Medical device and method of detecting the filling level of a bubble chamber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016220749-A1
Application number	US-201415021377-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 2, 2014
Priority date	Oct 4, 2013
Publication date	Aug 4, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to a medical device, in particular to a blood treatment apparatus having a control and processing unit, having at least one structure-borne sound emitter and having at least one structure-borne sound sensor, each configured for coupling to coupling points of a medical tubing kit which can be coupled to the medical device, wherein the filling level of a bubble chamber arranged in the tubing kit can be determined at the tubing kit via the control and processing unit based on the measurement of the structure-borne sound.

First claim

1 . A medical device, in particular a blood treatment apparatus having a control and processing unit, at least one structure-borne sound emitter and at least one structure-borne sound sensor, each configured for coupling to coupling points of a medical tubing kit which can be coupled to the medical device,
characterized in that the filling status of a bubble chamber arranged in the tubing kit can be determined via the control and processing unit on the basis of the measurement of the structure-borne sound at the tubing kit.

2 . A medical device in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the structure-borne sound coupled via the structure-borne sound emitter into the tubing kit and propagating in the fluid circuit is taken up via the structure-borne sound sensor and conducted to the control and processing unit for determining the filling level, and/or wherein the control and processing unit he the filling level of the bubble chamber by comparison with at least one stored characteristic.

3 . A medical device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the structure-borne sound emitter is an occluding pump, in particular a roller pump, which can be coupled to a pump section of the tubing kit, and/or wherein the structure-borne sound emitter is an electronically controlled sound generator which preferably comprises a piezo-element and/or which can preferably be coupled upstream or downstream of a pump at the tubing kit.

4 . A medical device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the medical device is a blood treatment apparatus for the extracorporeal blood treatment and the tubing kit is an extracorporeal blood tubing kit.

5 . A medical device in accordance with claim 4 , characterized in that the control and processing unit furthermore monitors the status of a patient port, wherein the control and processing unit preferably detects a needle disconnection when the sound propagation in the extracorporeal blood circuit changes due to the defective patient port and/or when the measured amplitude of the structure-borne sound reduces or is missing, wherein it preferably stops the blood pump and/or triggers an alarm on detection of a needle disconnection.

6 . A medical device in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the signal of the structure-borne sound sensor is evaluated in different manners for monitoring the patient port and for the simultaneous determination of the filling level of the bubble chamber, wherein different signal portions and/or changes in the signal differing in their time development are preferably associated with the two different aspects.

7 . A medical device in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the signal is monitored for faster amplitude changes for detection of a needle disconnection, for which purpose the currently measured signal is preferably compared with a base signal which is preferably updated during the course of the treatment and/or is formed or the basis of an average time value, whereas changes in the filling level of the bubble chamber are detected with reference to slower amplitude changes, in particular with reference to a base signal which is formed on the basis of an average time value.

8 . A medical device in accordance with claim 6 , wherein two structure-borne sound emitters having different signal developments are used, in particular an occluding blood pump and a further structure-borne sound emitter arranged upstream of the blood pump wherein the respective signal portions attributable to the structure-borne sound emitters are separated and are evaluated separately for monitoring the patient port and for the simultaneous determination of the filling level of the bubble chamber.

9 . A medical device in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one emitter and the at least one sensor are integrated into the medical device such that they can be coupled to the tubing kit on the insertion of the tubing kit to respective provided coupling points.

10 . A medical device in accordance with claim 1 , having a tubing kit, characterized in that the tubing kit has at least one coupling point for a structure-borne sound emitter, at least one bubble chamber and at least one coupling point for a structure-borne round sensor.

11 . A medical device in accordance with claim 10 , characterized in that the coupling point for the structure-borne sound emitter at the arterial branch of the blood tubing kit is arranged upstream of the blood pump; and/or characterized in that a pump segment of the blood tubing kit is used as a coupling point for the blood pump serving as the structure-borne sound emitter; and/or characterized in that the coupling point for the structure-borne sound sensor is arranged downstream or upstream of the venous bubble chamber.

12 . A method for detecting the filling level of a bubble chamber iris fluid circuit of a medical device, in on in an extracorporeal blood circuit in a blood treatment apparatus, characterized in that a structure-borne sound is coupled by a structure borne sound emitter via a coupling point into a tubing kit, in particular into an extracorporeal blood tubing kit, before the bubble chamber; and in that the structure-borne sound propagating in the fluid circuit is taken up by a structure-borne sound sensor coupled to a coupling point arranged in the structure-borne sound propagation direction after the bubble chamber and is conducted to a control and processing unit for determining the filling level.

13 . A method in accordance with claim 12 , characterized in that the filling level of the liquid in the bubble chamber is determined in a control and processing unit of the blood treatment apparatus by a comparison with stored characteristics.

14 . A method in accordance with claim 12 for detecting the filling level of a bubble chamber in an extracorporeal blood circuit in a blood treatment apparatus having a control and processing unit, at least one structure-borne sound emitter and at least one structure-borne sound sensor, each configured for coupling to coupling points of a medical tubing kit which can be coupled to the medical device, the filling status of the bubble chamber arranged in the tubing kit determined via the control and processing unit on the basis of the measurement of the structure-borne sound at the tubing kit.

15 . A computer program product comprising a source code for carrying out the method in accordance with claim 12 when the computer program runs in a control and processing unit of a medical device.

Assignees

• Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland Gmbh

Inventors

• Heide Alexander

Classifications

• A61M2205/3375

  Acoustical, e.g. ultrasonic, measuring means · CPC title

• A61M1/3656

  Monitoring patency or flow at connection sites; Detecting disconnections · CPC title

• A61M2205/18

  with alarm · CPC title

• A61M1/3627

  Degassing devices; Buffer reservoirs; Drip chambers; Blood filters · CPC title

• A61M2205/14

  Detection of the presence or absence of a tube, a connector or a container in an apparatus · CPC title