Patent ID: 7547295

Claim:
A system for the removal of gas bubbles from an intravenous liquid flowing in intravenous tubing, the system comprising: a drip chamber having an inlet connected to intravenous tubing from an intravenous source and an outlet connected to intravenous tubing to a patient, the inlet disposed at a higher level than the outlet, wherein the drip chamber retains gas at an upper portion thereof; a liquid level sensor operative to sense the level of liquid in the drip chamber; a vent valve at an upper portion of the drip chamber operative to open upon a predetermined increase of gas pressure within the drip chamber; a continuously operative pump upstream of the drip chamber operative to continuously pump the intravenous liquid from the intravenous source to the patient; an occlusion valve downstream of the drip chamber operative to stop liquid flow in the intravenous tubing from the drip chamber to the patient; and a controller in communication with the liquid level sensor and the downstream occlusion valve and operative to close the downstream occlusion valve upon detection of a specified liquid level in the drip chamber detected by the liquid level sensor, whereby continued pumping operation of the upstream continuously operative pump while the downstream occlusion valve is closed causes an increase of pressure in the drip chamber sufficient to open the vent valve and release gas in the drip chamber.