Extracorporeal blood circuit air removal system and method
First Claim
1. A venous air removal device (VARD) of an extracorporeal blood circuit providing extracorporeal oxygenation of a patient'"'"'s blood by drawing venous blood from the venous system of a patient through a venous return line and delivering oxygenated blood through an arterial line to the arterial system of the patient during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery adapted to be performed on the patient in the presence of a perfusionist, the VARD comprising:
- a VARD housing enclosing a lower VARD chamber and an upper VARD chamber;
an upper venous blood inlet through the VARD housing to the upper VARD chamber adapted to be coupled to the venous return line;
a lower venous blood outlet through the VARD housing to the lower VARD chamber adapted to be coupled to a blood pump to draw venous blood into the upper VARD chamber and out of the lower VARD chamber;
a purge port through the VARD housing to the upper VARD chamber;
an upper air sensor supported by the VARD housing in relation to the upper VARD chamber adapted to be powered to provide an electrical signal having a characteristic indicating the presence of air in the upper VARD chamber; and
a lower air sensor supported by the VARD housing in relation to the lower VARD chamber adapted to be powered to provide an electrical signal having a characteristic indicating the presence of air in the lower VARD chamber.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A disposable, integrated extracorporeal blood circuit employed during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery performs gas exchange, heat transfer, and microemboli filtering functions in a way as to conserve volume, to reduce setup and change out times, to eliminate a blood reservoir, and to substantially reduce blood-air interface. Blood from the patient or prime solution is routed through an air removal device that is equipped with air sensors for detection of air. An active air removal controller removes detected air from blood in the air removal device. A disposable circuit support module is used to mount the components of the disposable, integrated extracorporeal blood circuit in close proximity and in a desirable spatial relationship to optimize priming and use of the disposable, integrated extracorporeal blood circuit. A reusable circuit holder supports the disposable circuit support module in relation to a prime solution source, the active air removal controller and other components.
102 Citations
51 Claims
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1. A venous air removal device (VARD) of an extracorporeal blood circuit providing extracorporeal oxygenation of a patient'"'"'s blood by drawing venous blood from the venous system of a patient through a venous return line and delivering oxygenated blood through an arterial line to the arterial system of the patient during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery adapted to be performed on the patient in the presence of a perfusionist, the VARD comprising:
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a VARD housing enclosing a lower VARD chamber and an upper VARD chamber;
an upper venous blood inlet through the VARD housing to the upper VARD chamber adapted to be coupled to the venous return line;
a lower venous blood outlet through the VARD housing to the lower VARD chamber adapted to be coupled to a blood pump to draw venous blood into the upper VARD chamber and out of the lower VARD chamber;
a purge port through the VARD housing to the upper VARD chamber;
an upper air sensor supported by the VARD housing in relation to the upper VARD chamber adapted to be powered to provide an electrical signal having a characteristic indicating the presence of air in the upper VARD chamber; and
a lower air sensor supported by the VARD housing in relation to the lower VARD chamber adapted to be powered to provide an electrical signal having a characteristic indicating the presence of air in the lower VARD chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An extracorporeal blood circuit providing extracorporeal oxygenation of a patient'"'"'s blood by drawing venous blood from the venous system of a patient through a venous return line and delivering oxygenated blood through an arterial line to the arterial system of the patient during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery adapted to be performed on the patient in the presence of a perfusionist, the extracorporeal blood circuit comprising:
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a venous air removal device (VARD) comprising;
a VARD housing enclosing a lower VARD chamber and an upper VARD chamber;
'"'"'an upper venous blood inlet through the VARD housing to the upper VARD chamber coupled to the venous return line;
a lower venous blood outlet through the VARD housing to the lower VARD chamber;
a VARD purge port through the VARD housing to the upper VARD chamber;
an upper air sensor supported by the VARD housing in relation to the upper VARD chamber; and
a lower air sensor supported by the VARD housing in relation to the lower VARD chamber;
a blood pump coupled to the lower venous blood outlet to draw venous blood through the venous return line into the upper VARD chamber and out of the lower VARD chamber, whereby venous blood accumulates in the lower VARD chamber and any air bubbles accumulate in the upper VARD chamber;
means for powering the upper air sensor to provide an upper sensor signal having a characteristic indicating the presence of air in the upper VARD chamber; and
means for powering the lower air sensor to provide a lower sensor signal having a characteristic indicating the presence of air in the lower VARD chamber. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for providing extracorporeal oxygenation of a patient'"'"'s blood during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery adapted to be performed in the presence of a perfusionist and employing a venous return line and an arterial line connected to the respective venous and arterial systems of the patient, the method comprising:
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drawing venous blood and any air bubbles therein from the patient through the venous return line and through an upper venous blood inlet of a venous air removal device (VARD) coupled thereto, thereby accumulating venous blood in a lower VARD chamber and any air bubbles in an upper VARD chamber;
pumping venous blood from the lower VARD chamber through the blood oxygenator and oxygenated blood from the blood oxygenator into the arterial line;
sensing any air accumulating in the upper VARD chamber;
purging air from the upper VARD chamber;
sensing any air accumulating in the lower VARD chamber; and
when air is sensed in the lower VARD chamber, alerting the perfusionist that too much air is being accumulated in the VARD and to take appropriate corrective action. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method for providing extracorporeal oxygenation of a patient'"'"'s blood during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery adapted to be performed in the presence of a perfusionist and employing a venous return line and an arterial line coupled to the respective venous and arterial systems of the patient, the method comprising:
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connecting an upper venous blood inlet of a venous air removal device (VARD) to the venous return line, the VARD having a VARD housing enclosing a lower VARD chamber and an upper VARD chamber;
connecting a blood pump inlet of a blood pump to a venous blood outlet of the VARD and a blood pump outlet to a venous blood inlet of a blood oxygenator having an oxygenated blood outlet;
connecting an arterial filter inlet of an arterial filter to the oxygenated blood outlet of the blood oxygenator and a lower arterial filter oxygenated blood outlet to the arterial line, the arterial filter having an upper arterial filter inlet chamber and a lower arterial blood chamber, whereby any air in the oxygenated blood accumulates in the upper arterial filter inlet chamber;
connecting the upper arterial filter inlet chamber to the upper inlet chamber of the VARD, whereby air accumulating in the upper arterial filter inlet chamber is drawn into and purged from the upper VARD chamber. operating the blood pump to draw venous blood and any air bubbles therein through the upper venous blood inlet of the VARD, thereby accumulating venous blood in the lower VARD chamber and any air bubbles in the upper VARD chamber, and to pump venous blood from the lower VARD chamber through the blood oxygenator and oxygenated blood from the blood oxygenator into the arterial filter and from the arterial filter into the arterial line;
sensing any air accumulating in the upper VARD chamber; and
purging air from the upper VARD chamber. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
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35. An air removal device of an extracorporeal blood circuit providing extracorporeal oxygenation of a patient'"'"'s blood by drawing venous blood from the venous system of a patient through a venous return line and delivering oxygenated blood through an arterial line to the arterial system of the patient during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery adapted to be performed on the patient in the presence of a perfusionist, the air removal device comprising:
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an air removal device housing enclosing a lower blood chamber and an upper blood inlet chamber;
an upper blood inlet through the air removal device housing to the upper blood inlet chamber adapted to be coupled to the return line;
a lower blood outlet through the air removal device housing to the lower blood chamber adapted to be coupled to a blood pump to draw blood into the upper blood inlet chamber and out of the lower blood chamber;
a purge port through the air removal device housing to the upper blood inlet chamber;
an upper air sensor supported by the air removal device housing in relation to the upper blood inlet chamber adapted to be powered to provide an electrical signal having a characteristic indicating the presence of air in the upper blood inlet chamber; and
a lower air sensor supported by the air removal device housing in relation to the lower blood chamber adapted to be powered to provide an electrical signal having a characteristic indicating the presence of air in the lower blood chamber. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51-61. -61. (canceled)
Specification