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US 5,919,369 AGranted
Hemofiltration and plasmafiltration devices and methods
AssigneeHemocleanse, Inc.
InventorStephen R. Ash
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are preferred devices and methods which provide extracorporeal treatment of blood or other fluids for effective plasmafiltration or hemofiltration alone or in combination with dialysis. Preferred devices combine plasmafiltration and dialysis devices, and are designed to circulate separate sorbent suspensions through the respective devices and minimize clogging in sorbent circulation loops, including the provision of a shaker or vibrator device operable to vibrate the suspension used in the plasmafiltration device.
Claims25
A filtration process for removing blood toxins, comprising:
- passing a fluid containing protein bound and/or middle molecular weight blood toxins through the interior of a hollow fiber membrane;
- during said passage of fluid, circulating a sorbent suspension against exterior surfaces of the hollow fiber membrane;
- during said passage of fluid and circulation of sorbent suspension, periodically creating pressure differentials across the hollow fiber membrane so as to cause the fluid or a fraction thereof to alternately exit and re-enter the interior of the hollow fiber membrane in a bidirectional flow pattern across the hollow fiber membrane, wherein said exiting fluid or fraction contains the protein bound and/or middle molecular weight toxins which contact said sorbent suspension so as to effectuate removal of said toxins from said fluid.
A blood treatment device which comprises:
- a hollow fiber membrane;
- a pump fluidly connected to the interior of said hollow fiber membrane and adapted to pass a fluid containing middle molecular weight and/or protein-bound blood toxins through the interior of said hollow fiber membrane;
- a chamber surrounding said hollow fiber membrane, said chamber further being fluidly connected to a supply of a first sorbent suspension;
- a pump adapted to circulate said first sorbent suspension through said chamber and against exterior surfaces of said hollow fiber membrane;
- and
- an apparatus for vibrating said chamber to increase mixing of the sorbent suspension as it is circulated in the chamber against exterior surfaces of the hollow fiber membrane.
3 more elements
A method for circulating a sorbent suspension in a device for extracorporeal treatment of blood or a blood fraction, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing said device having a sorbent circulation circuit and a blood circulation circuit separated by membranes, said membranes being compliantly formed to expand and contract in response to alternating positive pressure and negative pressure applied to said sorbent circulation circuit and thereby advance a sorbent suspension through said sorbent suspension circulation circuit;
- providing an accumulator reservoir fluidly connected to said sorbent circulation circuit and operable to alternately accumulate and expel sorbent suspension in response to alternating negative pressure and positive pressure applied to said accumulator reservior, said accumulator reservoir thereby communicating said alternating negative and positive pressure to said sorbent circulation circuit;
- applying alternating positive pressure and negative pressure to said accumulator reservoir so as to communicate the same to said sorbent circulation circuit and cause said compliant membranes to expand and contract, whereby said sorbent suspension is advanced through said sorbent suspension circuit.
A device for extracorporeal treatment of blood or a blood fraction, which comprises:
- a sorbent circulation circuit and a blood circulation circuit separated by membranes, said membranes being compliantly formed to expand and contract in response to alternating positive pressure and negative pressure applied to said sorbent circulation circuit and thereby advance a sorbent suspension through said sorbent suspension circulation circuit;
- an accumulator reservoir fluidly connected to said sorbent circulation circuit and operable to alternately accumulate and expel sorbent suspension in response to alternating negative pressure and positive pressure applied to said accumulator reservior, said accumulator reservoir thereby communicating said alternating negative and positive pressure to said sorbent circulation circuit;
- a source of positive pressure and of negative pressure fluidly connected to said accumulator reservoir wherein when alternating positive pressure and negative pressure are alternately applied to said accumulator reservior, the same is communicated to said sorbent circulation circuit to cause said compliant membranes to expand and contract, whereby said sorbent suspension is advanced through said sorbent suspension circuit.
A filtration process for removing blood toxins, comprising:
- passing a fluid containing protein bound and/or middle molecular weight blood toxins through the interior of a hollow fiber membrane;
- during said passage of fluid, providing a sorbent suspension exterior of said hollow fiber membrane;
- and
- during said passage of fluid, periodically creating pressure differentials across the hollow fiber membrane with a pump so as to cause bi-directional flow in which the fluid or a fraction thereof alternately exits and re-enters the interior of the hollow fiber membrane, wherein said exiting fluid or fraction contains the protein bound and/or middle molecular weight toxins which contact said sorbent suspension so as to effectuate removal of said toxins from said fluid.
1 more element
A device for removing protein bound and/or middle molecular weight blood toxins from a fluid, comprising:
- a hollow fiber membrane which is permeable to the protein bound and/or middle molecular weight blood toxins, said hollow fiber membrane having an interior for communicating a fluid containing said toxins;
- a sorbent suspension in fluid communication with exterior surfaces of said hollow fiber membrane;
- and
- an apparatus adapted to create periodic pressure differentials across said membrane so as to cause the fluid or a fraction thereof to alternately exit and re-enter the interior of the follow fiber membrane, wherein said exiting fluid or fraction contains the protein bound and/or middle molecular weight toxins which contact the sorbent suspension so as to effectuate removal of said toxins from said fluid.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.