Baxter International Inc.

Baxter Healthcare Sa

Shmuel Sternberg

Robin Gail Pauley

Daniel R Boggs

Lecon Woo

Craig L Sandford

James H Brauker

Robert A Clarke

Donna L McLarty

Thomas Edward Dudar

James P Martucci

Ross G Krogh

Atul R Khare

Ton That Hai

Paul R Prince

Birendra K Lal

Hsinjin E Yang

Julian P Breillatt, Jr

Rosa Yeh

Laura A Martinson

Ronald S Hill

Sivaramakrishnan Krishnamoorthy

Dustin Christopher Cawthon

Kent Lane Lurvey

Michael O Pekkarinen

Michael Tung-Kiung Ling

Mark Nordhaus

Vadim V Krongauz

Larry Black

William S Hoerle

Julian Breillatt

Kenneth Glen Suh

Nicklaus J Kirichkow

Alexander Savitski

Ashok K Khanna

Daniel R Lynn

Mark Conrad Jones

Mark Joseph Doty

James E Kipp

David Bellamy, Jr

Siddharth Desai

Derek J Hei

Steven K Neuenfeldt

Sean Brynjelsen

Nailesh Jayswal

Krishnaswamy Narayanan

Siddarth B Desai

David Bellamy

Andrew J Dunham

Siddharth B Desai

Robin G Pauley

An intravenous ('IV') liquid delivery system includes: an IV pump tubing set; a shuttle pump or membrane pump actuator operable with the IV pump tubing set; upstream and downstream valve actuators operable with the IV pump tubing set; the IV pump tubing set including an air removal device; an air detector configured to sense air in the IV pump tubing set; a control unit configured and arranged to (i) open the upstream valve actuator and close the downstream valve actuator to allow the pump actuator to draw liquid into a pump actuation portion of the IV pump tubing set, and (ii) close the upstream valve actuator and open the downstream valve actuator to allow the pump actuator to push liquid out of the pump actuation portion, the system configured to attempt to remove the air via the air removal device while operating the upstream and downstream valve actuators according to (i) and (ii).

Intravenous pumping air management systems and methods

A priming indicator for a fluid infusion system includes a luer cap or other component of the infusion system having an indicator surface covered by a membrane. The membrane exhibits a first visual characteristic, such as being opaque, when dry and exhibits a second characteristic, such as becoming less opaque, when wet. Once the membrane becomes wet, indicia on the surface, which may be provided on a rod at least partially covered by the membrane, becomes visible, thereby indicating an intravenous tube to which the luer cap is secured has been primed or is nearly primed. The indicator may alternately be employed at an upstream end of an infusion set, such as at the port of a medical bag providing a supply of fluid, to indicate a low level of fluid in the medical bag.

Device to indicate priming of an infusion line

Membranes are made from polymers and heat treated so that they have at least two zones with pores of different sizes. Pores with a smaller size have a lower molecular weight cut off than pores with a larger size. Zones with pores of different sizes may also be made by coating portions of membranes with polymer coatings. Membranes with pores of different sizes may be used in dialyzers for hemofiltration, hemodiafiltration, and other hemodialysis procedures. The membranes may also be used in other separation processes.

Multizone polymer membrane and dialyzer

A medical device, such as a vascular access device, is disclosed for providing access to a medical fluid flow path for the introduction or withdrawal of medical fluids to and from the flow path. The access device includes an indicator for providing a visual indication when the access device has been exposed to an antiseptic agent.

Medical fluid access device with antiseptic indicator

Membranes and methods for making membranes are disclosed. The membranes include a polymeric matrix and a particulate material immobilized within the matrix. The membranes may find particular application in methods and apparatus for removing organic compounds from a biological fluid as part of a pathogen inactivation treatment.

Composite membrane with particulate matter substantially immobilized therein

Composite membranes and methods for making such membranes

A filter for removing leukocytes from blood comprises a filter media enclosed in a housing. The filter media includes a main filter region comprising a porous membrane structure extending between first and second skin surfaces. The porous membrane structure is formed by intersecting cells having a range of diameters. The cells adjacent to the first skin surface have diameters generally smaller than the diameters of the cells adjacent to the second skin surface. The first skin surface includes an open area defined by pores, which are formed by the intersection of cells with the first skin surface. The majority of the open area is defined by pores having a diameter of between about 12 &mgr;m and 28 &mgr;m.

Blood collection systems and methods using a porous membrane element

Blood collection systems and filters using a porous membrane element

A device and method for inactivating pathogens in therapeutic fluids with sterilizing radiation in a continuous thin fluid flow arrangement that exhibits radiation dose uniformity for fluids having high optical densities. Radiation dose uniformity is achieved in part through a &ldquo;carrying&rdquo; mechanism that moves or carries the fluid, thereby eliminating a channel flow velocity profile where flow volumes near the channel walls run the risk of overexposure to the radiation due to very large residence times within the channel. The device comprises a relatively flat belt chamber ( ) connected to a fluid flow through an inlet ( ) and an outlet ( ) on the belt chamber ( ). The belt chamber ( ) has a top surface ( ) and a bottom surface ( ). A radiation permeable plate ( ) is disposed adjacent the top surface ( ) of the belt chamber ( ) and is in contact with the belt chamber ( ). A radiation source ( ) is provided adjacent to the plate ( ) adjacent to a side opposite the belt chamber ( ). A belt ( ) having a plurality of flexible vanes ( ) is disposed adjacent the bottom surface ( ) of the belt chamber ( ) such that the vanes ( ) make contact with the belt chamber ( ). The belt is driven by a roller mechanism ( ) in the direction of the fluid flow. As the fluid flows through the belt chamber ( ), the flexible vanes ( ) provide a squeegee-like mechanism to move the fluid through the belt chamber ( ) in discrete packets ( ) defined by a pair of vanes ( ). As the packets of fluid move through the belt chamber, they are exposed to sterilizing radiation passing through the plate ( ).

Device and method for pathogen inactivation of therapeutic fluids with sterilizing radiation

A device and method for inactivating pathogens in therapeutic fluids with sterilizing radiation in a continuous flow arrangement while exhibiting radiation dose uniformity and narrow residence time distribution of the fluid within the device. The device ( ) comprises a radiation permeable cylindrical tube ( ) having a concentric cylindrical rotor ( ) disposed therein, thereby providing a thin gap ( ) therebetween. A top plate ( ) having a fluid outlet ( ) and a bottom plate ( ) having a fluid inlet ( ) seal the cylindrical tube ( ). The inlet ( ) and outlet ( ) are both in fluid communication with the thin gap ( ). A rotor shaft ( ) is disposed axially through the cylindrical rotor ( ) and is connected to a motor ( ). A pump provides fluid flow through the device ( ). A radiation source provides sterilizing radiation to the fluid through the cylindrical tube ( ). As the fluid flows, the motor ( ) drives the rotor ( ) to impart Taylor vortices to the fluid flow, which exchanges the fluid closer to the cylindrical tube ( ) with the fluid closer to the rotor ( ).

A method and apparatus for filtering suspensions of medical and biological fluids, one aspect of which is separating a suspension comprising at least two types of particles which are differently sized or shaped and in which the first type of particle may be deformable at a relatively lower force and/or faster rate than the second type of particle. A filter member is provided having substantially precisely dimensioned pore sizes, with the pores being dimensioned to allow passage of the first type of suspended particle without distortion or only minimal distortion and passage of the second type of particle only with substantial distortion. Because the filter membrane has precisely dimensioned pores, with spacing between the pores being maintained despite the smaller interval between the pores, the porosity of the membrane may be much greater than nominal pore size membranes, allowing faster filtration rates and/or smaller membranes for a given filtration rate, while reducing the exposure time of the cells within the shear environment, and consequently reducing particle damage. Various methods for preventing clogging of the membrane are also disclosed.

Method and apparatus for filtering suspensions of medical and biological fluids or the like

Growing community of inventors

Palatine, IL, United States of America

Shmuel Sternberg