Gas Vent Valve Assembly

Abstract

A gas vent valve assembly may be attached or incorporated to a disposable fluid transfer set used with a fluid warmer to administer an infusate to a patient. The gas vent valve assembly has a housing having a fluid inlet, a gas outlet and a fluid outlet. The gas outlet is located at the top of the housing while the fluid outlet is located at the bottom of the housing. Inside the housing is an actuator float that has an upper seal and a lower seal. The dimension of the float relative to the chamber of the housing is such that the float is freely movable within the housing to an upper position whereby its upper seal closes the gas outlet while the fluid outlet is opened, and to a lower position whereby its lower seal closes the fluid outlet and the gas outlet is opened.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A disposable set of fluid transfer tubes that includes a first tubing connectable to at least one infusate reservoir for receiving an infusate, a heat transfer portion of said tubing for transferring heat to the infusate flowing through said tubing and an output portion for outputting the infusate, said disposable set further comprising: a housing having an inlet connected to said output portion of said tubing to receive the infusate, said housing having a gas outlet to vent gas from said housing and a fluid outlet to output the infusate to the patient; an actuator movable inside said housing, said actuator having an upper end and a lower end, said upper end having an upper seal for sealing said gas outlet, said lower end having a lower seal for sealing said fluid outlet, said actuator movable between an upper position wherein said upper seal seals said gas outlet and said fluid outlet is opened, and a lower position wherein said lower seal seals said fluid outlet and said gas outlet is opened; and wherein when the gas inside said housing reaches a predetermined volume, said actuator is moved to said lower position to seal said fluid outlet and to open said gas outlet to vent the gas inside said housing out of said housing. 
     
     
         14 . Disposable set of  claim 13 , wherein said actuator comprises a float. 
     
     
         15 . Disposable set of  claim 13 , wherein said fluid outlet comprises a seat and wherein said lower seal comprises a lower sphere attached to a shaft that extends from a lower surface of said actuator, said lower sphere filling the seat of said fluid outlet when said actuator is at said lower position. 
     
     
         16 . Disposable set of  claim 14 , wherein said gas outlet comprises a seat and wherein said upper seal comprises an upper sphere attached to an upper surface of said actuator, said upper sphere filling the seat of said gas outlet when the amount of gas inside said housing is less than predetermined volume, said actuator being at said upper position. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . Disposable set of  claim 13 , wherein the output portion comprises a tube received by an air detector that provides a redundant check on whether there is any air emboli present in the infusate from said fluid outlet. 
     
     
         19 . Disposable set of  claim 13 , wherein the heat transfer portion is fluidly warmed by a fluid warmer so that the infusate flowing from the fluid reservoir to the output portion of the disposable set is heated by the fluid warmer. 
     
     
         20 . A disposable fluid transfer set comprising: first tubing connectable to a fluid reservoir for receiving an infusate stored therein, a heat exchanger through which the infusate flows in communication with a fluid warmer so that he infusate is heated by the fluid warmer; a gas valve assembly for receiving the heated infusate from the heat exchanger, wherein said gas valve assembly includes a housing having an inlet to receive the infusate, a gas outlet to vent gas from said housing and a fluid outlet to output the infusate to the patient, an actuator movable inside said housing having an upper end with an upper seal for sealing said gas outlet and a lower end having a lower seal for sealing said fluid outlet, said actuator movable between an upper position wherein said upper seal seals said gas outlet and said fluid outlet is opened, and a lower position wherein said lower seal seals said fluid outlet and said gas outlet is opened; and wherein when the gas inside said housing reaches a predetermined volume, said actuator is moved to said lower position to seal said fluid outlet and to open said gas outlet to vent the gas inside said housing out of said housing; and a second tubing in fluid communication with the fluid outlet to feed the heated infusate to a patient. 
     
     
         21 . Disposable fluid transfer set of  claim 20 , wherein the second tubing is in fluid communications with an air detector that provides a redundant check by detecting air emboli, if any, present in the infusate to be infused to the patient. 
     
     
         22 . Disposable fluid transfer set of  claim 20 , wherein the infusate comprises blood, saline or other intravenous (IV) fluids to be infused into the patient. 
     
     
         23 . Disposable fluid transfer set of  claim 20 , wherein said actuator comprises a float. 
     
     
         24 . Disposable fluid transfer set of  claim 20 , wherein said fluid outlet comprises a seat and wherein said lower seal comprises a lower sphere attached to a shaft that extends from a lower surface of said actuator, said lower sphere filling the seat of said fluid outlet when said actuator is at said lower position. 
     
     
         25 . Disposable fluid transfer set of  claim 20 , wherein said gas outlet comprises a seat and wherein said upper seal comprises an upper sphere attached to an upper surface of said actuator, said upper sphere filling the seat of said gas outlet when the amount of gas inside said housing is less than predetermined volume, said actuator being at said upper position. 
     
     
         26 . Disposable fluid transfer set of  claim 20 , wherein said housing comprises a bottom funnel portion that extends to said fluid outlet. 
     
     
         27 . Disposable fluid transfer set of  claim 20 , wherein said float is of a given density such that the movement of said float is dependent on a relationship between the amount of gas and fluid in said housing. 
     
     
         28 . Disposable fluid transfer set of  claim 20 , wherein said actuator comprises a float having a top and a bottom, said upper seal extending from the top of said float and said lower seal means extending from the bottom of said float, said upper seal extending substantially along a longitudinal axis and said lower seal being offset from the longitudinal axis.