Patent ID: 7806863

Claim:
A system for detecting, entrapping, and purging a gas bubble from a vascular liquid infusion line, the system comprising: a cassette adapted for disposition intermediate the infusion line, the cassette comprising: a body; a passageway having an inlet port for connection to a supply side of the infusion line, and an outlet port for connection to a patient side of the infusion line and a purge port for removal of the gas bubble; a valve having a first portion adapted for selectively permitting and arresting fluid flow through said passageway; a base unit adapted to receive said cassette and to monitor liquid flow through said passageway, wherein said base unit comprises: an ultrasound sensor comprising first and second halves hinged together, each of said halves comprising an ultrasound crystal, said sensor being adapted to detect the presence of a gas bubble in the liquid flowing through said passageway; and a second portion of said valve adapted for selectively permitting and arresting fluid flow through said passageway; and an electronic control unit adapted to operate said second portion of said valve so that (i) liquid is permitted to flow past said first portion of said valve when no gas bubble is detected by said sensor; (ii) liquid flow is arrested by said second portion of said valve when a gas bubble is detected by said sensor; and (iii) the detected gas bubble is removed through said purge port; wherein two legs of said infusion line are proximate said sensor, such that said sensor is adapted to monitor the infusion line at two locations; and a length of said infusion line extends between said sensor and said purge port.