Self flushing luer activated blood sampling devices

• US 7,963,950 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
• Original Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
• Inventors: Madonia, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg; Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): SZMAL, BRIAN SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US11/939,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20080064985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 600/573, 600/576, 600/579, 137/625.47, 137/625, 137/625.28, 251/366, 604/20, 604/246, 604/257, 604/266, 604/269
• US Class Current: 604/246
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15003 for venous or arterial blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150221 Valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150992 Blood sampling from a fluid line external to a patient, such as a catheter line, combined with an infusion line; blood sampling from indwelling needle sets, e.g. sealable ports, luer couplings, valves tubing connectors and couplings A61M39/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1535 comprising means for indicating vein or arterial entry A61B5/1545 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/0202 for taking samples
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/229 Stopcocks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3344 Measuring or controlling pressure at the body treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/045 pre-slit to be pierced by blunt instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/16 having provision for disinfection or sterilisation A61M39/143 takes precedence; methods or apparatus for disinfection or sterilisation A61L2/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/223 Multiway valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/225 Flush valves, i.e. bypass valves for flushing line
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/10 for taking out the product in the line sampling in general, examining the physical or chemical properties of materials G01N
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/5283 Units interchangeable between alternate locations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86871 Plug

Abstract

A blood sampling device for allowing a fluid pressure measurement and a fluid sample to be taken from a patient, having an inlet port configured to receive blood from the patient, an outlet port configured to be coupled to a monitoring channel having an infusion fluid, a sampling port configured for extraction of blood from the patient, a sampling channel configured to self-flush, after extraction, the blood with the infusion fluid, and an auxiliary channel for self-flushing the sampling channel.

Claims

1. A patient fluid sampling device connected to a flushing fluid supply and a patient fluid supply, said patient fluid sampling device comprising:

a monitoring channel configured to contain the flushing fluid or the patient fluid;

a sampling port for providing access to samples of the patient fluid;

an auxiliary channel having a first end and a second end, at least the first end connected in fluid communication with the monitoring channel; and

a passageway having a first end, a second end and a passage extending between the first and second ends,

said passageway having a sampling position wherein the passage connects the sampling port to the monitoring channel in fluid communication, and

said passageway having a flushing position wherein the first end of the passageway aligns with the second end of the auxiliary channel and the second end of the passageway connects in fluid communication with the auxiliary channel so that the passageway and the auxiliary channel form a loop to enable direct flow of the flushing fluid through the entire passage simultaneously and in parallel with a flow of fluid through the monitoring channel.

2. A patient fluid sampling device of claim 1, wherein the passage is non-divergent for continuous, direct flow during flushing.

3. A patient fluid sampling device of claim 2, wherein the passage has no side-branches.

4. A patient fluid sampling device of claim 3, wherein the passage has no sharp bends.

5. A patient fluid sampling device of claim 4, wherein the passage is straight.

6. A patient fluid sampling device of claim 1, wherein the passageway is defined within a body and the first end and second end of the passageway define openings in an outer surface of the body.

7. A patient fluid sampling device of claim 6, wherein the body has no other openings connected in fluid communication with the passage of the passageway.

8. A patient fluid sampling device of claim 7, wherein the body is a paddle configured to switch the passageway between the sampling position and the flushing position.

9. A patient fluid sampling device of claim 7, wherein the body is a ball valve configured to switch the passageway between the sampling position and the flushing position.

10. A patient fluid sampling device of claim 1, wherein the sampling point is a diaphragm.

11. A patient fluid sampling device of claim 1, wherein the monitoring channel has a diameter approximately four times a diameter of the auxiliary channel.

12. A patient fluid sampling device of claim 10, wherein the diameter of the monitoring channel is approximately 0.2 inches and the diameter of the auxiliary channel is approximately 0.05 inches.

13. A patient fluid sampling device of claim 1, wherein the loop is continuous and non-divergent.

14. A patient fluid sampling device of claim 13, wherein the loop has a U-shape.

15. A patient fluid sampling device of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary channel and the passage have a same diameter.

16. A method of flushing a fluid sampling device, the method comprising:

positioning a passageway to connect a sampling port to a monitoring channel in fluid communication;

flowing patient fluid through the monitoring channel and the passageway to the sampling port for sampling;

forming a flushing loop out of the passageway and an auxiliary channel, said auxiliary channel having a first end connected in fluid communication with the monitoring channel, by aligning a first end of the passageway with a second end of the auxiliary channel and connecting a second end of the passageway in fluid communication with the monitoring channel; and

flowing the flushing fluid through the flushing loop simultaneously and in parallel with a flow of fluid through the monitoring channel to cleanse the patient fluid from the passageway,

wherein the flushing loop is formed without physically interjecting the passageway and the auxiliary channel into the monitoring channel.

17. A method of claim 16, wherein flowing the flushing fluid includes flowing the flushing fluid through the flushing loop without divergence.

18. A method of claim 17, wherein flowing the flushing fluid includes flowing the flushing fluid without side-branching.

19. A method of claim 16, wherein positioning the passageway and forming the loop are done by moving a body defining the passageway between alternating positions.

20. A method of claim 16, wherein forming the loop includes forming a continuous, non-divergent loop.

21. A method of claim 20, wherein forming the loop includes forming a U-shaped loop.