US 12,440,629 B2
Systems, apparatus, and methods for filtering air from a fluid line
Galen C. Robertson, Apex, NC (US); Andrew W. Lane, Rolesville, NC (US); Savannah K. Steele, Durham, NC (US); Mark D. Piehl, Chapel Hill, NC (US); Robert W. Titkemeyer, Chesterfield, MO (US); Stephen Latham, Sun Prairie, WI (US); Douglas Rodenkirch, Sun Prairie, WI (US); Jesse Darley, Madison, WI (US); Curtis Irwin, Madison, WI (US); and Amrish Chourasia, Beloit, WI (US)
Assigned to 410 Medical, Inc., Durham, NC (US)
Filed by 410 Medical, Inc., Durham, NC (US)
Filed on Feb. 24, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/173,959.
Application 18/173,959 is a continuation of application No. 16/880,380, filed on May 21, 2020, granted, now 11,590,295, issued on Feb. 28, 2023.
Application 16/880,380 is a continuation of application No. 16/459,016, filed on Jul. 1, 2019, granted, now 10,661,029, issued on May 26, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/692,390, filed on Jun. 29, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0310760 A1, Oct. 5, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61M 5/40 (2006.01); A61J 1/10 (2006.01); A61M 5/142 (2006.01); A61M 39/24 (2006.01); B01D 19/00 (2006.01); F16K 7/12 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 5/40 (2013.01) [A61J 1/10 (2013.01); A61M 5/14216 (2013.01); A61M 5/1424 (2013.01); A61M 39/24 (2013.01); B01D 19/0031 (2013.01); F16K 7/12 (2013.01); A61M 2039/248 (2013.01); A61M 2205/7536 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a housing having a first end, a second end, and a sidewall extending between the first end and the second end of the housing and having an inner surface defining a reservoir, the sidewall configured to be deformed between an undeformed and a deformed configuration;
an upper cap coupled to the first end of the housing and defining an inlet;
a lower cap coupled to the second end of the housing and defining an outlet;
a valve seat having a first end, a second end, an outer surface extending between the first end and the second end, and a sealing surface, the valve seat being deformable, the valve seat defining a through-hole from the first end to the second end, the second end of the valve seat coupled to the lower cap such that the through-hole is in fluid communication with the outlet of the lower cap, the valve seat disposed within the housing such that the outer surface is surrounded by the inner surface of the housing, the valve seat being formed of a first material and the housing being formed of a second material different from the first material; and
a sealing member configured to float at a liquid fluid level within the reservoir and to seal with the sealing surface of the valve seat prior to the liquid fluid level within the reservoir decreasing below a minimum threshold fluid level, the sealing member configured to transition from a sealed configuration in which the sealing member is engaged with the sealing surface to an unsealed configuration in which the sealing member floats at the liquid fluid level when the liquid fluid level is above the minimum threshold fluid level in response to the sidewall of the housing being flexed to the deformed configuration to contact and deform the valve seat to disrupt a seal between the sealing member and the sealing surface.