US 12,447,255 B2 · Apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment

a filtration unit having a primary chamber and a secondary chamber separated by a semi-permeable membrane;

a blood circuit including:

a blood withdrawal line extending between a first end connected to an inlet of the primary chamber and a second end for connection to a patient, and

a blood return line extending between a first end connected to an outlet of the primary chamber and a second end for connection to the patient;

a blood pump operable with the blood circuit;

a fluid circuit including:

a dialysis fluid effluent line connected to an outlet of the secondary chamber, and

a fluid supply source for providing a sterile fluid;

at least one gas inlet to allow gas to enter into the blood circuit;

and

a control unit configured to perform a blood restitution procedure towards the patient for ending an extracorporeal blood treatment and before disconnecting the patient, the blood restitution procedure comprising:

infusing a predetermined amount of the sterile fluid from the fluid supply source into the blood circuit, the sterile fluid infusion defining at least one fluid-blood interface into the blood circuit,

causing a predetermined amount of gas to enter into the blood circuit from the at least one gas inlet to define at least one gas-fluid interface into the blood circuit, wherein at least part of the sterile fluid is interposed between the at least one fluid-blood interface and the at least one gas-fluid interface, and

moving simultaneously

(i) at least part of the extracorporeal blood contained in the blood circuit,

(ii) the at least part of the sterile fluid interposed between the at least one fluid-blood interface and the at least one gas-fluid interface, and

(iii) at least part of the gas

towards the patient to restitute part of the blood to the patient before patient disconnection,

wherein the at least one fluid-blood interface comprises a first fluid-blood interface and a second fluid-blood interface into the blood circuit, wherein the first fluid-blood interface is interposed between the sterile fluid and the second end of the blood return line and the second fluid-blood interface is interposed between the sterile fluid and the second end of the blood withdrawal line,

wherein the at least one gas-fluid interface comprises a first gas-fluid interface and a second gas-fluid interface into the blood circuit, wherein, at least after the gas has entered the blood circuit, at least part of the sterile fluid is interposed between the first fluid-blood interface and the first gas-fluid interface and at least part of the sterile fluid is interposed between the second fluid-blood interface and the second gas-fluid interface,

wherein the apparatus further comprises a return blood safety clamp arranged on the blood return line and a withdrawal blood safety clamp arranged on the blood withdrawal line, the safety clamps arranged closer to a vascular access of the patient than a respective of a first gas inlet and a second gas inlet,

wherein the control unit is configured to command each of the return blood safety clamp and the withdrawal blood safety clamp between an open position, wherein flow is allowed, and a closed position wherein flow is prevented,

wherein the at least one gas inlet comprises the first gas inlet arranged on the blood return line and the second gas inlet arranged on the blood withdrawal line,

wherein the blood pump is arranged on the blood withdrawal line, the second gas inlet is interposed between the blood pump and the second end of the blood withdrawal line, the apparatus further comprising a first intercepting element connected to the first gas inlet and a second intercepting element connected to the second gas inlet,

wherein the control unit is configured to command the first intercepting element and the second intercepting element between an open position, wherein gas flow is allowed, and a closed position wherein gas flow is prevented, and

wherein the apparatus further comprises a gas supply unit connected to the first gas inlet and to the second gas inlet, and configured to forcedly infuse gas into the blood circuit, wherein the restitution procedure, according to a third configuration, is performed via the following steps:

commanding infusion of the predetermined amount of sterile fluid into the blood circuit through an infusion line or by back-filtering a dialysis fluid through the semi-permeable membrane, a step of determining the sterile fluid to pass beyond the location of the first gas inlet, a step of defining the first fluid-blood interface and the second fluid-blood interface;

commanding at least one of the first intercepting element of the first gas inlet and the second intercepting element of the second gas inlet in the open position;

commanding at least one of the return blood safety clamp or the withdrawal blood safety clamp in the open position;

and

commanding activation of the gas supply unit to infuse gas into the blood circuit, thereby determining the at least one gas-fluid interface and the at least one fluid-blood interface to move towards the second end of the blood withdrawal line causing restitution to the patient of an amount of blood through the blood withdrawal line and/or towards the second end of the blood return line causing restitution to the patient of an amount of blood through the blood return line, the command activation of the gas supply unit step causing:

the second gas-fluid interface and the second fluid-blood interface to move towards the second end of the blood withdrawal line, causing restitution to the patient of an amount of blood through the blood withdrawal line,

the first gas-fluid interface and the first fluid-blood interface to move towards the second end of the blood return line, causing restitution to the patient of an amount of blood through the blood return line, and

before the step of infusing the sterile fluid into the blood circuit, command at least one of the return blood safety clamp or the withdrawal blood safety clamp to be in the open position.

Apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment

Life of this patent

Apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25