Filter device and liquid injection apparatus having the same

• US 8,382,712 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2010
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: E-WHA Fresenius Kabi Inc.
• Original Assignee: E-WHA Fresenius Kabi Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Yong-Nyun
• Primary Examiner(s): SHUMATE, VICTORIA PEARL
• Application Number:
  US13/148,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20120022449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 604/122, 604/126
• US Class Current: 604/126
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/38 using hydrophilic or hydrophobic filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/385 using hydrophobic filters

Abstract

A filter device of the present invention includes a hydrophilic filter located in a vertical space in a filter housing to filter off solid impurities in an introduced liquid, at least one hydrophobic filter located corresponding to at least one gas discharge hole provided in the filter housing, the hydrophobic filter allowing gas in the introduced liquid to be discharged to the outside before and/or after the liquid passes through the hydrophilic filter, and a blocking member for preventing gas in the liquid passing through the hydrophilic filter from flowing into the outlet tube, the blocking member being installed in the filter housing to block the outlet tube, the blocking member having a longitudinal passage formed in a center portion thereof so that the liquid is introduced into the outlet tube through the passage and discharged therefrom. According to the present invention, there are advantages in that the filter device can effectively remove air and impurities such as solid particles contained in a liquid such as a medicine, prevent the air in the medicine from flowing into an extension tube connected to the filter device, and ensure a maximum surface area of a hydrophilic filter for filtering off solid particles such as glass fragments so that a flow rate of a medicine passing through the filter device does not decrease.

Claims

1. A filter device connected to a liquid supply line to filter and discharge an introduced liquid, the filter device comprising:

an inflow tube having an inflow hole communicating with the liquid supply line and allowing a liquid introduced through the inflow hole to flow into an internal space of the filter device;

a filter housing communicating with the inflow tube and communicating with the outside;

an outlet tube having an outlet hole communicating with the filter housing, the outlet tube being disposed at a location opposite to the inflow tube, the outlet tube being spaced apart from the inflow tube substantially in parallel therewith to define a vertical space in the filter housing, the outlet tube allowing the liquid discharged from the filter housing to be transported to the outside;

a hydrophilic filter located between the inflow tube and the vertical space in the filter housing, the hydrophilic filter filtering off solid impurities in the liquid introduced through the inflow hole;

at least one hydrophobic filter located corresponding to at least one gas discharge hole provided in the filter housing, the hydrophobic filter allowing gas in the introduced liquid to be discharged to the outside before and/or after the liquid passes through the hydrophilic filter; and

a blocking member for preventing gas in the liquid passing through the hydrophilic filter from flowing into the outlet tube, the blocking member being installed in the filter housing to block the outlet tube, the blocking member having a longitudinal passage formed in a center portion thereof so that the liquid is introduced into the outlet tube through the passage and discharged therefrom.

2. The filter device according to claim 1, wherein the filter housing includes an upper filter housing and a lower filter housing, which are detachably coupled.

3. The filter device according to claim 2, wherein the upper filter housing is connected to the outlet tube, and the lower filter housing is connected to the inflow tube.

4. The filter device according to claim 2, wherein a ring-shaped protrusion protruding upward or a ring-shaped concave portion is formed in an upper surface of the lower filter housing, and a ring-shaped concave portion or a ring-shaped protrusion protruding downward is correspondingly formed in a lower surface of the upper filter housing, so that the filter housing is coupled by fitting the protrusion or concave portion of the lower filter housing to the corresponding concave portion or protrusion of the upper filter housing.

5. The filter device according to claim 4, wherein the hydrophilic filter is located and fixed between an inner surface of the protrusion or concave portion of the lower filter housing and an inner surface of the concave portion or protrusion of the upper filter housing.

6. The filter device according to claim 2, wherein at least one gas discharge hole is formed in at least one of the upper filter housing and the lower filter housing, and a gas discharge portion is provided in an inner or outer portion of the filter housing having the gas discharge hole formed therein, the gas discharge portion including the hydrophobic filter corresponding to the gas discharge hole and a fixing means for fixing the hydrophobic filter to the inner or outer portion of the filter housing and having a hole for discharging the gas to the outside.

7. The filter device according to claim 6, wherein a filter seating portion protruding in a ring shape is formed in the outer portion of the filter housing having the gas discharge hole formed therein, the hydrophobic filter is seated on the filter seating portion, a ring-shaped groove is formed around the filter seating portion, and a protrusion with a shape conforming to the ring-shaped groove is formed on the fixing means of the gas discharge portion so that the hydrophobic filter is fixed without escape.

8. The filter device according to claim 6, wherein a depressed filter seating portion is formed in the inner portion of the filter housing having the air discharge hole formed therein, the hydrophobic filter is seated on the filter seating portion, a stepped insert portion is formed around the filter seating portion, and the fixing means of the gas discharge portion is stepwise formed corresponding to the stepped insert portion so that the hydrophobic filter is fixed without escape.

9. The filter device according to claim 1, wherein the blocking member includes a front end contacting with the liquid in the filter housing, an outlet tube coupling portion coupled to the outlet tube, and a distal end contacting with an extension tube connected to the outlet tube.

10. The filter device according to claim 9, wherein the front end has a tapered shape the size of which gradually decreases toward the inside of the filter housing, and an inner diameter of the front end is smaller than that of the distal end.

11. The filter device according to claim 9, wherein an inner wall of the outlet tube is formed with an anti-escaping projection, and the outlet tube coupling portion of the blocking member is formed with a ring-shaped groove, so that the groove of the outlet tube coupling portion of the blocking member is coupled to the anti-escaping projection of the outlet tube in a catching manner.

12. The filter device according to claim 9, wherein an anti-escaping projection is formed on an inner wall of the outlet tube, the outlet tube coupling portion of the blocking member is formed to have an outer diameter conforming to an inner diameter of the anti-escaping projection, and the distal end of the blocking member is formed to have an outer diameter conforming to an inner diameter of the outlet tube.

13. The filter device according to claim 9, wherein the distal end of the blocking member is in direct contact with the extension tube connected to the outlet tube or in close surface contact with a capillary tube installed in the extension tube.

14. The filter device according to claim 13, wherein the capillary tube is fixedly supported in the extension tube, a projection through which the liquid from the capillary tube can pass is installed in the extension tube, and the capillary tube is inserted into an O-shaped ring and is in close contact with and fixed to a coupling portion between the outlet tube and the extension tube.

15. The filter device according to claim 9, wherein the longitudinal passage of the blocking member has a tapered shape in which an inner diameter of the longitudinal passage gradually increases from the inside of the filter housing toward the outlet tube.

16. The filter device according to claim 15, wherein the longitudinal passage at the front end of the blocking member has an inner diameter of 0.4 mm, and the longitudinal passage at the distal end of the blocking member has an inner diameter of 0.8 mm.

17. The filter device according to claim 9, wherein the front end of the blocking member is located to protrude into the filter housing.

18. A liquid injection apparatus having the filter device defined in claim 1.