Autoimmune mechanical immunomodulation

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a novel therapeutic apheresis system and, more specifically, methods and an apparatus for performing therapeutic apheresis. The disclosed system and methods for therapeutic apheresis modulate the immune system, thereby resulting in treatment of one or more underlying immunological disease processes. In some embodiments, the disclosed system and methods return at least a portion of blood from an extracorporeal circuit to a patient in pulsatile flow, where the portion of blood that is returned is augmented. In other embodiments, the disclosed methods and apparatus use the central arterial system to exchange volumes of plasma to immunomodulate disease processes. In addition, use of the disclosed system and methods reduces the amount of time spent by patients in therapeutic apheresis sessions and decreases patients' dependence on immunological drugs that may have detrimental adverse effects.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.