JPH1043293A - Device for removing bubble in liquid - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce pressure loss and improve the bubble removing effect by providing a cyclone part in a vessel main body to make a liquid to be processed a swirl flow to be gas-liquid separated. SOLUTION: When blood to be processed is introduced in a liquid inflow space 15 from a liquid inlet of a device for removing bubbles in a liquid used with an artificial heart device or the like, the liquid to be processed occupies the total capacity of the liquid inflow space 15. The liquid is made into a swirl flow by a cyclone 19. That is, rotary momentum is given to the blood to be processed flowing from the liquid inlet 18 in the process of moving along the surface of a lower annular partition wall 17 to form a continuous swirl flow. While the liquid inflow space 15 is turned, it is moved upward. In this process, blood and bubbles which have different specific gravities are separated from each other by the action of centrifugal force, and the bubbles are collected in the central part to be discharged from a gas outlet 12 and removed. The blood from which bubbles are removed is discharged from an outflow opening 13.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to blood for extracorporeal circulation such as an artificial heart-lung machine, an artificial kidney apparatus, an apparatus for separating blood cells and plasma components, or a dialysate flowing through a dialysate circuit in an artificial kidney apparatus. The present invention relates to an apparatus for removing bubbles in liquid that removes bubbles from liquid.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an apparatus for removing air bubbles in a liquid, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-228849 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-44031 are known.
As shown in the gazette, there are a filtration system, a residence system, and a combination system of the filtration system and the residence system.

As one example of a conventional apparatus for removing bubbles in liquid, as shown in FIG. 4, a liquid inlet 2, a liquid outlet 3, and a gas outlet 4 are arranged in a container body 1, and a filter 5 is provided inside the upper space 6 as shown in FIG. And a lower space 7. The filter 5 has a conical shape, and is provided with a blocking plate 9 having a communication hole 8 formed at an upper portion thereof for communicating the upper space 6 and the lower space 7. In this device for removing bubbles in liquid, the liquid forms a swirling flow from the liquid inlet 2 and flows into the container body 1, and after the bubbles in the liquid are positively centrifuged at the outer periphery where the flow velocity of the swirling flow is large, At the center where the flow velocity is slow, a large buoyancy is raised to the air bubbles that have already been centrifuged to separate the air bubbles, and the remaining air bubbles are filtered by the filter 5 to remove the air bubbles, and the collected air bubbles are removed. The liquid from which the gas was removed from the gas outlet 4 and from which bubbles were removed was sent out from the liquid outlet 3.

[0004]

However, if the number of collected bubbles increases, a vortex is formed in the upper space 6 and gas enters the lower space 7 below the blocking plate 9 and the filter 5, The liquid is sucked into the liquid outlet 3. If the gas accumulates in the lower space 7, the gas cannot be discharged from the communication hole 8 to the upper space 6, and the efficiency of air bubble removal may be reduced. In addition, a pressure loss occurred during the filtration.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to achieve the following objects. To improve the air bubble removal effect by centrifugal separation in which a fluid forms a swirling flow. To improve the bubble removal effect by increasing the buoyancy of bubbles by moving the liquid outlet away from the center of the swirling flow formed by the fluid. Filtration using centrifugal action by swirling flow to reduce pressure loss. To reduce the flow velocity of the liquid and improve the effect of removing bubbles by staying. Separating the liquid outlet from the portion where the separated bubbles stay, and reducing the intrusion of bubbles into the liquid outlet.

[0006]

A container body, a filter provided in the container body to define a liquid inflow space and a liquid outflow space, a liquid inlet provided in the container body so as to communicate with the liquid inflow space, A cyclone section disposed in the container body to perform gas-liquid separation by using the liquid to be processed as a swirling flow; a liquid outlet provided in the container body so as to communicate with the liquid outflow space; A gas outlet provided in communication with the upper part of the space, a filter having a cylindrical shape standing upright inside the container body, a liquid inflow space disposed inside the filter, and an outside of the filter A liquid outflow space is disposed at the bottom. The liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are arranged at the same height below the main body container, and the liquid inlet penetrates the liquid outflow space and is connected to the liquid inflow space. The cyclone portion is disposed below the filter, connected to the container body with the liquid inlet connected thereto, and provided with an annular partition for preventing fluid from entering the fluid outflow space. A twist plate that performs gas-liquid separation using the liquid to be processed as a swirling flow is disposed in the cyclone unit. Filter has a pore size of 30
It is made of a porous material having a thickness of about 200 μm, and a gap is provided between an upper portion of the filter and an upper portion inside the container body. An inclined tapered portion is disposed inward at an upper portion of the container body and communicates with the gas outlet.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a device for removing bubbles in liquid according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2, reference numeral 11 denotes a container body, 12 denotes a gas outlet, 13 denotes a liquid outlet, 14 denotes a filter, 15 denotes a liquid inflow space, 16 denotes a liquid outflow space, and 17 denotes a lower annular partition (annular partition). ) And 18 are a liquid inlet and 19 is a cyclone part.

The container body 11 has a cylindrical shape, and a tapered portion 11a having an inclined shape is disposed inward at an upper portion thereof to form a bubble reservoir 11b therein. A gas outlet 12 is located at the center of the tapered portion 11a. A liquid outlet 13 is provided on the lower side of the main body 11.
Is located. Inside the container body 11, a cylindrical filter body 14 is arranged coaxially with the central axis of the container body 11, the inner space of the filter body 14 is a liquid inflow space 15, and the outer space of the filter body 14 is liquid. Outflow space 16 is provided. Filter 1
4 is made of, for example, a porous body having a pore diameter of 30 to 200 μm.

A lower annular partition 17 connected to the bottom surface of the container body 11 is disposed below the filter 14,
4 is connected to the lower annular partition 1 by a connecting member 14a.
7 is provided. A liquid inlet 18 which is communicated to the outside through the liquid outflow space 16 is connected to the lower annular partition 17 in a tangential direction of the lower annular partition 17, and the liquid inlet 18 and the lower annular partition 17 are connected to a cyclone portion. 19 are formed. Upper annular partition 14
b is located near the tapered portion 11a, and forms a gap G between the filter 14 and the tapered portion 11a.

In such an apparatus for removing bubbles in liquid, for example, a valve for discharging gas from the gas outlet 12 is attached to a part of the blood circuit connecting the artificial lung of the artificial heart device and the aorta of the human body. used.

When the blood to be processed is introduced from the liquid inlet 18 into the liquid inflow space 15, the blood to be processed occupies the entire volume of the liquid inflow space 15 and is swirled by the cyclone 19 as shown by an arrow in FIG. It becomes a flow. Here, a continuous swirling flow is formed by applying rotational momentum to the blood to be treated that has entered through the liquid inlet 18 while moving along the surface of the lower annular partition wall 17.

The blood to be processed, which has been swirled as indicated by the arrow shown in FIG. 1, moves upward while swirling inside the liquid inflow space 15. Here, in the outer peripheral portion where the flow velocity of the swirling flow is large, since a large centrifugal force acts on blood and bubbles having different specific gravities, the bubbles in the blood are positively centrifuged and moved to the central portion. The bubbles centrifuged in this way gradually decrease in flow velocity and move upward due to a large buoyancy effect as they move toward the center. At this time, the blood flows into the liquid outflow space 16 through the filter 14 in a state of being pressurized by the centrifugal action, and flows out of the liquid outlet 13.
In the liquid outflow space 16, the blood flow velocity is
It is gentler than the inside, and blood
While descending inside, the air bubbles remaining in the blood move upward by buoyancy.

The bubbles that have moved to the upper part of the liquid inflow space 15 collect in the bubble reservoir 11b, move to the upper part of the liquid outflow space 16, and are attached to the bubble reservoir 11b via the gap G every time a certain amount of bubbles are collected. The valve is opened and removed from the gas outlet 12.

Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the apparatus for removing bubbles in liquid according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 3, reference numeral 21 denotes a container body, 22 denotes a gas outlet, 23 denotes a liquid outlet, 24 denotes a filter, 25 denotes a liquid inflow space, 26 denotes a liquid outflow space, 27 denotes a lower annular partition (annular partition), 28 Is a liquid inlet, and 29 is a cyclone portion.

The container body 21 has a cylindrical shape, and a tapered portion 21a having an inclined shape is disposed inward at an upper portion thereof to form a bubble reservoir 21b therein. A gas outlet 22 is located at the center of the tapered portion 21a. A liquid outlet 23 is provided on the lower side surface of the main body 21.
Is arranged. Inside the container body 21, a cylindrical filter body 24 is disposed coaxially with the central axis of the container body 21, the inner space of the filter body 24 is defined as a liquid inflow space 25, and the filter body 2
The space outside 4 is a liquid outflow space 26. Filter body 24
Is made of a porous material having a pore diameter of 30 to 200 μm, for example.

A lower annular partition wall 27 connected to the bottom surface of the container body 21 is disposed below the filter body 24.
4 is connected to the lower annular partition 2 by a connecting member 24a.
7 is provided. The bottom surface of the container body 21 is connected to a liquid inlet 28 which is in communication with the outside from below. The liquid inlet 28 has an inwardly tapered portion 27 which is connected to the lower annular partition wall 27.
a is arranged. A lower annular partition wall 27 and a tapered portion 27a,
The liquid inlet 28 forms a cyclone portion 29, and inside the cyclone portion 29, for example, two twist plates 29a for performing gas-liquid separation using a liquid to be processed as a swirling flow are arranged at an angle to each other. The upper annular partition 24b has a tapered portion 21.
a gap G is formed between the filter body 24 and the tapered portion 21a.

In such a device for removing air bubbles in a liquid, for example, a valve for discharging gas at the gas outlet 22 is provided which is attached in the middle of a blood circuit connecting the artificial lung of the artificial heart device and the aorta of the human body. used.

When the blood to be processed is introduced from the liquid inlet 28 into the liquid inflow space 25, the blood to be processed occupies the entire volume of the liquid inflow space 25 and is swirled by the cyclone 29 as shown by the arrow in FIG. It becomes a flow. This is because a continuous swirling flow is formed by applying a rotational momentum in the process in which the blood to be treated that has entered from the liquid inlet 28 moves along the surface of the twist plate 29a.

The blood to be processed, which has been swirled, moves upward while swirling inside the liquid inflow space 25. Here, in the outer peripheral portion where the flow velocity of the swirling flow is large, since a large centrifugal force acts on blood and bubbles having different specific gravities, the bubbles in the blood are positively centrifuged and moved to the central portion.
The bubbles centrifuged in this way gradually decrease in flow velocity and move upward due to a large buoyancy effect as they move toward the center. At this time, the blood flows into the liquid outflow space 26 through the filter body 24 while being pressurized by the centrifugal action, and flows out from the liquid outlet 23. In the liquid outflow space 26, the flow velocity of the blood is slower than in the liquid inflow space 25, and while the blood descends in the liquid outflow space 26, the air bubbles remaining in the blood move upward by buoyancy. I will do it.

The bubbles that have moved to the upper part of the liquid inflow space 25 collect in the bubble reservoir 21b, move to the upper part of the liquid outflow space 26, and are attached to the bubble reservoir 21b via the gap G every time a certain amount of bubbles are collected. The valve is opened and removed from the gas outlet 22.

[0021]

According to the apparatus for removing bubbles in liquid of the present invention,
The following effects are obtained. (1) Since the liquid to be processed forms a swirl flow and the liquid outflow space is provided outside the swirl flow from which the liquid is separated and moved, the bubble removal effect by centrifugal separation can be improved. (2) Since the liquid outlet is provided outside the swirling flow where the bubble concentration becomes low, and the liquid outlet is provided below the bubble where the bubble rises due to the action of increasing the buoyancy of the bubble and the bubble concentration becomes low, the bubble removing effect is improved. Can be. (3) Since the liquid to be processed forms a swirl flow and the filter is provided outside the swirl flow from which the liquid is separated and moves, the filtration is performed by utilizing the centrifugal action of the swirl flow to reduce the pressure loss. be able to. (4) Since the liquid outflow space is provided outside the liquid inflow space, the flow velocity of the liquid in the liquid outflow space becomes gentle, and the effect of removing air bubbles due to stagnation can be improved. (5) Since the liquid outlet is provided at the lower part of the container body, the liquid outlet is separated from the portion where the separated bubbles stay, so that the intrusion of bubbles into the liquid outlet can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a device for removing bubbles in liquid according to the present invention, with a part of the description omitted;

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the apparatus for removing bubbles from liquid in liquid of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the apparatus for removing bubbles in liquid according to the present invention, in which some descriptions are omitted.

FIG. 4 is a front cross-sectional view of an example of a conventional apparatus for removing bubbles in liquid, in which some descriptions are omitted.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Container main body, 2 ... Liquid inlet, 3 ... Liquid outlet, 4 ... Gas outlet, 5 ... Filter body, 6 ... Upper space, 7 ... Lower space, 8 ... Communication hole, 9 ... Blocking plate, 11 ... Container main body, 11a: tapered portion, 11b: bubble reservoir, 12: gas outlet, 13: liquid outlet, 14: filter, 14a ... connecting member, 14b: upper annular partition wall, 15: liquid inflow space, 16: liquid outflow space,
17: lower annular partition (annular partition), 18: liquid inlet,
19 cyclone part, 21 container body, 21a taper part, 21b bubble reservoir, 22 gas outlet, 23 liquid outlet, 24 filter body, 24a connecting member, 24b upper annular partition, 25 liquid Inflow space, 26 ... liquid outflow space,
27: lower annular partition (annular partition), 27a: tapered portion, 28: liquid inlet, 29: cyclone portion, 29a: twist plate, G: gap

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A container body (11, 21), a filter (14, 24) provided in the container body and defining a liquid inflow space (15, 25) and a liquid outflow space (16, 26), and a container. A liquid inlet (18, 28) provided in the main body so as to communicate with the liquid inflow space; and a cyclone section (19, 2) arranged in the container main body and performing gas-liquid separation using the liquid to be treated as a swirling flow.
9) and a liquid outlet (1) which is provided in the container body so as to communicate with the liquid outflow space and which sends out the processing liquid passing through the filter.
3, 23) and a gas outlet (12, 22) arranged in communication with the upper part of the liquid inflow space, and the filter is formed in a cylindrical shape standing upright inside the container body. An apparatus for removing bubbles in a liquid, wherein a liquid inflow space is provided inside and a liquid outflow space is provided outside the filter. 2. The liquid inlet (18, 28) is provided with a main container (1).
The apparatus for removing bubbles in a liquid according to claim 1, wherein the liquid outlet (13, 23) is disposed at a lower portion of the main body container. 3. An annular partition (17, 27) for preventing liquid from entering the liquid outflow space (16, 26) is disposed in the cyclone portion (19, 29). Or the apparatus for removing bubbles in liquid according to 2. 4. A liquid in a liquid according to claim 1, wherein a twist plate (29a) for performing gas-liquid separation by using a liquid to be treated as a swirling flow is disposed in the cyclone section (29). Bubble removal device. 5. The filter (14, 24) has a pore size of 30 to 20.
The apparatus for removing bubbles in a liquid according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the apparatus is made of a porous material having a thickness of 0 µm. 6. The liquid inlet (18) and the liquid outlet (13) are arranged at the same height.
6. The apparatus for removing bubbles in a liquid according to any one of the above items 5. 7. A gap (G) is provided between an upper portion of the filter (14, 24) and an upper portion inside the container body (11, 21). The apparatus for removing bubbles in liquid according to the above. 8. An air bubble in a liquid according to claim 1, wherein an inwardly tapered portion (11a, 21a) is disposed in an upper portion of the container body (11, 21). Removal device.