Device for separating gas from a liquid path
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for separating gas from a liquid path, comprising:
- a chamber housing defining a chamber capable of holding at least one of liquid and gas, the chamber having a top wall, a bottom wall and side walls, the relative direction of the walls of the chamber being defined when the apparatus is in an at rest position, the chamber comprising;
a first chamber opening in one of the walls configured to allow at least one of gas and liquid to enter the chamber;
a second chamber opening in one of the walls configured to allow at least gas to exit the chamber, the second chamber opening being located in a middle portion in a length of a top portion of the chamber when the apparatus is in the at rest position; and
a third chamber opening in one of the walls configured to allow liquid to exit the chamber, the third chamber opening being located in a middle portion of a bottom portion of the chamber when the apparatus is in the at rest position; and
a plurality of channels being formed within the housing, each of the plurality of channels being in fluid communication with one of the first chamber opening, the second chamber opening and the third chamber opening,wherein the chamber is structured to allow uninhibited fluid communication between the first, second and third chamber openings, andthe second and third chamber openings are located relative to one another such that when the apparatus is tilted at any angle up to 70°
in any direction with respect to the at rest position, the second chamber opening remains above the third chamber opening.
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Abstract
The invention is targeted at the process of separating gas, such as air, from a liquid path. Specifically, the invention provides a means to remove gas from a dynamic liquid path, manage the removed gas and liquid path. The invention provides a means to remove gas from a dynamic liquid path using the buoyant property of gas in a less buoyant liquid, having ingress and egress ports for liquid and gas flow, and separate points of egress for liquid and trapped gas and integral liquid channels.
125 Citations
72 Claims
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1. An apparatus for separating gas from a liquid path, comprising:
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a chamber housing defining a chamber capable of holding at least one of liquid and gas, the chamber having a top wall, a bottom wall and side walls, the relative direction of the walls of the chamber being defined when the apparatus is in an at rest position, the chamber comprising; a first chamber opening in one of the walls configured to allow at least one of gas and liquid to enter the chamber; a second chamber opening in one of the walls configured to allow at least gas to exit the chamber, the second chamber opening being located in a middle portion in a length of a top portion of the chamber when the apparatus is in the at rest position; and a third chamber opening in one of the walls configured to allow liquid to exit the chamber, the third chamber opening being located in a middle portion of a bottom portion of the chamber when the apparatus is in the at rest position; and a plurality of channels being formed within the housing, each of the plurality of channels being in fluid communication with one of the first chamber opening, the second chamber opening and the third chamber opening, wherein the chamber is structured to allow uninhibited fluid communication between the first, second and third chamber openings, and the second and third chamber openings are located relative to one another such that when the apparatus is tilted at any angle up to 70°
in any direction with respect to the at rest position, the second chamber opening remains above the third chamber opening. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus for separating gas from a liquid path, comprising:
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a chamber housing defining a chamber capable of holding at least one of liquid and gas, the chamber having a top wall, a bottom wall and side walls, and the chamber comprising; a first chamber opening in one of the walls configured to allow at least one of gas and liquid to enter the chamber; a second chamber opening in one of the walls configured to allow at least gas to exit the chamber, the second chamber opening being located in a middle portion in a length of a top portion of the chamber; and a third chamber opening in one of the walls configured to allow liquid to exit the chamber, the third chamber opening being located in a middle portion of a bottom portion of the chamber; and a plurality of channels being formed within the housing, each of the plurality of channels being in fluid communication with one of the first chamber opening, the second chamber opening and the third chamber opening, wherein; the chamber is structured to allow uninhibited fluid communication between the first, second and third chamber openings, the housing includes at least first, second and third housing openings, the first housing opening is in fluid communication with the first chamber opening, the second housing opening is in fluid communication with the second chamber opening, and the third housing opening is in fluid communication with the third chamber opening, and the first and third housing openings are located on a same side wall of the housing. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An apparatus for separating gas from a liquid path, comprising:
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a chamber housing defining a chamber capable of holding at least one of liquid and gas, the chamber having a top wall, a bottom wall and side walls, and the chamber comprising; a first chamber opening in one of the walls configured to allow at least one of gas and liquid to enter the chamber; a second chamber opening in one of the walls configured to allow at least gas to exit the chamber, the second chamber opening being located in a middle portion in a length of a top portion of the chamber; and a third chamber opening in one of the walls configured to allow liquid to exit the chamber, the third chamber opening being located in a middle portion of a bottom portion of the chamber; and a plurality of channels being formed within the housing, each of the plurality of channels being in fluid communication with one of the first chamber opening, the second chamber opening and the third chamber opening, wherein; the chamber is structured to allow uninhibited fluid communication between the first, second and third chamber openings, the housing includes at least first, second and third housing openings, the first housing opening is in fluid communication with the first chamber opening, the second housing opening is in fluid communication with the second chamber opening, and the third housing opening is in fluid communication with the third chamber opening, the plurality of channels includes an entrance channel having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is in fluid communication with the first housing opening and the second end is in fluid communication with the first chamber opening, and the first housing opening is located at or near the top portion of the housing and the first chamber opening is at or near the bottom portion of the chamber. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An apparatus for separating gas from a liquid path, comprising:
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a chamber housing defining a chamber capable of holding at least one of liquid and gas, the chamber having a top wall, a bottom wall and side walls, and the chamber comprising; a first chamber opening in one of the walls configured to allow at least one of gas and liquid to enter the chamber; a second chamber opening in one of the walls configured to allow at least gas to exit the chamber, the second chamber opening being located in a middle portion in a length of a top portion of the chamber; a third chamber opening in one of the walls configured to allow liquid to exit the chamber, the third chamber opening being located in a middle portion of a bottom portion of the chamber; and a plurality of channels being formed within the housing, each of the plurality of channels being in fluid communication with one of the first chamber opening, the second chamber opening and the third chamber opening, wherein; the chamber is structured to allow uninhibited fluid communication between the first, second and third chamber openings, the housing includes at least first, second and third housing openings, the first housing opening is in fluid communication with the first chamber opening, the second housing opening is in fluid communication with the second chamber opening, and the third housing opening is in fluid communication with the third chamber opening, the plurality of channels includes an exit channel having a first exit channel end and a second exit channel end, wherein the first exit channel end is in fluid communication with the third chamber opening and the second exit channel end is in fluid communication with the third housing opening, and at least a portion of the exit channel is approximately horizontal and the third chamber opening is in fluid communication with the approximately horizontal portion of the exit channel by the first end of the exit channel. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. An apparatus for separating gas from a liquid path, comprising:
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a chamber housing defining a chamber capable of holding at least one of liquid and gas, the chamber having a top wall, a bottom wall and side walls, and the chamber comprising; a first chamber opening in one of the walls configured to allow at least one of gas and liquid to enter the chamber; a second chamber opening in one of the walls configured to allow at least gas to exit the chamber, the second chamber opening being located in a middle portion in a length of a top portion of the chamber; and a third chamber opening in one of the walls configured to allow liquid to exit the chamber, the third chamber opening being located in a middle portion of a bottom portion of the chamber; and a plurality of channels being formed within the housing, each of the plurality of channels being in fluid communication with one of the first chamber opening, the second chamber opening and the third chamber opening, wherein the chamber is structured to allow uninhibited fluid communication between the first, second and third chamber openings, the housing includes at least first, second and third housing openings, the first housing opening is in fluid communication with the first chamber opening, the second housing opening is in fluid communication with the second chamber opening, and the third housing opening is in fluid communication with the third chamber opening, and the plurality of channels includes; an entrance channel having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is in fluid communication with the first housing opening located at or near a top portion of the housing and the second end is in fluid communication with the first chamber opening located at or near the bottom of the chamber, wherein at least a portion of the entrance channel is approximately vertical and extends approximately a height of the chamber and at least a portion of the entrance channel near the second end is curved; and an exit channel having a first exit channel end and a second exit channel end, wherein the first exit channel end is in fluid communication with the third chamber opening and the second exit channel end is in fluid communication with the third housing opening, wherein at least a portion of the exit channel is approximately horizontal and the third chamber opening is in fluid communication with the approximately horizontal portion of the exit channel by the first end of the exit channel, at least a portion of the exit channel is approximately vertical and one end of the approximately vertical portion is in fluid communication with the approximately horizontal portion and another end of the substantially vertical portion is in fluid communication with the third housing opening, the approximately vertical and horizontal portions are connected by a curved portion of the exit channel, wherein the approximately horizontal portion of the exit channel extends approximately ½
the length of the bottom wall of the chamber and the approximately vertical portion of the exit channel extends approximately the height of a side wall of the chamber. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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39. A method for separating gas from a liquid path in a chamber housing that defines a chamber capable of holding at least one of liquid and gas, the chamber including a top wall, a bottom wall, and side walls, the relative direction of the walls of the chamber being defined when the apparatus is in an at rest position, the method comprising:
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supplying at least one of liquid and gas to the chamber through a first chamber opening in one of the walls; removing gas from the chamber through a second chamber opening in one of the walls, the second chamber opening being located in a middle portion in a length of a top portion of the chamber when the apparatus is in the at rest position; removing liquid from the chamber through a third chamber opening in one of the walls, the third chamber opening being located in a middle portion of a bottom portion of the chamber when the apparatus is in the at rest position, maintaining enough liquid in the chamber that when the chamber is tilted at an angle up to approximately 90 degrees, only liquid leaves the chamber through the third chamber opening, wherein each of the chamber openings is in fluid communication with one of a plurality of channels formed within the chamber housing, the chamber is structured to allow uninhibited fluid communication between the first, second and third chamber openings, and the second and third chamber openings are located relative to one another such that when the apparatus is tilted at any angle up to 70°
in any direction with respect to the at rest position, the second chamber opening remains above the third chamber opening. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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54. The method of 52, wherein the sensor is an ultrasonic sensor.
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55. The method of 48, further comprising stopping the flow of the at least one of liquid and gas into the first housing opening when gas is detected is the tubing connected to the third housing opening.
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60. An apparatus for transporting an organ or tissue, comprising:
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an organ or tissue transporter; a chamber housing defining a chamber capable of holding at least one of liquid and gas, the chamber housing connectible to the organ transporter, the chamber having a top wall, a bottom wall and side walls capable of holding at least one of liquid and gas and the relative direction of the walls of the chamber being defined when the apparatus is in an at rest position, the chamber comprising; a first chamber opening in one of the walls configured to allow at least one of gas and liquid to enter the chamber; a second chamber opening in one of the walls configured to allow at least gas to exit the chamber, the second chamber opening being located in a middle portion in a length of a top portion of the chamber when the apparatus is in the at rest position; and a third chamber opening in one of the walls configured to allow liquid to exit the chamber, the third chamber opening being located in a middle portion of a bottom portion of the chamber when the apparatus is in the at rest position; and a plurality of channels being formed within the housing, each of the plurality of channels being in fluid communication with one of the first chamber opening, the second chamber opening and the third chamber opening, wherein the chamber is structured to allow uninhibited fluid communication between the first, second and third chamber openings, and the second and third chamber openings are located relative to one another such that when the apparatus is tilted at any angle up to 70°
in any direction with respect to the at rest position, the second chamber opening remains above the third chamber opening. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70)
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71. An apparatus for separating gas from a liquid path, comprising:
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a chamber housing defining a chamber having a bottom, a top and side walls, the chamber housing being capable of holding at least one of liquid and gas; a first chamber opening configured to allow at least one of gas and liquid to enter the chamber; a second chamber opening configured to allow at least gas to exit the chamber; a third chamber opening configured to allow liquid to exit the chamber; a liquid at a level that is below the second chamber opening and above the third chamber opening when the apparatus is in an at rest position and when the apparatus is tilted at any angle up to 70°
in any direction from the at rest position, whereinthe first chamber opening is in one of the side walls, the second chamber opening is in one of the side walls and located in a middle portion in a length of an upper portion of the chamber, the third chamber opening is in one of the side walls and located in a middle portion of a lower portion of the chamber, a plurality of channels are formed within the housing, each of the plurality of channels being in fluid eon communication with one of the first chamber opening, the second chamber opening and the third chamber opening, and the chamber is structured to allow uninhibited fluid communication between the first, second and third chamber openings. - View Dependent Claims (72)
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Specification