摘要 |
An I.V. bag is connected to a drip chamber, then to a conventional tube clamp and a regulating tube containing a wick or other material that breaks surface tension of the liquid in the tube, which flows into a bubble separator that forces any remaining entrained air through one or more hydrophobic gas permeable membranes, and then into the patient. A downstream check valve adjacent to the bubble separator prevents back flow into or through the bubble separator. An upstream check valve adjacent to the bubble separator prevents air from being drawn into the bubble separator through its gas permeable hydrophobic membrane. A vent placed adjacent to the tube clamp isolates any pressure drop above the vent, allowing a pressure head to develop in the regulating tube, which insures a constant flow of I.V. liquid into the patient regardless of downstream or upstream hydraulic conditions.
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