System for control of a blood gas exchanger

An auto-regulatory system for the control of a blood gas exchanger comprising:

• a blood gas exchanger having a blood inlet, a blood outlet, a gas inlet, and a gas outlet;
• an oxygen sensor positioned to detect oxyhemoglobin saturation at said blood inlet;
• a carbon dioxide sensor positioned to detect exhaust gas CO2 concentration at said gas outlet;
• and
• a controller comprising a microcontroller and memory storage having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, wherein when executed by the microcontroller, the computer-executable instructions cause the controller to:
• receive real-time data from the oxygen sensor and the carbon dioxide sensor;
• process the received real-time data by analyzing the real time data to determine using a fuzzy logic control algorithm (FLCA) that (i) reads oxygenator inlet oxyhemoglobin saturation and oxygenator exhaust gas CO2 concentration to determine errors from set-point values and a first derivative of the errors with respect to time, (ii) converts the errors and first derivatives into fuzzy inputs through fuzzification, and (iii) applies membership function evaluation and defuzzification to determine adjustments for maintaining the sensed oxygen and carbon dioxide levels within target ranges to determine optimal adjustment parameters for maintaining physiologic parameters within target ranges;
• and
• dynamically adjust blood flow and gas flow through the blood gas exchanger based on the processed real-time data to maintain said sensed oxygen and carbon dioxide levels within pre-designated target ranges that are adjustable based on a patient's instantaneous metabolic demands.

A method for autoregulation of a blood gas exchanger, comprising the steps of:

• providing a blood gas exchanger having a blood inlet, a blood outlet, a gas inlet, and a gas outlet;
• an oxygen sensor positioned to detect oxyhemoglobin saturation at said blood inlet;
• a carbon dioxide sensor positioned to detect exhaust gas CO2 concentration at said gas outlet;
• and a controller comprising a microcontroller and memory storage having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, wherein when executed by the microcontroller, the computer-executable instructions cause the controller to:
• receive real-time data from the oxygen sensor and the carbon dioxide sensor;
• process the received real-time data by using a fuzzy logic control algorithm (FLCA) that (i) reads oxygenator inlet oxyhemoglobin saturation and oxygenator exhaust gas CO2 concentration to determine errors from set-point values and a first derivative of the errors with respect to time, (ii) converts the errors and first derivatives into fuzzy inputs through fuzzification, and (iii) applies membership function evaluation and defuzzification to determine adjustments for maintaining the sensed oxygen and carbon dioxide levels within target ranges to determine optimal adjustment parameters for maintaining physiologic parameters within target rangers;
• and
• dynamically adjust blood flow and gas flow through the blood gas exchanger based on the processed real-time data to maintain said sensed oxygen and carbon dioxide levels within pre-designated target ranges that are adjustable based on a patient's instantaneous metabolic demands;
• receiving at said controller a blood flow rate of blood flowing to said blood gas exchanger and a sweep gas flow rate of sweep gas flowing to said blood gas exchanger;
• receiving at said controller a blood oxygen concentration from said oxygen sensor;
• receiving at said controller an exhaust gas CO2 concentration from said carbon dioxide sensor;
• and
• causing said controller to modify at least one of said blood flow rate and said sweep gas flow rate in response to and based upon said blood oxygen concentration and said exhaust gas CO2 concentration.