Patent ID: 8216175

Claim:
A fluid removal system for removing fluid from a tissue site in a body cavity, the system comprising: a semi-permeable inbound conduit for placement proximate to the tissue site; a treatment fluid that is hyperosmotic with respect to the tissue site, wherein the treatment fluid comprises a dry gas; a treatment-fluid delivery unit fluidly coupled to the inbound conduit for delivering the treatment fluid to the inbound conduit; a semi-permeable outbound conduit for placement proximate to the tissue site wherein the outbound conduit is fluidly and physically coupled to the inbound conduit to form a closed fluid path such that the treatment fluid does not leave the semi-permeable inbound conduit and the semi-permeable outbound conduit; wherein the inbound conduit and the outbound conduit comprise a biocompatible, osmotic material; wherein the treatment fluid is disposed within the semi-permeable inbound conduit and the semi-permeable outbound conduit and is operable to recruit water from the body cavity by creating an osmotic gradient across the semi-permeable inbound conduit and the semi-permeable outbound conduit; a treatment-fluid collector fluidly coupled to the outbound conduit for receiving the treatment fluid and a recruited fluid from the tissue site; and a conduit interface for coupling the semi-permeable inbound conduit and the semi-permeable outbound conduit, wherein the conduit interface comprises a plurality of tributary conduits sized for a patient's abdominal cavity.