AIR TRAP FOR A MEDICAL INFUSION DEVICE
First Claim
1. A method for removing air or other undissolved gas from a flow of blood in a dialysis unit, comprising:
- providing an air trap in a blood flow circuit of a dialysis unit, the air trap having a container with an inlet port located at a top of the container and an outlet port at a bottom of the container, the air trap being arranged to remove air from blood flowing from the inlet port to the outlet port;
introducing blood into the inlet port of the air trap such that the blood flows from the inlet port to the outlet port of the air trap;
removing air from blood flowing in the air trap and trapping the air in the air trap; and
causing flow of fluid from the outlet port to the inlet port of the air trap so as to remove all of the air in the air trap from the air trap.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An air trap for a blood circuit and method for removing air from blood in a dialysis unit. The air trap may include a blood inlet supply line, a blood outlet supply line, and a container having an approximately spherical internal wall, an inlet at a top end of the container connected to the blood inlet supply line, and an outlet at a bottom end of the container connected to the blood outlet supply line. The inlet may be offset from a vertical axis of the approximately spherical internal wall such that blood entering the container is directed to flow in a spiral-like path. The inlet port may be arranged to introduce blood into the container in a direction that is approximately tangential to the approximately spherical inner wall of the container and/or in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the vertical axis of the container.
44 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for removing air or other undissolved gas from a flow of blood in a dialysis unit, comprising:
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providing an air trap in a blood flow circuit of a dialysis unit, the air trap having a container with an inlet port located at a top of the container and an outlet port at a bottom of the container, the air trap being arranged to remove air from blood flowing from the inlet port to the outlet port; introducing blood into the inlet port of the air trap such that the blood flows from the inlet port to the outlet port of the air trap; removing air from blood flowing in the air trap and trapping the air in the air trap; and causing flow of fluid from the outlet port to the inlet port of the air trap so as to remove all of the air in the air trap from the air trap. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A dialysis system comprising:
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an air trap; and a fluid pump configured to pump fluid from an upper inlet to a lower outlet of the air trap; the air trap comprising; a container having an approximately spherical or spheroid-shaped internal wall defining a chamber, the inlet of the air trap positioned at a top end of the container and the outlet of the air trap positioned at a bottom end of the container, the inlet being offset from a vertical axis of the container such that fluid entering the chamber through the inlet is directed to flow along the internal wall toward the outlet; wherein the air trap is configured to accumulate undissolved gas from the fluid at the top end of the container, and the pump is configured to pump the fluid in a reverse direction from the outlet to the inlet of the air trap to remove accumulated gas from the container. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification