DRIP CHAMBER INSERT FOR AN INFUSION DEVICE OF A MEDICAL INFUSION SYSTEM

Abstract

A drip chamber insert for insertion into a drip chamber to be connected to a medical infusion or transfusion device. The drip chamber insert has an open first front side, discharge openings in a second front side opposite the first front side, and an overflow opening. The overflow opening is positioned in a region extending from the first to the second front side. The drip chamber features a drip chamber bottom with an outlet channel. The drip chamber insert is positioned in the drip chamber with the second front side facing the drip chamber bottom. The drip chamber insert or the drip chamber is usable for preparing operation of a medical infusion or transfusion device without shutting off and reopening a connection to the drip chamber and/or without external pressurization of the interior of the drip chamber.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A drip chamber insert for insertion into a drip chamber to be connected to a medical infusion or transfusion device, wherein the drip chamber insert is formed as a hollow body and comprises: a first front side that is at least partially open; a second front side opposite the first front side, the second front side having discharge openings; and at least one overflow opening provided in a region of a shell of the hollow body extending from the first front side to the second front side.

17. The drip chamber insert according to claim 16, wherein: i.) the at least one overflow opening is located in the region of the shell between the first front side and the second front side; or ii.) the at least one overflow opening is formed adjacent to the first front side; or iii.) the at least one overflow opening is provided in a region of an opening of the first front side or extends, at a plurality of points along a circumference, into the shell.

18. The drip chamber insert according to claim 16, wherein the at least one overflow opening extends into the shell by at least one notch at an upper edge of the shell.

19. The drip chamber insert according to claim 16, wherein the at least one overflow opening has an elongate design and/or the discharge openings have a round design.

20. The drip chamber insert according to claim 16, wherein the discharge openings have a round design and each discharge opening has a diameter of 0.5 mm to 3 mm.

21. The drip chamber insert according to claim 16, wherein the at least one overflow opening is spaced from the second front side and spaced from the first front side.

22. The drip chamber insert according to claim 21, wherein the at least one overflow opening is spaced from the second front side by a distance of at least ⅓ H, wherein H is a height of the drip chamber insert measured from the first front side to the second front side.

23. The drip chamber insert according to claim 21, wherein the at least one overflow opening is spaced from the second front side by a distance of between 0.4 H and 0.8 H, wherein H is a height of the drip chamber insert measured from the first front side to the second front side.

24. The drip chamber insert according to claim 16, wherein a discharge area defined by the discharge openings is smaller than an overflow area defined by the at least one overflow opening.

25. The drip chamber insert according to claim 16, wherein the hollow body is cylindrical in shape and tapers towards the second front side.

26. The drip chamber insert according to claim 16, wherein the hollow body has at least one of: i.) a height H, measured as a distance from the first front side to the second front side, of between 1 cm and 10 cm; and ii.) an outer diameter, measured at a level of the first front side and/or at a level of the second front side, of between 0.5 cm and 5 cm.

27. The drip chamber insert according to claim 16, wherein the drip chamber at least one of: i.) comprises a plastic; and ii.) is sterile.

28. The drip chamber insert according to claim 16, wherein the drip chamber comprises a transparent hard plastic.

29. A drip chamber for a medical infusion or transfusion device comprising: a drip chamber insert according to claim 16; and a drip chamber bottom having an outlet channel, wherein the drip chamber insert is positioned in the drip chamber with the second front side facing the drip chamber bottom.

30. The drip chamber according to claim 29, further comprising a liquid filter positioned at a distance from the outlet channel.

31. The drip chamber according to claim 30, wherein the liquid filter prevents air and/or particles from passing.

32. The drip chamber according to claim 30, wherein at least one of: i.) the shell of the drip chamber insert is at least partially spaced from an inner shell of the drip chamber; ii.) the drip chamber insert is positioned at a first distance from the drip chamber bottom; and iii.) the drip chamber insert is positioned at a second distance from the liquid filter in the drip chamber.

33. The drip chamber according to claim 29, further comprising a hose line connected to the outlet channel with a connector for connection to an infusion or transfusion needle, wherein the connector comprises a closure cap that separates an interior of the hose line from a surrounding environment by an air-permeable and water-repellent membrane.

34. The drip chamber according to claim 29, wherein a drip chamber lower part is cylindrical in shape and tapers towards the outlet channel.

35. The drip chamber according to claim 29, further comprising a piercing spike for piercing a container on a side opposite the drip chamber bottom.

36. A process for preparing operation of a medical infusion or transfusion device, the method comprising the steps of: providing a drip chamber according to claim 29; and preparing operation of the medical infusion or transfusion device without shutting off and reopening a connection to the drip chamber on a patient side and/or without carrying out external pressurization of an interior of the drip chamber.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0027] In the following, the invention is explained in more detail on the basis of an embodiment according to the invention as shown in the attached exemplary figures, without being limited thereto, of which:

[0028] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a drip chamber according to the invention with a drip chamber insert in a preferred embodiment;

[0029] FIG. 2 is a view of the drip chamber insert of FIG. 1 in a view from below on front side in the sectional plane A-A of FIG. 1; and

[0030] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a drip chamber according to the invention with a drip chamber insert in a further embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a drip chamber according to the invention with a drip chamber insert according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The drip chamber is a conventional cylindrical drip chamber 10 composed of lower part 6 and upper part 7. The lower part 6 is formed as a cylinder which tapers towards the outlet channel 4. The upper part 7 is shown here with a round or hemispherically tapering upper end with concentrically arranged piercing spike 8. A liquid filter 5 is located at the drip chamber bottom and preferably at a distance from the drip chamber bottom. Adjacent thereabove is a drip chamber insert 1 which substantially fills the lower part 6 except for a distance between the outer shell of the drip chamber insert 1 and the inner shell of the lower part 6, and between the bottom (outer side) of the drip chamber insert 1 and the bottom (inner side) of the drip chamber 10. In other words, a space is formed laterally and downward to the drip chamber in which infusion fluid can flow. For this purpose, the drip chamber insert 1 is adapted in size and shape to the lower part 6 of the drip chamber 10, i.e. corresponds to the geometry of the lower part 6 and is preferably slightly smaller. The drip chamber insert 1 has slot-shaped overflow openings 3 in its shell, in this embodiment preferably at about half the height. A plurality of discharge openings 2 are provided in the bottom of the drip chamber insert 1.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a view of the drip chamber insert 1 from FIG. 1 (i.e. without showing the drip chamber 10) from below, specifically a top view from below of front side S2 in the sectional plane A-A in FIG. 1, but on a slightly larger scale than in FIG. 1. It is now even easier to see that the bottom of the drip chamber insert 1 has a large number of discharge openings 2 (shown here as round), preferably in a sieve structure. The sieve-like bottom allows a low flow rate due to relatively small discharge openings 2. Also shown are the slit-shaped overflow openings 3 located in the shell—approximately halfway up the conical/truncated spherical housing of the drip chamber insert 1. The overflow openings 3 allow a relatively high flow rate due to relatively large holes.

[0033] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the drip chamber according to the invention, showing a modification of the drip chamber insert of FIG. 1. In principle, the drip chamber is constructed in the same way as in FIG. 1, but with the difference that here the overflow openings 3 are not located in the shell between the first and second front sides S1, S2, but extend downwards away from the opening of the first front side S1 in the form of notches. The reference signs otherwise mean the same as in the embodiment according to FIG. 1.