Device and method for connecting a blood pump without trapping air bubbles

• US 8,092,416 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitalmex Internacional SA de CV
• Original Assignee: Vitalmex Internacional SA de CV
• Inventors: Duenas, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): DEAK, LESLIE R
• Application Number:
  US12/413,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20090270809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 604/6.16, 604/4.01, 604/6.1, 604/6.14, 604/122, 604/533, 606/16
• US Class Current: 604/6.16
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3626 Gas bubble detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/00 Tubes, tube connectors, tube couplings, valves, access sites or the like, specially adapted for medical use for respiratory devices, e.g. tracheal tubes A61M16/00; artificial heart valves A61F2/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/02 Access sites
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/36 with means for eliminating or preventing injection or infusion of air into body dialysis systems, blood oxygenators A61M1/14; haemofiltration equipment A61M1/34; automatic tube cut-off A61M39/281
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/117 for assisting the heart, e.g. transcutaneous or external ventricular assist devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/148 in line with a blood vessel using resection or like techniques, e.g. permanent endovascular heart assist devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/178 drawing blood from a ventricle and returning the blood to the arterial system via a cannula external to the ventricle, e.g. left or right ventricular assist devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/183 drawing blood from both ventricles, e.g. bi-ventricular assist devices [BiVAD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/859 Connections therefor

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for connecting medical tubing or any other type of fluidic circuit conduits (e.g., cannulae) to a ventricular assist device (“VAD”) or any other pumping device used for blood pumping during cardiac circulatory support for vascular surgery. The apparatus and the method prevent air bubbles from entering a cardiac circulatory support system when connecting cannulae to a VAD that may later enter the blood stream of a patient during cardiac surgery, and also provide for purging any air bubbles that may have entered the cardiac circulatory support system during a cannulae-VAD connection.

Claims

1. A disposable purging (“

DIP”

) device for connecting cannulae to a cardiac circulatory support device for use in a cardiac circulatory support system, the DIP device comprising;

a device body having a distal ending and a proximal ending;

an inner semi-closed flexible ring positioned in the inner surface of the device body;

an air outlet formed in the device body between the distal ending and the proximal ending; and

a radially-disposed external conduit positioned in the air outlet.

2. The DIP device of claim 1, further including:

a female plug configured to fit into the external conduit; and

a male plug configured to cover or plug the female-type plug.

3. The DIP device of claim 2, where the female plug is a luer type plug and the male plug is a luer lock plug.

4. The DIP device of claim 3, wherein the device body includes a detachment section configured to be separable from the device body.

5. The DIP device of claim 4, wherein the detachment section includes a flap extending from the detachment section and positioned to be grasped and pulled from the device body.

6. The DIP device of claim 2, further including means for separating the device body away from a connection of cannulae and the cardiac circulatory device in an assembled state.

7. The DIP device of claim 2, wherein the DIP device is made of a natural or synthetic elastomeric or polymeric material.