SYSTEMS, APPARATUS, AND METHODS FOR FILTERING AIR FROM A FLUID LINE

1 . An apparatus, comprising:

a housing including a cylindrical sidewall, the cylindrical sidewall including an inner surface defining a reservoir and an outer surface, the housing having a first end and a second end, the cylindrical sidewall configured to be deformed between an undeformed and a deformed configuration;

a first cap defining an inlet, the first cap coupled to the first end of the housing;

a second cap defining an outlet, the second cap coupled to the second end of the housing;

a deformable valve seat having a first end, a second end, and a sealing surface, the valve seat defining a through-hole from the first end to the second end, the through-hole having a central axis, the second end coupled to the second cap such that the through-hole is in fluid communication with the outlet of the second cap; 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 seal 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 and the cylindrical sidewall is flexed to the deformed configuration such that the valve seat is deformed and a seal between the sealing member and the sealing surface is disrupted.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sealing member and the sealing surface form a circular sealing interface, and the minimum threshold fluid level is disposed within a horizontal plane corresponding to the highest vertical portion of the circular sealing interface.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a negative pressure source coupled to the outlet such that, when the sealing member is in the sealed configuration, the negative pressure source maintains a force on the sealing member such that the sealing member is maintained in the sealed configuration when fluid is introduced to the reservoir via the inlet such that the fluid level is above the minimum threshold fluid level and the cylindrical sidewall is in the undeformed configuration.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first cap defines a vent configured such that gaseous fluid can flow from the reservoir through the vent.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first cap includes a hydrophobic filter disposed between the vent and the reservoir such that liquid fluid is prevent from flowing from the reservoir through the vent.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a blood filter is coupled to the inlet of the first cap.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing is a first housing portion and the reservoir is a first reservoir, further comprising a second housing portion and a third cap, the second housing portion having a first end coupled to the third cap and a second end coupled to the first cap and defining a second reservoir, the second reservoir is in fluid communication with the first reservoir, and a blood filter is disposed within the second reservoir.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing is a first housing portion and the reservoir is a first reservoir, further comprising a second housing portion and a third cap, the second housing portion having a first end coupled to the second cap and a second end coupled to the third cap and defining a second reservoir, the second reservoir is in fluid communication with the first reservoir, and the blood filter is disposed within the second reservoir.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a blood filter is disposed within the reservoir.

10 . An apparatus, comprising:

a housing defining a reservoir and having a first end, a second end, and a central axis;

a lower cap coupled to the second end of the housing, the lower cap defining an outlet;

a valve seat having a first end, a second end, and a sealing surface, the valve seat defining a through-hole from the sealing surface to the second end, the valve seat disposed within the housing, the second end of the valve seat coupled to the lower cap such that the outlet of the lower cap is in fluid communication with the reservoir via the through-hole of the valve seat;

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; and

an upper cap defining an inlet, the upper cap coupled to the first end of the housing, the upper cap including an extending portion extending laterally a distance beyond an outermost extending portion of the lower cap relative to the central axis of the housing such that, when the lower cap and the extending portion of the upper cap contact a horizontal surface, the central axis of the housing is transverse to the surface and the sealing member is configured to sealingly engage the sealing surface of the valve seat prior to the liquid fluid level within the reservoir decreasing below a minimum threshold fluid level.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the sealing member has a spherical shape.

12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the sealing member and the sealing surface form a circular sealing interface, and the minimum threshold fluid level is disposed within a horizontal plane corresponding to the highest vertical portion of the circular sealing interface.

13 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the through-hole has a central axis that is colinear with the central axis of the housing.

14 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein, when the upper cap and the extending portion of the lower cap contact the surface, the central axis of the housing is disposed at at least an 8 degree angle relative to the surface.

15 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the housing includes a cylindrical sidewall, at least a portion of the cylindrical sidewall configured to be deformed between an undeformed and a deformed configuration, the at least a portion of the cylindrical sidewall being disposed between the second end of the housing and a center of the sealing member when the sealing member is sealingly engaged with the sealing surface of the valve seat.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least a portion of the cylindrical sidewall is at least about 0.5 inches long.

17 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the upper cap defines a vent configured such that gaseous fluid can flow from the reservoir through the vent.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the upper cap includes a hydrophobic filter disposed between the vent and the reservoir such that liquid fluid is prevent from flowing from the reservoir through the vent.

19 . A method, comprising:

applying a negative pressure to a reservoir via a negative pressure source such that fluid is drawn from the reservoir through a through-hole of a valve seat until the fluid level decreases such that a sealing member seals with the valve seat fluidically isolating the reservoir from the through-hole, the negative pressure source fluidically coupled to the through-hole and to a patient's vasculature;

coupling an inlet of the reservoir to a fluid source such that fluid flows from the fluid source into the reservoir, the sealing member remaining sealed with the valve seat as the fluid level increases due to the negative pressure; and

deforming a wall of a housing defining the reservoir such that the wall of the housing deforms the valve seat, releasing the sealing member from the valve seat such that the sealing member can float to the fluid level.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the applying the negative pressure includes applying cyclical negative pressure to the reservoir.