Joint for fluid transport lines for medical use

• US 20050010157A1
• Filed: 06/03/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gambro Lundia AB (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gambro Lundia AB (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Zaccarelli, Massimo, Baraldi, Vincenzo, Delnevo, Annalisa, Ligabue, Andrea, Marchesi, Gianfranco
• Granted Patent: US 7,291,123 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/4.10
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/16 with membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0233 Conductive materials, e.g. antistatic coatings for spark prevention
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/04 Heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/10 Tube connectors; Tube couplings A61M39/02 takes precedence; connecting needles to syringes or hubs A61M5/34; connecting catheter tubes to hubs A61M25/0014
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1418 Clips, separators or the like for supporting tubes or leads

Abstract

The joint (36) comprises a tubular body (37) having two connecting zones (38, 39) each connected by an end to a tubular element (40) of a fluid transport line, giving continuity to passage of fluid. The tubular body is made of a mixture of an electrically-conductive material such as PVC, with carbon black to give it electrical conductivity. The joint has an internal surface (41) which is destined to come into contact with the transported fluid, and an external surface which is destined to have a grounded galvanic contact. The joint is inserted in the discharge fluid drainage line of a dialyzer filter, in an apparatus for intensive treatment of acute renal insufficiency, for eliminating ECG artefacts due to functioning of peristaltic pumps in the apparatus.

Claims

1. A joint (36;

36′

) for fluid transport lines for medical use (15b;

64), comprising a tubular body (37;

37′

) having at two opposite ends thereof two connecting zones (38, 39;

38′

, 39′

), each of which is connectable with an end zone of a tubular element (40;

40′

, 40″

) of a fluid transport line, the said tubular body (37;

37′

) being made of an electrically conductive material.

2. The joint of claim 1, wherein the said tubular body (37;

37′

) is made of at least one plastic material containing at least one additive, which additive gives electric conductivity properties to the said tubular body (37;

37′

).

3. The joint of claim 2, wherein the said additive comprises carbon.

4. The joint of claim 2 or 3, wherein the said plastic material comprises PVC.

5. The joint of any one of the preceding claims, having at least one internal surface (41;

41′

), designed to contact a fluid transported, and at least one external surface, designed to contact electrically with an element (44) which is external of the fluid transport line, in order to dissipate externally electric charges present in the fluid, an electrical resistance between the said internal surface and the said external surface being comprised between 40 KΩ and

10 MΩ

.

6. The joint of claim 5, wherein the said electrical resistance between the said internal surface and the said external surface is comprised between 200 KΩ

and 2 MΩ

.

7. The joint of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the said tubular body (37′

) comprises at least one first axial stop element (42;

43), operatively associated to an end zone of a first tubular element (40′

;

40″

), for limiting an axial insertion of the said first tubular element (40′

;

40″

) inside the said tubular body.

8. The joint of claim 7, wherein the said tubular body (37′

) comprises at least a second axial stop element (42;

43), axially distanced from the first axial stop element (42, 43), and operatively associated to an end zone of a second tubular element (40′

;

40″

), for limiting an axial insertion of the said second tubular element inside the said tubular body (37′

);

the axial insertion of the said second tubular element (40′

;

40″

) in the tubular body (37′

) being done in an opposite direction to the axial insertion therein of the said first tubular element (40′

;

40″

).

9. The joint of claim 7 or 8, wherein the said axial stop element (42, 43) is arranged internally of the said tubular body (37′

).

10. The joint of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the said tubular body (37, 37′

) has a free intermediate zone not used for connecting, which zone is axially comprised between the said connecting zones (38, 39;

38′

, 39′

) and destined for contact with the transported fluid.

11. The joint of claim 10, wherein the said intermediate zone (41′

) has an internal diameter which is smaller than an internal diameter of the said connecting zones (38′

, 39′

).

12. The joint of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the said tubular body (37;

37′

) is made in a single piece.

15. The line of claim 13 or 14, wherein the said second part comprises a joint (36;

36′

;

66) made according to any one of claims from 1 to 12, and the said first part comprises two tubular elements (40;

40′

, 40″

) coupled at opposite ends to the said joint.

16. The line of claim 15, wherein the said tubular elements have end zones which are inserted inside the said tubular body, which tubular body exhibits an axial intermediate zone (41;

41′

), comprised between the said connecting zones (38, 39;

38′

, 39′

), which is not occupied by the end zones of the said tubular elements and which is in contact with the transported fluid.

17. The line of claim 16, wherein the said axial intermediate zone has an internal diameter which is smaller than an external diameter of the said end zones of the said tubular elements (40;

40′

, 40″

).

13. A fluid transport line for medical use (15b, 64), comprising at least a first part (40;

40′

, 40″

) and a second part (36;

36′

;

66), both of which are at least partially destined to contact the transported fluid, the said second part being made of a material having a greater electrical conductivity than a material of which the said first part is made, the said second part of line also being predisposed for a galvanic connection with an element which is external of the fluid transport line.

14. The line of claim 13, wherein the said second part (36;

36′

;

66) exhibits at least one internal surface (41;

41′

) destined to contact the transported fluid, and at least one external surface predisposed to be associated in electrical contact with a support element (44;

69), which support element (44;

69) is external of the line.

18. The line of any one of claims from 13 to 17, wherein the material of the said first part of line is an elastically deformable plastic material, and wherein the material of the said second part of line is an elastically-deformable plastic material, with an addition of at least one additive having properties making the material of the said second part of line electrically conductive.

19. The line of claim 18, wherein the said additive gives greater rigidity to the material of the said second part of line.

20. The lne of claim 18 or 19, wherein the said plastic material is PVC and the said additive comprises carbon.

21. The line of any one of claims from 13 to 20, wherein the said electrically-conductive second part (36;

36′

;

66) is situated, with reference to a fluid transport direction, upstream of a pump segment of the line, which pump segment is destined to be operatively associated to a pump (24;

65) for circulation of the transported fluid.

22. A circuit for extracorporeal treatment of blood, comprising:

at least one blood withdrawal line (2a) for supplying blood, removed from a patient, to at least a first chamber of a blood treatment device (3);

at least one blood return line (2b), for returning treated blood to the patient after the blood exits from the said first chamber of the blood treatment device (3);

at least one drainage line (15b) for draining a discharge fluid exiting from a second chamber of the blood treatment device (3), separated from the said first chamber by a semi-permeable membrane;

wherein at least one of the said lines of the circuit is made according to the line of any one of claims from 13 to 21.

23. A circuit for extracorporeal blood treatment, comprising:

at least one blood withdrawal line (2a) for supplying blood, removed from a patient, to at least a first chamber of a blood treatment device (3);

at least one blood return line (2b), for returning treated blood to the patient after the blood outlets from the said first chamber of the blood treatment device (3);

at least one drainage line (15b) for draining a discharge fluid exiting from a second chamber of the said blood treatment device (3), separated from the said first chamber by a semi-permeable membrane;

one or more lines for circulation of a fluid chosen from a group of lines, as follows;

at least one supply line (15a) for supplying an operative fluid to the said second chamber of the treatment device;

at least a first infusion line (4) for infusion of a substitution fluid to the said blood withdrawal line (2a);

at least a second infusion line (27), for infusion of a substitution fluid to the said blood return line (2b);

wherein at least one of the said lines of the circuit is realized according to the line of any one of claims from 13 to 21.

24. The circuit of claim 22 or 23, wherein the at least one line, realized as the line of any one of claims from 13 to 21, is the said drainage line (15b).

25. The circuit of claim 24, wherein the said drainage line (15b) comprises a pump segment, designed to be operatively associated with a pump (24) for circulation of the drainage fluid along the said drainage line, and wherein the said electrically-conductive second part (36;

36′

) is situated between an inlet end of the said drainage line and the said pump segment, the said inlet end being destined to be connected to an outlet of the said second chamber of the treatment device (3).

26. The circuit of claim 25, wherein the said electrically-conductive second part is situated immediately downstream of the said inlet end of the drainage line.

27. A machine for extracorporeal blood treatment, predisposed for use with a circuit made according to any one of claims from 22 to 26, comprising:

at least one blood pump (9) for circulation of blood in the blood withdrawal line (2a);

at least one drainage pump (24) for circulation of discharge fluid in the drainage line (2b);

at least one support element (44) predisposed to receive, in electrical contact, the said electrically-conductive second part of line;

at least one galvanic connection (50, 51) which connects the said support element with an external mass, to dissipate electrical charges possibly present in the said circuit.

28. The machine of claim 27, wherein the said galvanic connection comprises a grounding.

29. The machine of claim 27 or 28, wherein the said galvanic connection comprises at least one electric cable (50) which connects the said support element (44) to a machine body which is in turn connected to ground.

30. The machine of any one of claims from 27 to 29, comprising at least one electrical safety impedance (51), of a predetermined entity and predisposed along the said galvanic connection.

31. The machine of claim 30, wherein the entity of the said electrical impedance (51) is greater than 0.1 MΩ

.

32. The machine of claim 30 or 31, wherein the entity of the said electrical impedance (51) is equal to or greater than 1.0 MΩ

.

33. The machine of claim 31 or 32, comprising a plurality of electrical impedances of predetermined entities, predisposed in parallel along the said galvanic connection.

34. The machine of any one of claims from 27 to 33, wherein the said support element (44) comprises at least a first part (46) made of an electrically conductive material, fixed to a bearing structure of the machine and at which the said galvanic connection (50) terminates, and a second part (49), made of a plastic material, provided with at least one organ (49a) for removable fastening of the said second electrically-conductive part of line thereto.

35. An infusion line (64) having an inlet first end (64a) destined to be connected to a source (63) of an infusion liquid, and an outlet second end (64b), which is for placing in fluid communication either directly or indirectly with a vascular system of a patient, wherein the infusion line is realized in a same way as the line of any of claims from 13 to 21.

36. An infusion device comprising:

a source (63) of an infusion liquid;

the infusion line (64) of claim 35;

an infusion pump (65) operatively associated to the infusion line for placing the infusion liquid in circulation.

37. The device of claim 36, comprising at least one galvanic connection (67) which connects the said electrically-conductive second part (66) of line with an external mass, for dissipating any electrical charges present in the line.

38. The device of claim 37, comprising at least one safety impedance (68) predisposed along the said galvanic connection.

39. Use of a fluid transport line, according to any one of claims from 13 to 21, in an extracorporeal blood treatment, wherein a grounded galvanic connection (50) is predisposed for the said second part of line.

40. Use of a fluid transport line, according to any one of claims from 13 to 21, in an infusion device, wherein a grounded galvanic connection (50) is predisposed for the said second part of line (66).

41. The use of claim 39 or 40, wherein an electrical impedance (51;

68) is positioned along the said grounded galvanic connection (50;

67).

42. An apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment comprising a machine as in any one of claims from 27 to 34, and a circuit as in any one of claims from 22 to 26.