Blood chamber for extracorporeal blood circuits and a process for manufacturing the blood chamber

• US 7,559,911 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2004
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gambro Lundia AB (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gambro Lundia AB (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Giannella, Carlo
• Primary Examiner(s): Deak; Leslie R
• Application Number:
  US10/915,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20050054968A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,798 Days
• Field of Search: 604/403, 604/408, 604/409, 604/410, 604/6.15, 604/533, 604/535, 604/537, 383/210.1
• US Class Current: 604/6.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3627 Degassing devices; Buffer reservoirs; Drip chambers; Blood filters

Abstract

A blood chamber for extracorporeal blood circuits comprises a container body (2) made in a single piece by blowing of a plastic material, and has a plurality of connection ports (3, 4) for fluid communication with outside; each connection port (3, 4) comprises a tubular mouth (6) having a truncoconical internal surface (61) which is coupled in a fluid-proof coupling to a tubular first part (101) of an insert (10), made by injection molding of a plastic material. The insert (10) has a truncoconical and smooth internal surface (102) which is coupled by gluing with a solvent to an end zone of a fluid transport tube (7, 8). The coupling between the blood chamber and the fluid transport tubes is very strong and reliable. The blood chamber is part of an extracorporeal blood circuit which is operatively associated to a dialysis machine.

Claims

1. A blood chamber comprising a container body for blood having a plurality of connection ports for fluid communication with outside the container body, each of the plurality of connection ports comprising a tubular mouth configured to be coupled to an end zone of a tube, wherein:

each tubular mouth is made in a single piece with the container body;

at least one of the tubular mouths is provided with an insert having a surface configured to receive in a fluid-proof sealed coupling the end zone of the tube; and

the insert has at least one first tubular part covering at least a part of an internal surface of the tubular mouth, said at least one first tubular part being configured to be interposed between the internal surface of the tubular mouth and the end zone of the tube, wherein said tubular mouth has an internal surface with at least a first transversal section and at least a second transversal section, the first transversal section being, with reference to the container body. more external than the second transversal section, the more external first transversal section having a larger diameter than a diameter of the internal second transversal section.

2. The chamber of claim 1, wherein said insert surface, configured to receive, in a fluid-proof sealed coupling contact, the end zone of the tube, is an internal surface of said first tubular part.

3. The chamber of claim 1, wherein said internal surface of the tubular mouth has an internal diameter which is smaller than an internal diameter of said container body, the internal diameter of the container body being in a horizontal direction with reference to a vertical operative configuration of the blood chamber.

4. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the container body is made in a single piece.

5. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the container body is made of a plastic material which is formable by blow molding.

6. The chamber of claim 1, wherein each tubular mouth emerges from the container body in an external direction.

7. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the plurality of connection ports comprises at least a first connection port located in a lower zone of the container body, and at least a second connection port located in an upper zone of the container body, where lower and upper refer to a vertical operative configuration of the blood chamber, each of the first connection port and the second connection port comprising a tubular mouth provided with the insert.

8. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the tubular mouth, provided with the insert, has a vertical axis, where vertical refers to a vertical operative configuration of the blood chamber.

9. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the insert is made of a plastic material.

10. The chamber of claim 9, wherein the plastic material of the insert is a material which is formable by injection molding.

11. The chamber of claim 1, wherein said insert surface, which is configured to receive, in a fluid-proof sealed coupling, the end zone of the tube, is a smooth surface.

12. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the insert is made in a single piece.

13. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the tubular mouth has an internal surface which converges towards an inside of the container body, said internal surface being joined to an external surface of the insert.

14. The chamber of claim 1, wherein said insert has a tubular part and a flanged part, said flanged part emerging radially from the tubular part and covering a front-end surface of a corresponding tubular mouth.

15. The chamber of claim 14, wherein the flanged part is superposed on and in contact with said front-end surface of the tubular mouth.

16. The chamber of claim 1, wherein said container body is made of a plastic material which is not PVC or which is free of chlorides.

17. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the chamber is an arterial chamber which is structured and sized for insertion in an arterial line of an extracorporeal circuit.

18. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the chamber is a venous chamber which is structured and sized for insertion in a venous line of an extracorporeal circuit.

19. The chamber of claim 1, wherein said insert is made of a first plastic material, said container body being made of a second plastic material which is different than the first plastic material.

20. An extracorporeal circuit comprising a circuit of tubes, and at least one blood chamber provided with a plurality of connection ports, at least one of the tubes being connected to each of the connection ports, wherein the at least one blood chamber is made according to claim 1.

21. The circuit of claim 20, wherein at least one of said tubes connected to the connection port has an end zone which is fluid-sealed and unmovably coupled with said insert surface of the relative connection port.

23. A blood chamber according to claim 1, wherein the first tubular part of the insert has an external lateral coupling surface at least part of which converges toward the inside of the blood chamber.

22. A blood chamber comprising a container body for blood having a plurality of connection ports for fluid communication with outside the container body, each of the plurality of connection ports comprising a tubular mouth configured to be coupled to an end zone of a tube, wherein:

each tubular mouth is made in a single piece with the container body; and

at least one of the tubular mouths having an insert having a surface configured to receive the end zone of the tube in a fluid-proof sealed coupling, said insert having at least a first tubular part covering at least a part of an internal surface of the tubular mouth, said at least one first tubular part being configured to be interposed between the internal surface of the tubular mouth and then end zone of the tube, wherein the tubular mouth has an internal surface that converges toward an inside of the container body, said internal surface being joined to an external surface of the insert.