Arrangement for removing carbon dioxide from an extracorporeal flow of blood by means of inert gases
Inventors
Joost, Thilo • Kobrich, Rainer
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-9320844-B2
Publication Date
2016-04-26
Expiration Date
Abstract
The invention relates to an arrangement (10, 100, 200) for removing carbon dioxide from an extracorporeal flow of blood. The arrangement (10, 100, 200) comprises a filter (12) which has a membrane (16) that separates a blood region (14) from a gas region (18). The extracorporeal flow of blood is passed through the blood region (14) of the filter (12). Likewise, a gas flow of a purge gas is passed through the gas region (18), the purge gas being an inert gas or a mixture of inert gases. Further, the invention relates to a method for removing carbon dioxide from an extracorporeal flow of blood in which likewise an inert gas or a mixture of inert gases is used as a purge gas.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to an arrangement for removing carbon dioxide from an extracorporeal flow of blood. The arrangement comprises a filter having a membrane that separates a blood region, through which the extracorporeal flow of blood is passed, from a gas region, through which a flow of a purge gas is passed. A cleaning unit removes carbon dioxide from the flow of the purge gas passed through the gas region of the filter.
Downstream and upstream of the filter, one carbon dioxide sensor is provided for each location for determining the carbon dioxide content of the purge gas. Each carbon dioxide sensor is operably connected to a control unit so that carbon dioxide content values determined by the carbon dioxide sensors are displayed via a touchscreen of the control unit.
The purge gas does not include oxygen and is an inert gas selected from nitrogen, helium, neon, argon, xenon and krypton, or a mixture of two or more of these inert gases. The arrangement further includes purge-gas supply and operation using inert purge gas, including purge-gas supply via storage tanks and optional gas blending, and a return line for purge-gas recycling with carbon dioxide cleaning.
Claims Coverage
The provided content includes one independent claim defining an extracorporeal blood CO2-removal arrangement with three inventive features, together with dependent features that further refine purge-gas supply and sensor/control functions.
Membrane-separated blood and purge-gas regions with purge-gas CO2 cleaning
A filter comprising a membrane that separates a blood region through which the extracorporeal flow of blood is passed from a gas region through which a flow of a purge gas is passed, and a cleaning unit that removes carbon dioxide from the flow of the purge gas passed through the gas region of the filter.
Upstream and downstream purge-gas CO2 sensing displayed via touchscreen control
One carbon dioxide sensor is provided at each of downstream and upstream locations of the filter for determining the carbon dioxide content of the purge gas, and each carbon dioxide sensor is operably connected to a control unit so that carbon dioxide content values determined by the carbon dioxide sensors are displayed via a touchscreen of the control unit.
Inert purge gas without oxygen selected from specified gases or mixtures
The purge gas does not include oxygen and is an inert gas selected from nitrogen, helium, neon, argon, xenon and krypton, or a mixture of two or more of these inert gases.
The inventive features center on a membrane filter for extracorporeal blood CO2 removal, purge-gas carbon dioxide cleaning, upstream and downstream carbon dioxide sensing with touchscreen display, and use of an oxygen-free inert purge gas selected from the specified gases or mixtures.
Stated Advantages
CO2 is removed from a purge-gas flow without oxygen being included in the purge gas.
CO2 content of the purge gas is determined at upstream and downstream locations and displayed via a touchscreen of a control unit.
Documented Applications
No documented applications found
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