substantially from the patient line.