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EP-4739370-A1 - AIR INJECTOR FOR AN INFUSION SYSTEM

EP4739370A1EP 4739370 A1EP4739370 A1EP 4739370A1EP-4739370-A1

Abstract

An air injector (1, 1') for an infusion system (2, 2') comprises an air container (10, 10'); a connecting device (11) adapted to establish a fluid connection (C1) between the air container (10, 10') and a liquid container (20) of the infusion system (2, 2') so as to allow air (A) from the air container (10, 10') to be injected into the liquid container (20); and a valve (12) arranged in the fluid connection (C1)

Inventors

  • DIMNI, Oltjon

Assignees

  • Fresenius Kabi Deutschland GmbH

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240704

Claims (15)

  1. 1 . An air injector (1 , T) for an infusion system (2, 2’), comprising: an air container (10, 10’); a connecting device (11) adapted to establish a fluid connection (C1) between the air container (10, 10’) and a liquid container (20) of the infusion system (2, 2’) so as to allow air (A) from the air container (10, 10’) to be injected into the liquid container (20); and a valve (12) arranged in the fluid connection (C1).
  2. 2. The air injector (1 , T) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the connecting device (11) comprises one of a cannula (110) and a Luer lock (112).
  3. 3. The air injector (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the air container (10) is foldable.
  4. 4. The air injector (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the air container (10) comprises a bellows (100).
  5. 5. The air injector according (T) to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the air container comprises a syringe (101), the syringe (101) having a scale (102) indicating a size of an inner volume of the syringe (101).
  6. 6. The air injector (1 , T) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the valve (12) is a first valve and the air injector (1 , T) comprises a second valve (13), the second valve (13) being arranged in a fluid connection (C2) between the air container (10, 10’) and ambient air.
  7. 7. The air injector (1 , T) according to claim 6, characterized in that the first valve (12), the second valve (13) and the air container (10, 10’) are connected with one another by means of a Y connector (14).
  8. 8. The air injector (1 , T) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that at least one of the first valve (12) and the second valve (13) is a check valve.
  9. 9. The air injector (1 , T) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the air container (10, 10’) is filled with sterilized air (A).
  10. 10. An infusion system (2, 2’), comprising: a liquid container (20); and an air injector (1 , T) comprising an air container (10, 10’) and a connecting device (11) adapted to establish a fluid connection (C1) between the air container (10, 10’) and the liquid container (20) so as to allow air (A) from the air container (10, 10’) to be injected into the liquid container (20).
  11. 11 . The infusion system (2, 2’) according to claim 10, characterized in that the liquid container (20) defines a volume (VL) of liquid that can be received therein, and the air container (10, 10’) defines a volume (VA) of air (A) that can be received therein, wherein the volume (VA) of air (A) is 50 ml or less, in particular between 10 ml and 50 ml.
  12. 12. The infusion system (2, 2’) according to claim 10 or 11 , characterized in that the liquid container (20) comprises a first connector (200) and a second connector (201), wherein the first connector (200) is configured to deliver liquid (L) from the liquid container (20) to a patient, and the connecting device (11) is adapted to establish the fluid connection (C1) between the air container (10, 10’) and the liquid container (20) via the second connector (201).
  13. 13. The infusion system (2, 2’) according to any of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the liquid container (20) is a secondary liquid container and the infusion system (2, 2’) further comprises a primary liquid container (21), wherein the primary and secondary liquid containers (20, 21) are in fluid connection with an infusion cannula (22) via a Y connector
  14. 14. The infusion system (2, 2’) according to claim 13, characterized in that at least one of the primary liquid container (21) and the secondary liquid container (20) is a flexible bag.
  15. 15. The infusion system (2, 2’) according to any of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that the air injector (1 , T) is configured in accordance with any of claims 1-9.

Description

Air Injector for an Infusion System Description The invention relates to an air injector for an infusion system and to an infusion system. Infusion systems are used for administering liquids to patients. Typically, a liquid, e.g., comprising a drug, is contained in a liquid container of the infusion system, such as a flexible bag. A tube, e.g., with a needle at its one end, is brought into fluid connection with the liquid container at its other end. Via the tube and, e.g., the needle, the liquid is provided from the liquid container to the patient. The liquid may be conveyed simply using gravitation. Alternatively, an infusion pump such as a volumetric infusion pump may be used to convey the liquid from the liquid container to the patient. In many cases it is important to administer the entire liquid content of the liquid container to the patient. Also, in many cases leakage of potentially hazardous liquid must be avoided. In further cases, two liquid containers are connected with the tube via a Y connector, and it may be a prerequisite of a therapy of the patient that first the liquid of one of the liquid containers is administered (entirely) before the infusion of the liquid of the other liquid container starts. In current practice, such requirements are often very cumbersome to address and typically require many manual steps. It is an object of the instant invention to simplify the infusion of liquids. This object is achieved by means of an air injector comprising the features of claim 1 . Accordingly, an air injector for an infusion system is provided, the air injector comprising an air container, a connecting device adapted to establish a fluid connection between the air container and a liquid container of the infusion system so as to allow air from the air container to be injected into the liquid container, and a valve arranged in the fluid connection, e.g., configured to selectively open or close the fluid connection. This is based on the idea to provide an air container for injecting air into the liquid container so as to create an overpressure in the liquid container which presses a rest of a liquid out of the liquid container, e.g., into a connected tube. By arranging the valve in the fluid connection, the air flow via the fluid connection can be controlled. This allows to administer the entire liquid content of the liquid container to the patient while avoiding leakage of potentially hazardous liquid, e.g., in an oncologic therapy. By this, the infusion of liquids may be simplified in a reliable manner. Optionally, the connecting device comprises a cannula and/or a Luer lock. This allows a simple and secure fluid connection of the air container with a connector of the liquid container. According to an embodiment, the air container is foldable. The air container may, alternatively or in addition, be made of a flexible material. For example, the air container may be compressible. By this air can be pressed out of the air container manually and in a particularly simple manner. Optionally, the air container comprises a bellows. A bellows allows to easily discharge air from the air container in a controlled manner. According to an embodiment, the air container comprises a syringe. Optionally, the syringe has a scale indicating a size of an inner volume of the syringe. This allows to discharge a very precise amount of air into the liquid container of the infusion system. Optionally, the valve is a first valve, and the air injector comprises a second valve. The second valve may be adapted to selectively open or close and/or be arranged in a fluid connection between the air container and surrounding ambient air. This allows to pump a larger volume of air into the liquid container using the air container than can be received in the air container by pumping more than once. This allows to use the same (relatively small) size of an air container for various applications. It may be provided that the first valve, the second valve and the air container are connected with one another by means of a Y connector. Thus, the first valve, the second valve and the air container may be in fluid connection with one another by means of the Y connector. Thereby, air may flow though the second valve into the air container via the Y connector, and from the air container though the connecting device (into the liquid container) via the Y container. This allows a simple setup. The (first) valve may be a check valve. If the air injector comprises the second valve, at least one of the first valve and the second valve may be a check valve. The (first) check valve is arranged such that it allows an airflow from the air container towards the connecting device (and towards the liquid container) but blocks an airflow in the opposite direction. The second check valve may be arranged such that it allows an airflow from a surrounding environment towards the air container (and/or towards the connecting device and/or towards the Y conn