Blood fluid removal system performance monitoring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9302036-B2
Application number	US-201213424517-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2012
Priority date	Apr 29, 2011
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

Monitoring of the performance of a blood fluid removal medium of a blood fluid removal device includes monitoring of condition, such as fluid flow rate or concentration of blood waste product, downstream of the medium. Upstream monitoring of the condition may also be performed to enhance the ability to determine whether the blood fluid removal medium is performing within predetermined ranges.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A blood fluid removal system comprising:
a medium housing defining a major chamber;
a blood fluid removal membrane disposed into the media housing and sealingly dividing the major chamber into first and second minor chambers;
a first inlet and a first outlet in fluid communication with the first minor chamber, wherein the system is configured such that blood enters the first minor chamber through the first inlet and exits the first minor chamber though the first outlet;
a second outlet in fluid communication with the second minor chamber, wherein the system is configured such that fluid removed from the blood exits the second minor chamber through the second outlet;
a first sensor configured to detect an indicator of a blood waste product or fluid flow at or downstream of the second outlet;
control electronics configured to acquire data from the sensor and configured to determine whether the membrane is functioning within predetermined parameters based on the acquired data; and further comprising:
(i) a second inlet in communication with the second minor chamber, wherein dialysate is configured to flow through the second inlet and the second outlet; and (ii) a dialysate flow controller operably coupled to the control electronics, wherein control electronics are configured to increase dialysate flow rate, via the dialysate flow controller, through the second minor chamber if the membrane is determined not to be functioning within predetermined limits.

2. A blood fluid removal system comprising:
a medium housing defining a major chamber;
a blood fluid removal membrane disposed into the media housing and sealingly dividing the major chamber into first and second minor chambers;
a first inlet and a first outlet in fluid communication with the first minor chamber, wherein the system is configured such that blood enters the first minor chamber through the first inlet and exits the first minor chamber though the first outlet;
a second inlet and a second outlet in fluid communication with the second minor chamber, wherein the system is configured such that fluid removed from the blood exits the second minor chamber through the second outlet and such that dialysate flows through the second minor chamber from the second inlet to the second outlet;
one or more sensors configured to measure a pressure differential across the membrane;
control electronics configured to acquire data from the one or more sensors and configured to determine whether the membrane is functioning within a first predefined range of parameters based on the acquired data; and
a dialysate flow controller operably coupled to the control electronics, wherein the control electronics are configured to increase dialysate flow rate through the second minor chamber, via control of the dialysate flow controller, if the membrane is determined to not be function within the first range.

3. The blood fluid removal system of claim 2 , wherein the control electronics are further configured to acquire data from the one or more sensors and to determine whether the membrane is functioning within a first predefined range of parameters based on the acquired data at a predetermined amount of time after the dialysate flow rate is increased.

4. The blood fluid removal system of claim 2 , wherein the control electronics configured (i) to reduce the rate of the dialysate through the second minor chamber at a predetermined time after the flow rate is increased, and (ii) to acquire data from the one or more sensors after the dialysate rate has been reduced and to determine whether the membrane is functioning within a first predefined range of parameters based on the acquired data after the flow rate has been reduced.

5. A blood fluid removal system comprising:
a medium housing defining a major chamber;
a blood fluid removal membrane disposed into the media housing and sealingly dividing the major chamber into first and second minor chambers;
a first inlet and a first outlet in fluid communication with the first minor chamber, wherein the system is configured such that blood enters the first minor chamber through the first inlet and exits the first minor chamber though the first outlet;
a second inlet and a second outlet in fluid communication with the second minor chamber, wherein the system is configured such that fluid removed from the blood exits the second minor chamber through the second outlet and such that dialysate flows through the second minor chamber from the second inlet to the second outlet;
one or more sensors configured to measure a pressure differential across the membrane;
a dialysate flow controller configured to control the rate of dialysate flow rate through the second minor chamber;
control electronics operably coupled to the one or more sensors and to the dialysate flow controller; and
a computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when implemented, cause the control electronics (i) to acquire data from the one or more sensors, (ii) determine whether the membrane is functioning within a first predefined range of parameters based on the acquired data; and (iii) increase dialysate flow rate through the second minor chamber, via control of the dialysate flow controller, if the membrane is determined to not be function within the first range.

6. The blood fluid removal system of claim 5 , wherein the computer readable medium further comprises instructions that, when implemented, cause the control electronics (i) to acquire data from the one or more sensors, (ii) and to determine whether the membrane is functioning within a first predefined range of parameters based on the acquired data at a predetermined amount of time after the dialysate flow rate is increased.

7. The blood fluid removal system of claim 5 , wherein the computer readable medium further comprises instructions that, when implemented, cause the control electronics (i) to reduce the rate of the dialysate through the second minor chamber at a predetermined time after the flow rate is increased, (ii) to acquire data from the one or more sensors after the dialysate rate has been reduced, and (iii) to determine whether the membrane is functioning within a first predefined range of parameters based on the acquired data after the flow rate has been reduced.

8. A method for de-fouling a membrane of a blood fluid removal system, the system comprising (i) a medium housing defining a major chamber; (ii) a blood fluid removal membrane disposed into the media housing and sealingly dividing the major chamber into first and second minor chambers; (iii) a first inlet and a first outlet in fluid communication with the first minor chamber, wherein the system is configured such that blood enters the first minor chamber through the first inlet and exits the first minor chamber though the first outlet; (iv) a second inlet and a second outlet in fluid communication with the second minor chamber, wherein the system is configured such that fluid removed from the blood exits the second minor chamber through the second outlet and such that dialysate flows through the second minor chamber from the second inlet to the second outlet; (v) one or more sensors configured to measure a pressure differential across the membrane; (vi) a dialysate flow controller configured to control the rate of dialysate flow rate through the second minor chamber; and (vii) control electronics operably coupled to the one or more sensors and to the dialysate flow controller, the method carried out by the control electronics of the system and comprising:
acquiring data from the one or more sensors;
determining whether the membrane is functioning within a first predefined range of parameters based on the acquired data; and
increasing dialysate flow

Assignees

• Gerber Martin
• Lyu Suping
• Pudil Bryant
• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Gerber Martin
• Lyu Suping
• Pudil Bryant

Classifications

• A61M2205/60

  with identification means · CPC title

• B01D2321/12

  Use of permeate · CPC title

• B01D2321/40

  Automatic control of cleaning processes · CPC title

• A61M2205/70

  with testing or calibration facilities · CPC title

• A61B5/6866 Primary

  Extracorporeal blood circuits, e.g. dialysis circuits · CPC title