In-line moisture filter usable in an improved packaging system for a sterilizable calibratable medical device

• US 5,143,617 A
• Filed: 12/20/1990
• Issued: 09/01/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Abbott Park County of Lake Illinois
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories
• Inventors: Grabenkort, Richard W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dawson, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALKER, WANDA LYNNE
• Application Number:
  US07/632,711
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 55/387, 55/527, 210/502.1
• US Class Current: 96/117.5
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/242 Packaging, i.e. for packaging the sensor or apparatus before use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1495 Calibrating or testing of in-vivo probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/30 Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments for wound clamps A61B17/10; for ligaturing clips A61B17/122; packages or dispensers for surgical gloves or finger-stalls A61B42/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/33 Trays
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/206 Ethylene oxide
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/002 Packages specially adapted therefor combined with means for introducing catheters, e.g. dispensers, A61M25/0113; catheter kit packages for surgical articles A61B50/30

Abstract

A filter for removing a liquid from a gas comprising a housing, a liquid absorbent material disposed in the housing to absorb the liquid from the gas passing through the filter, and a plurality of ribs disposed on an inner surface of the housing, the ribs spaced apart from each other and supporting the liquid absorbent material within the housing. The ribs define a plurality of open passages around the liquid absorbent material, and connecting an inlet of the housing in fluid communication with an outlet, so that the gas flowing between the inlet and the outlet experiences substantially no pressure drop, the liquid in the gas being absorbed by the liquid absorbent material in the filter, as the gas flows through the filter.

Claims

1. An in-line moisture filter comprising a longitudinal outer housing having opposite ends, a filter element comprising moisture absorbent material disposed in the housing to remove liquid from gases passing through the filter, a plurality of internal ribs located in spaced relation on an inner peripheral wall of the housing, each extending longitudinally along said inner wall of the housing, to support and displace the filter element from the inner peripheral wall of the housing, thus to define passages within the housing between the ribs and the filter element containing the absorbent material, to enable gases flowing through said passages for drying to experience no significant pressure drop in their flow from one end of the filter housing to the other, the gasses flowing through an interior portion of the housing not passing through the absorbent material in the filter element, but rather through the passages between the housing and the filter element provided by said ribs, thereby to extract moisture from said gases passing through the filter.

2. An in-line moisture filter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the absorbent material comprises a cellulose moisture absorbent element disposed in the filter element mounted in the filter housing.

3. An in-line moisture filter as claimed in claim 2, wherein the moisture absorbent material of the filter element is colored, and changes colors when wet, to indicate the presence of moisture in the filter.

4. An in-line moisture filter as claimed in claim 2, wherein the moisture absorbent filter element is a longitudinal element extending the length of the filter housing and is supported therein between the internal ribs of the filter housing.