Organ preservation system with automatic priming and air removal
Inventors
Jones, Lawrence R. • Marte, Kenneth E. • Wright, David W.
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11432543-B1
Publication Date
2022-09-06
Expiration Date
Abstract
An organ preservation system includes a housing, an organ perfusion circuit disposed within the housing, and a dual direction bubble trap disposed within the organ perfusion circuit. The dual direction bubble trap can include an upper interior chamber, a lower interior chamber, an air vent valve, and a hydrophobic membrane disposed between the upper interior chamber and the air vent valve. During operation, when fluid is pumped by a fluid pump into the dual direction bubble trap from either a retrograde or antegrade direction, air passes through the hydrophic membrane and is vented through the air vent valve until such time that the interior chamber is full of fluid which causes the air vent valve to close. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.
Core Innovation
An organ preservation system provides an organ perfusion circuit disposed within a housing and uses a bi-directional fluid pump driven by a controller to pump fluid through the organ perfusion circuit in both retrograde direction and antegrade direction. The system includes a dual direction bubble trap disposed within the organ perfusion circuit, and an air vent valve arranged to vent air during operation.
The dual direction bubble trap includes an inlet port positioned in line with the organ perfusion circuit, an upper interior chamber to receive fluid entering the inlet port, and a lower interior chamber separate from the upper interior chamber but fluidically connected to the upper interior chamber. A hydrophobic membrane is disposed between the upper interior chamber and the air vent valve so that air passes through the hydrophobic membrane and is vented through the air vent valve until the upper interior chamber is full of fluid, causing the air vent valve to close.
The controller sends signals to the bi-directional fluid pump to pump fluid retrograde and to pump fluid antegrade, and the operation is managed using sensors and valve behavior associated with air removal and priming. In particular, the system uses a pressure sensor to detect a change in pressure associated with the antegrade fluid valve opening and a controller-based response that stops antegrade pumping and reverses to retrograde until bubbles are removed; additionally, an air sensor detects air bubbles above a pre-defined threshold and causes stopping of antegrade pumping with reversal to retrograde.
Claims Coverage
Independent claims are identified for clm-00001, clm-00010, and clm-00011, covering an organ preservation system with a housing and organ perfusion circuit, a bi-directional fluid pump controlled by a controller for retrograde and antegrade pumping, and a dual direction bubble trap configured to vent air, with additional selective venting and venting means recited across the independent claims.
Dual direction bubble trap with hydrophobic membrane and air vent valve
The dual direction bubble trap is disposed within the organ perfusion circuit comprising an inlet port positioned in line with the organ perfusion circuit, an upper interior chamber to receive fluid entering the inlet port and formed within a vent housing, a lower interior chamber separate from the upper interior chamber that is fluidically connected to the upper interior chamber and formed within the vent housing, an air vent valve on an outer portion of an outer surface of the dual direction bubble trap, and a hydrophobic membrane disposed between the upper interior chamber and the air vent valve.
Controller-driven bi-directional retrograde and antegrade pumping
A controller coupled to the bi-directional fluid pump sends signals to cause the bi-directional fluid pump to pump fluid in a retrograde direction through the organ perfusion circuit and to send signals to cause the bi-directional fluid pump to pump fluid in an antegrade direction through the organ perfusion circuit, wherein air passes through the hydrophobic membrane and is vented through the air vent valve until such time that the upper interior chamber is full of fluid which causes the air vent valve to close.
Dual direction bubble trap having means for venting air
The dual direction bubble trap disposed within the organ perfusion circuit includes means for venting air within the organ perfusion circuit.
Selective air venting by dual direction bubble trap
The dual direction bubble trap disposed within the organ perfusion circuit is configured to selectively vent air within the organ perfusion circuit.
Across the independent claims, the coverage centers on a controller-operated bi-directional fluid pump with retrograde and antegrade operation through an organ perfusion circuit, together with a dual direction bubble trap that vents air, including configurations using a hydrophobic membrane and an air vent valve and, in other independent claims, venting means or selective air venting.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
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