Extracorporeal blood filtering machine and methods

Inventors

Epshteyn, Vitaliy Gennad'yevich • Sandoval, Steven Daniel • Berg, Kalley Francis • Ulrich, Franz Willems

Assignees

Nuwellis Inc

Abstract

An extracorporeal blood filtering machine can include a blood circuit, an effluent circuit, and a source fluid circuit and can be controlled by a controller. The extracorporeal blood filtering machine can also include access ports for connecting the source fluid circuit to the blood circuit, as well as blood sensors to detect possible issues with the extracorporeal blood filtering machine. The extracorporeal blood filtering machine can include density sensors and flow sensors that enable it to be more accurate and to operate while being transported. The extracorporeal blood filtering machine can further include a user interface and can display fluid inflow/outflow information. A medical fluid container can automatically empty after being filled. An apparatus for supporting a medical fluid container can include a hanger and an attachment member with the apparatus able to adjust to ensure the medical fluid container remains properly oriented directly under a medical fluid container scale.

Core Innovation

The disclosed invention relates to an extracorporeal blood filtering machine that includes a blood circuit with a blood line having a blood inlet and a blood outlet, a filter fluidly connected between the blood inlet and the blood outlet, and a blood pump configured to pump blood through the filter to remove waste from the blood. The machine further includes an effluent circuit with an effluent line fluidly connected to the filter and an effluent pump configured to pump effluent from the filter into an effluent receptacle.

The invention provides a source fluid circuit with a single source fluid line that has a first end fluidly connected to a source fluid reservoir and a second end removably configured to be connected to a selected connection point in the blood circuit, where the selected connection point is selected from multiple potential connection points. A controller receives a pressure measurement from a location in the blood line and compares the pressure measurement with an expected pressure value for the location associated with the second end being connected to the selected connection point to ensure the single source fluid line is connected to the selected connection point.

In some implementations, the potential connection points include selected regions among the filter, between the blood inlet and the filter, and between the filter and the blood outlet, and the machine includes continuous venovenous hemodialysis and continuous venovenous hemofiltration access ports with self-sealing luer for connecting the source fluid line at the selected connection point. In some implementations the machine further includes blood sensors and uses their signals to define and constrain where the connection point is located, while operation can include removably disconnecting and reconnecting the single source fluid line during operation of the blood pump and effluent pump.

Claims Coverage

The document includes two independent claims: an apparatus claim and a method claim. The inventive features center on using a single removable source-fluid line with multiple potential connection points verified by a controller comparing blood-line pressure with an expected pressure value, and on operating the blood and effluent circuits to perform extracorporeal blood filtering while conditionally pumping source fluid into the blood circuit.

Across the independent claims, the core coverage is a machine and method that filter extracorporeal blood using a blood circuit and effluent circuit while connecting a single source-fluid line to one of multiple selectable connection points, and verifying correct connection by comparing a measured blood-line pressure with an expected pressure value associated with the selected connection.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications

No documented applications found