Support element for an extracorporeal fluid transport line

• US 20050245871A1
• Filed: 06/12/2003
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gambro Lundia AB (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gambro Dasco SPA (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Caleffi, Luca, Delnevo, Annalisa
• Granted Patent: US 7,422,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/126
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1418 Clips, separators or the like for supporting tubes or leads
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14232 Roller pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/165 Filtering accessories, e.g. blood filters, filters for infusion liquids A61M1/14 , A61M1/34, A61M1/3627, A61M1/3679, A61M1/3687 take precedence; needle sets with incorporated air inlet filters A61M5/162
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16845 by weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/38 using hydrophilic or hydrophobic filters
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/0072 of tubular flexible members

Abstract

A rigid support element for an infusion line for medical use has a first and second portion rigidly connected to each other and capable of holding a first length of tubing. The first portion incorporates a continuous separator for separating fluid into a gaseous portion and a liquid. This separator has a containing body formed on a support element and a pair of membranes, one hydrophobic and one hydrophilic, interacting with each other.

Claims

1. A support element for an extracorporeal fluid transport line, comprising:

a first and a second lateral portion designed to hold corresponding portions of the transport line to delimit at least a first length of tubing; and

a rigid cross-piece for connecting the lateral portions;

wherein the first lateral portion incorporates a continuous fluid separator capable of separating fluid into a gaseous portion and a liquid portion.

2. The element of claim 1, wherein the separator comprises a containing body having:

at least one inlet for receiving a fluid;

at least a first outlet for receiving a liquid portion of said fluid;

selector means interposed between said inlet and said first outlet and capable of continuously separating fluid into a gaseous portion and a liquid portion.

3. The element of claim 2, wherein said containing body of said separator comprises at least a second outlet for receiving the gaseous portion of said fluid.

4. The element of claim 2, wherein said selector means comprises at least one hydrophilic membrane having one side facing said first outlet and one side facing said at least one inlet, for receiving said fluid and transferring only liquid towards said first outlet.

5. The element of claim 3, wherein said selector means comprises at least one hydrophobic membrane having one side facing said second outlet and one side facing said inlet, for receiving said fluid and transferring only gas towards said second outlet.

6. The element of claim 1, wherein said first length of tubing has a curved shape and a specified axial extension.

7. The element of claim 1, wherein said second lateral portion has a tubular profile and is designed to receive one end of said first length of tubing and one end of a second length of tubing, which are fixed in said second lateral portion.

8. The element of claim 5, wherein said containing body comprises a base and a cover portion, interacting with each other to form a passage for fluid between said inlet and said first and second outlets.

9. The element of claim 8, wherein said base forms a through channel for putting said passage into fluid communication with an exterior, said hydrophobic membrane operating in said channel.

10. The element of claim 8, wherein said base comprises an incorporated first tubular connecting element.

11. The element of claim 10, wherein said cover portion comprises an incorporated second tubular connecting element having an axis of extension inclined with respect to that of said first tubular connecting element.

12. The element of claim 8, wherein said hydrophilic membrane is interposed between said base and said cover portion, and extends essentially throughout said containing body.

13. The element of claim 8, wherein each of said base and said cover portion comprises corresponding base walls and corresponding perimeter edges emerging from said base walls, said hydrophilic membrane extending parallel to said base walls in a position separated from said base walls.

14. The element of claim 13, wherein said containing body has a plurality of projections emerging from said base wall of said base.

15. The element of claim 13, wherein said containing body has a plurality of projections emerging from said base wall of said cover portion.

16. The element of claim 14, wherein said base projections comprise teeth distributed uniformly over a surface of said base wall of said base.

17. The element of claim 15, wherein said cover portion projections comprise deflectors spaced angularly to guide the flow of liquid towards said first outlet.

18. The element of claim 8, wherein said base of said containing body, said rigid cross-piece and said second lateral portion are made in a single piece.

19. The element of claim 1, wherein said rigid cross-piece is essentially flat and parallel to a plane in which said first length of tubing lies.

20. The element of claim 1, wherein said continuous fluid separator incorporates at least one check valve predisposed to prevent a flow in said transport line which is inverse to a desired transport direction.

21. The element of claim 20, wherein said check valve is predisposed along a pathway of said liquid portion, after said liquid portion has been separated from said gaseous portion by said fluid separator.

22. The element of claim 21, wherein the separator comprises a containing body having:

at least one inlet for receiving a fluid;

at least a first outlet for receiving a liquid portion of said fluid;

selector means interposed between said inlet and said first outlet and capable of continuously separating fluid into a gaseous portion and a liquid portion,

and wherein said check valve is arranged internally of said containing body in a zone comprised between said selector means and said first outlet.

23. The element of claim 20, wherein said check valve comprises a mobile obturator organs, which operates on a passage mouth of said liquid portion.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein said containing body comprises a base and a cover portion, interacting with each other to form a passage for fluid between said inlet and said first and second outlets, said passage mouth being associated with said cover portion of said containing body.

25. The element of claim 24, wherein said selector means comprises at least one hydrophilic membrane facing and distanced from a base wall of said cover portion, said passage mouth being associated with said base wall.

26. The element of claim 5, wherein said containing body internally defines a fluid passage between said separator inlet and said first outlet, said hydrophobic membrane being situated in an upper zone of a fluid passage portion located upstream of said hydrophilic membrane, said hydrophobic membrane facing upwards, with reference to a use configuration of said support element, in which configuration said first length of tubing has a vertical lie plane.

27. The element of claim 26, wherein said upstream passage portion for passage of fluid has at least one passage section which increases in a direction towards said hydrophobic membrane.

28. The element of claim 26, wherein said hydrophobic membrane is located superiorly with respect to an upper point of the operative surface of said hydrophilic membrane.

29. The element of claim 2, wherein said containing body has a development which is prevalently in a transversal direction proceeding from said first lateral portion to said second lateral portion, said first outlet being located in a lateral end zone of said transversal development, in proximity of said second lateral portion.

30. The element of claim 29, wherein said second outlet is arranged in an intermediate zone of said transversal development.

31. The element of claim 4, wherein said hydrophilic membrane has a vertical lie plane, with reference to a use configuration in which said first length of tubing has a vertical lie plane.

39. An infusion line comprising a support element according to claim 1.

40. The infusion line of claim 39, comprising:

a container of a liquid to be infused into a patient;

a second length of tubing extending between said container and said rigid support element and being placed in fluid communication with said first length of tubing.

32. A gas-liquid separator, comprising:

a containing body having at least one inlet for receiving a fluid and at least a first outlet for receiving a liquid portion of said fluid, said containing body affording internally thereof a fluid passage between said at least one inlet and said first outlet;

at least one filtering element arranged internally of said fluid passage having a side which faces said first outlet, and a side which faces said at least one inlet, for receiving said fluid and transferring only liquid towards said first outlet, dividing said fluid passage into an upstream portion thereof, situated between said at least one inlet and said filtering element, and a downstream portion thereof situated between said filtering element and said first outlet;

at least a second outlet, being a vent, operatively associated with said upstream portion of said fluid passage, for receiving a gaseous portion of said fluid.

33. The separator of claim 32, wherein said at least said second outlet is situated in an upper zone of said upstream portion of said fluid passage, with reference to a use configuration of said separator.

34. The separator of claim 33, wherein at least a part of said upstream portion of said fluid passage has a passage section which increases gradually in an upwards direction, with reference to a use configuration of said separator.

35. The separator of claim 33, wherein said filtering element is hydrophilic, and flat, with a lie plane arranged vertically, with reference to a use configuration of said separator.

36. The separator of claim 32, further comprising a hydrophobic element operating on said second outlet, said filtering element and said hydrophobic element being flat and having lie planes arranged one transversally with respect to another.

37. The separator of claim 33, wherein said at least one fluid inlet is arranged in a lower zone of said upstream portion of said fluid passage, with reference to a use configuration of said separator.

38. The separator of claim 32, wherein said containing body comprises at least two base walls, which delimit said fluid passage and which face opposite sides of said filtering element, said filtering element being distanced from said base walls, a plurality of projections emerging from said base walls defining two rest planes for said opposite sides of said filtering element.