Medical system including vented tip protector

• US 7,083,719 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2005
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Baxter Healthcare SA (Baxter International Inc.), Baxter International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Baxter Healthcare SA (Baxter International Inc.), Baxter International Inc.
• Inventors: Bowman, Joseph H. Jr., Busby, Don, Lundtveit, Loren M., Kellam, Ben, Eu, Bruce Ming-Da, Alvaro, Jose
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, SUN U
• Application Number:
  US11/077,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20050173344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 210/85, 210/90, 210/97, 210/143, 210/252, 210/258, 210/436, 210/472, 604/29
• US Class Current: 210/143
• 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;

at least one tube in communication with the liquid pump, the at least one tube having an end;

a removable tip protector configured to cooperate with the end of the at least one tube, the removable tip protector carrying a hydrophobic filter configured to allow air but not the liquid to escape from the end of the at least one tube,

a sensor configured to sense changes in pressure in the at least one tube and generate a pressure increase signal; and

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

pump liquid through the at least one tube, connected to the removable tip protector such that liquid does not escape from the end of the at least one tube,

receive the pressure increase signal indicating a pressure increase inside the at least one tube, and

cause the pumping to stop when air has been purged substantially from the at least one tube.

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, wherein the hydrophobic filter is positioned so that liquid backing up against the hydrophobic filter causes the pressure increase.

5. The medical system of claim 1, wherein the at least one tube includes multiple tubes, and which includes a body having connections configured to connect the multiple tubes according to steps of a procedure.

6. The medical system of claim 1, wherein the at least one tube includes a patient line that is connected to the patient after the pumping is stopped.

7. The medical system of claim 6, 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.

8. 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 at least on tube.

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

(i) to a tip protector located at the end of the at least one tube;

(ii) to a connector located at the end of the at least one tube;

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

sonic sealing and heat sealing.

4. A medical system comprising:

a liquid pump;

at least one tube in communication with the liquid pump;

the at least one tube having an end and a hydrophobic filter at the end, the hydrophobic filter allowing air but not the liquid to escape from the end of the at least one tube;

a sensor configured to sense changes in pressure in the at least one tube and generate a pressure increase signal; and

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

pump liquid through the at least one tube, such that liquid does not escape from the end of the least one tube,

receive the pressure increase signal indicating a pressure increase inside the at least one tube, and

cause the pumping to stop when air has been purged substantially from the at least one tube; and

a removable tip protector secured to the at least one tube, the tip protector housing the hydrophobic filter and defining a space, the space minimized to lessen an amount of liquid that escapes from the tip protector due to priming.

10. A medical system comprising:

a liquid pump;

a sensor configured to sense pressure changes and generate a pressure increase signal; and

a tube in communication with the pump and the sensor, and removably connected at one end of the tube to a tip protector, the tip protector including a hydrophobic filter that allows air but not liquid to escape from an end of the tube; and

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

pump liquid through the tube such that liquid does not escape from the end of the tube,

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

cause the pumping to stop upon receiving the signal.

11. The medical system of claim 10, wherein the tube includes multiple tubes, and wherein the tip protector includes multiple connections for the tubes, the connections arranged according to steps of a procedure.

12. The medical system of claim 11, wherein the hydrophobic filter is fitted to a patient line tubing connection of the tip protector.

13. The medical system of claim 10, wherein the hydorphobic filter is positioned so that liquid backing up against the hydrophobic filter causes the pressure increase inside the tube.

14. The medical system of claim 10, 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.

15. A medical system comprising:

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

a body configured to protect an end of the patient line;

a hydrophobic filter carried within the body adjacent to the end of the patient line, the hydrophobic filter allowing air but not liquid to escape from the end of the patient line;

a sensor configured to sense changes in pressure in the patient line and generate a pressure increase signal; and

a liquid pump, the liquid pump fluidly coupled to the patient line; and

at least one processor that operates with the pump to;

pump liquid through the patient line connected to the body such that liquid does not escape from the end of the patient line,

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

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

16. The medical system of claim 15, wherein the hydrophobic 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.

17. The medical system of claim 15, wherein the body includes 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 hydrophobic filter fitted with the patient line connection.

18. The medical system of claim 16, wherein the signal indicating a pressure increase inside the patient line occurs when air has been purged substantially from the patient line.