Manual/auto-prime air eliminator
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- an infusion chamber configured to hold a liquid and a gas;
a filter configured to vent the gas from the infusion chamber while and confine the liquid to the infusion chamber; and
a self-actuated mechanical gas eliminator configured to vent gas from the infusion chamber when the filter becomes obstructed, wherein the mechanical gas eliminator is in fluid communication with the infusion chamber through a gas flow path that does not pass through the filter.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vent system for an infusion drip chamber is provided according to the invention. The vent system includes an automatic air eliminator communicating with an interior and an exterior of the infusion drip chamber. The automatic air eliminator is capable of automatically venting air from the infusion drip chamber in a substantially continuous manner. The vent system further includes a mechanical air eliminator communicating with the interior and the exterior of the infusion drip chamber. The manual air eliminator is capable of mechanically venting air from the infusion drip chamber at discrete time intervals.
26 Citations
31 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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an infusion chamber configured to hold a liquid and a gas; a filter configured to vent the gas from the infusion chamber while and confine the liquid to the infusion chamber; and a self-actuated mechanical gas eliminator configured to vent gas from the infusion chamber when the filter becomes obstructed, wherein the mechanical gas eliminator is in fluid communication with the infusion chamber through a gas flow path that does not pass through the filter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus, comprising:
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an infusion chamber configured to hold a gas and a liquid; a filter configured to vent the gas from an infusion chamber and confine the liquid to the infusion chamber; and a mechanical gas eliminator configured to remain closed to the flow of the gas so long as the filter vents a sufficient amount of the gas from the chamber and vent the gas from the infusion chamber in response to the filter becoming obstructed. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An apparatus, comprising:
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an infusion chamber configured to hold a liquid and a gas; a mechanical gas eliminator configured to vent the gas from the infusion chamber; and a filter configured to vent the gas from the infusion chamber and confine the liquid to the infusion chamber, wherein the filter comprises a membrane sized so that the mechanical gas eliminator remains closed so long as the membrane remains generally dry and the mechanical gas eliminator vents the gas from the infusion chamber if the membrane becomes substantially wetted by the liquid in the infusion chamber. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An apparatus, comprising:
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an infusion chamber; a gas-permeable member disposed in fluid communication with an interior of the infusion chamber; and a self-actuated mechanical gas eliminator disposed in fluid communication with the interior of the infusion chamber and is configured to vent gas from the infusion chamber when the gas-permeable member becomes obstructed, wherein the mechanical gas eliminator is coupled to the infusion chamber in parallel with the gas-permeable member. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. An apparatus, comprising:
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an infusion chamber configured to hold a liquid and a gas; a filter configured to vent the gas from the infusion chamber while and confine the liquid to the infusion chamber; and a self-actuated mechanical gas eliminator configured to vent gas from the infusion chamber when the filter becomes obstructed, wherein the mechanical gas eliminator is in fluid communication with the infusion chamber through a gas flow path that does not pass through the filter, and wherein the filter is not disposed either upstream or downstream from the mechanical gas eliminator.
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Specification