Blood pump for unidirectional blood flow and blood oxygenation system having the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a blood pump for unidirectional blood flow and an oxygenation system including the same, and more particularly to an oxygenation system for circulating the body's blood through an oxygenator to supply oxygen to the body from outside the body, and a blood pump for use in the oxygenation system for unidirectional blood flow. A blood pump according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a blood chamber including an outer wall having a gas outlet formed on one side thereof, a bag inserted into the outer wall and having both ends connected to both ends of the outer wall, a pump inlet valve fluidly connected to one end of the blood chamber and blocking the flow of blood into the blood chamber, and a pump outlet valve fluidly connected to the other end of the blood chamber and blocking the flow of blood from the blood chamber.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a blood pump that causes blood to flow in one direction and an oxidation system equipped with the same, and more particularly to an oxidation system that circulates the body's blood through an oxidizer so as to supply oxygen to the body from outside, and a blood pump used in the oxidation system that causes blood to flow in one direction. [Background technology]

[0002] Extracorporeal blood oxygenation (ECMO), which supplies oxygen to the body by circulating and oxygenating blood outside the body, is used for patients whose lungs do not function normally.

[0003] Such extracorporeal blood oxygenation systems include a blood pump that unidirectionally moves blood so that it circulates between the outside of the body and the body.

[0004] Blood pumps are classified into pulsatile and non-pulsatile blood pumps according to the method of generating blood flow. Non-pulsatile blood pumps rotate an impeller that comes into direct contact with the blood at high speed to push the blood out by the rotational force, while pulsatile blood pumps push the blood out by pushing a blood bag or a part containing blood that functions as an artificial ventricle from the outside.

[0005] The device that induces pressure change in the blood bag of a pulsatile blood pump is divided into a mechanical type that applies pressure by pushing with a solid-shaped device and an air pressure type that applies pressure with pressurized gas. In an air pressure type pulsatile blood pump, compressed air supplied from the outside compresses the blood bag, and the blood bag is restored by negative pressure from a vacuum pump, and a check valve like a valve is provided at the blood inlet and outlet of the blood bag, so that blood is transported in one direction by the expansion and contraction of the blood bag.

[0006] Non-pulsatile blood pumps, which are equivalent to centrifugal pumps, have problems in that blood cells are damaged by high shear stress generated by rotating at high speeds, and the motor and controller have a large volume and mass to provide sufficient output, making it difficult to transport blood.

[0007] In addition, pulsatile blood pumps have problems in that the volume of blood stored in blood bags is large, making blood transfusions necessary, and excessive force is applied to the blood bags when the blood bags contract and expand, increasing the risk of the bags cracking and being damaged. There is also a problem in that blood retention in check valves, which are components installed to prevent blood from flowing backwards, can cause blood clots, reducing the durability of the valves and requiring frequent repairs and replacement of blood pumps. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention aims to provide an extracorporeal blood oxygenation system that consumes less power and is compact and lightweight by using gas pressure energy from a high-pressure oxygen tank to circulate the blood.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide a pulsating blood pump that transports blood in one direction without a check valve, and an extracorporeal blood oxygenation system equipped with said blood pump.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide an extracorporeal blood oxygenation system capable of controlling counterpulsation with the heart, relieving ventricular congestion, reducing cardiac load, improving coronary circulation, and improving blood and gas supply in the body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, a blood pump for unidirectional blood flow is provided.

[0012] A blood pump according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a blood chamber having an outer wall having a gas outlet formed on one side thereof, and a bag inserted into the inside of the outer wall and having both ends connected to both ends of the outer wall, a pump inlet valve fluidically connected to one end of the blood chamber and blocking the flow of blood into the blood chamber, and a pump outlet valve fluidically connected to the other end of the blood chamber and blocking the flow of blood from the blood chamber.

[0013] In a blood pump according to one embodiment of the present invention, the blood chamber is characterized in that air pressure is generated between the outer wall and the bag by gas flowing in and out through the gas outlet.

[0014] In a blood pump according to one embodiment of the invention, the blood chamber is characterized in that the outer wall and the outer shape of the bag are curved tubular shapes.

[0015] In the blood pump according to one embodiment of the present invention, the bag has one side deformed by air pressure to form a blood flow.

[0016] In the blood pump according to one embodiment of the present invention, the bag is formed in a hollow shape having an elastic restoring force.

[0017] In a blood pump according to an embodiment of the present invention, the pump inlet valve or pump outlet valve may further include a valve outer wall having a gas outlet port formed on one side thereof, and a valve bag inserted into the valve outer wall and having both ends coupled to both ends of the valve outer wall, respectively.

[0018] In a blood pump according to one embodiment of the present invention, the valve outer wall and the valve bag have an outer shape of a curved tube.

[0019] In the blood pump according to an embodiment of the present invention, the valve bag has one side deformed by air pressure to block the flow of blood.

[0020] In the blood pump according to one embodiment of the present invention, the valve bag is formed in a hollow shape having an elastic restoring force.

[0021] A blood pump according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a connecting portion whose both ends are respectively connected to a blood chamber and an inlet valve for the pump or an outlet valve for the pump, and whose inner diameter increases from the end connected to the inlet valve for the pump or the outlet valve for the pump to the end connected to the blood chamber.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention, a blood oxygenation system is provided.

[0023] A blood oxygenation system according to an embodiment of the present invention may include the above-mentioned blood pump, a pressure tank for storing compressed gas, an oxidizer for oxidizing blood circulated by the blood pump, a connecting pipe which is a gas transfer passage and connects the blood pump, the pressure tank, or the oxidizer, a plurality of valves disposed in the connecting pipe for controlling the flow of gas into and out of the blood pump, and a controller for opening and closing the valves to control the operation of the blood pump.

[0024] A blood oxygenation system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of blood pumps, and a control unit controls some of the plurality of blood pumps so that blood flows out from some of the blood pumps and blood flows in from the remaining blood pumps.

[0025] A blood oxygenation system according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include an air pump disposed in a connecting pipe connecting the blood pump and the oxidizer, for sucking in gas supplied to the blood pump to create a vacuum in the blood pump.

[0026] In one embodiment of the blood oxygenation system of the present invention, the gas is oxygen, and the gas travels from the pressure tank to the blood pump through a connecting tube, and from the blood pump to the oxidizer.

[0027] A blood oxygenation system according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a plurality of pressure sensors disposed in the blood chamber, the inlet valve for the pump, and the outlet valve for the pump, respectively.

[0028] In the blood oxygenation system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit determines whether the valve is broken or not based on a pressure measured by a pressure sensor under a preset condition.

[0029] In the blood oxygenation system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the valves may further include a connection valve including a first connection valve having one end connected to an inlet valve for the pump, a second connection valve having one end connected to the blood chamber, and a third connection valve having one end connected to an outlet valve for the pump; an inlet valve including a first inlet valve having both ends connected to the pressure tank and the first connection valve, respectively, a second inlet valve having both ends connected to the pressure tank and the second connection valve, respectively, and a third inlet valve having both ends connected to the pressure tank and the third connection valve, respectively; and an outlet valve including a first outlet valve having both ends connected to the oxidizer and the first connection valve, respectively, a second outlet valve having both ends connected to the oxidizer and the second connection valve, respectively, and a third outlet valve having both ends connected to the oxidizer and the third connection valve, respectively.

[0030] In one embodiment of the blood oxygenation system of the present invention, the control unit performs a series of operations with the blood chamber, the operations may include: opening the first injection valve while only the third exhaust valve is open to supply gas to the injection valve for the pump; opening the second injection valve and closing the third exhaust valve to supply gas to the blood chamber; closing the first injection valve and opening the third injection valve to supply gas to the exhaust valve for the pump; closing the second injection valve and opening the first exhaust valve to suck gas through the injection valve for the pump; closing the third injection valve and opening the second exhaust valve to suck gas from the blood chamber; and closing the first exhaust valve and opening the third exhaust valve to suck gas through the exhaust valve for the pump.

[0031] In a blood oxygenation system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit controls the blood chamber to perform an operation repeatedly, and the number of repetitions is calculated based on the patient's heart rate. Effect of the Invention

[0032] According to the present invention, by providing pump inlet and outlet valves operated by air pressure to cut off the blood flow at both ends of the blood chamber that generates the blood flow in the blood pump, it is possible to prevent the blood from coming into contact with metal and thus prevent the formation of blood clots.

[0033] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the portability of the oxygenation system can be improved by using high-pressure oxygen gas as the driving source for blood flow, replacing actuators that occupy a large volume and weight.

[0034] The effects obtained by the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains from the following description. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0035] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view of an overall configuration diagram of a blood pump according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the structure and connection relationship of a blood pump according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operation process of a blood pump according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram showing the operation of a blood pump according to the position of a gas outlet of a blood pump according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 is a diagram showing various embodiments of a blood pump according to the present invention, which are realized differently according to purposes. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a blood oxygenation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a graph showing the amount of blood pumped by a blood pump before and after the addition of a pneumatic pump configuration to a blood oxygenation system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating operations performed by a control unit of a blood oxygenation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating operations performed by a control unit of a blood oxygenation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating operations performed by a control unit of a blood oxygenation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating operations performed by a control unit of a blood oxygenation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating operations performed by a control unit of a blood oxygenation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating operations performed by a control unit of a blood oxygenation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0036] In one embodiment of the present invention, a blood pump for unidirectional blood flow is provided.

[0037] A blood pump according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a blood chamber having an outer wall having a gas outlet formed on one side thereof, and a bag inserted into the inside of the outer wall and having both ends connected to both ends of the outer wall, a pump inlet valve fluidically connected to one end of the blood chamber and blocking the flow of blood into the blood chamber, and a pump outlet valve fluidically connected to the other end of the blood chamber and blocking the flow of blood from the blood chamber.

[0038] In a blood pump according to one embodiment of the present invention, the blood chamber is characterized in that air pressure is generated between the outer wall and the bag by gas flowing in and out through the gas outlet.

[0039] In a blood pump according to one embodiment of the invention, the blood chamber is characterized in that the outer wall and the outer shape of the bag are curved tubular shapes.

[0040] In the blood pump according to one embodiment of the present invention, the bag has one side deformed by air pressure to form a blood flow.

[0041] In the blood pump according to one embodiment of the present invention, the bag is formed in a hollow shape having an elastic restoring force.

[0042] In a blood pump according to an embodiment of the present invention, the pump inlet valve or pump outlet valve may further include a valve outer wall having a gas outlet port formed on one side thereof, and a valve bag inserted into the valve outer wall and having both ends coupled to both ends of the valve outer wall, respectively.

[0043] In a blood pump according to one embodiment of the present invention, the valve outer wall and the valve bag have an outer shape of a curved tube.

[0044] In the blood pump according to an embodiment of the present invention, the valve bag has one side deformed by air pressure to block the flow of blood.

[0045] In the blood pump according to one embodiment of the present invention, the valve bag is formed in a hollow shape having an elastic restoring force.

[0046] A blood pump according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a connecting portion whose both ends are respectively connected to a blood chamber and an inlet valve for the pump or an outlet valve for the pump, and whose inner diameter increases from the end connected to the inlet valve for the pump or the outlet valve for the pump to the end connected to the blood chamber.

[0047] In one embodiment of the present invention, a blood oxygenation system is provided.

[0048] A blood oxygenation system according to an embodiment of the present invention may include the above-mentioned blood pump, a pressure tank for storing compressed gas, an oxidizer for oxidizing blood circulated by the blood pump, a connecting pipe which is a gas transfer passage and connects the blood pump, the pressure tank, or the oxidizer, a plurality of valves disposed in the connecting pipe for controlling the flow of gas into and out of the blood pump, and a controller for opening and closing the valves to control the operation of the blood pump.

[0049] A blood oxygenation system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of blood pumps, and a control unit controls some of the plurality of blood pumps so that blood flows out from some of the blood pumps and blood flows in from the remaining blood pumps.

[0050] A blood oxygenation system according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include an air pump disposed in a connecting pipe connecting the blood pump and the oxidizer, for sucking in gas supplied to the blood pump to create a vacuum in the blood pump.

[0051] In one embodiment of the blood oxygenation system of the present invention, the gas is oxygen, and the gas travels from the pressure tank to the blood pump through a connecting tube, and from the blood pump to the oxidizer.

[0052] A blood oxygenation system according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a plurality of pressure sensors disposed in the blood chamber, the inlet valve for the pump, and the outlet valve for the pump, respectively.

[0053] In the blood oxygenation system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit determines whether the valve is broken or not based on a pressure measured by a pressure sensor under a preset condition.

[0054] In the blood oxygenation system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the valves may further include a connection valve including a first connection valve having one end connected to an inlet valve for the pump, a second connection valve having one end connected to the blood chamber, and a third connection valve having one end connected to an outlet valve for the pump; an inlet valve including a first inlet valve having both ends connected to the pressure tank and the first connection valve, respectively, a second inlet valve having both ends connected to the pressure tank and the second connection valve, respectively, and a third inlet valve having both ends connected to the pressure tank and the third connection valve, respectively; and an outlet valve including a first outlet valve having both ends connected to the oxidizer and the first connection valve, respectively, a second outlet valve having both ends connected to the oxidizer and the second connection valve, respectively, and a third outlet valve having both ends connected to the oxidizer and the third connection valve, respectively.

[0055] In one embodiment of the blood oxygenation system of the present invention, the control unit performs a series of operations with the blood chamber, the operations may include: opening the first injection valve while only the third exhaust valve is open to supply gas to the injection valve for the pump; opening the second injection valve and closing the third exhaust valve to supply gas to the blood chamber; closing the first injection valve and opening the third injection valve to supply gas to the exhaust valve for the pump; closing the second injection valve and opening the first exhaust valve to suck gas through the injection valve for the pump; closing the third injection valve and opening the second exhaust valve to suck gas from the blood chamber; and closing the first exhaust valve and opening the third exhaust valve to suck gas through the exhaust valve for the pump.

[0056] In a blood oxygenation system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit controls the blood chamber to perform an operation repeatedly, and the number of repetitions is calculated based on the patient's heart rate. EXAMPLES

[0057] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. However, the present invention may be realized in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In the drawings, parts that are not related to the description are omitted in order to clearly explain the present invention, and similar parts are designated by similar reference numerals throughout the specification.

[0058] The terms used in this specification will be briefly explained and the present invention will be specifically described.

[0059] The terms used in the present invention are selected from currently widely used general terms as much as possible while taking into consideration the functions in the present invention, but this may vary depending on the intentions or precedents of the engineers in the field, the emergence of new technologies, etc. In addition, in certain cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select terms, and in this case, the meanings of the terms will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in the present invention must be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of the present invention, rather than simply the names of the terms.

[0060] Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a certain component, this does not mean excluding other components, but may further include other components, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, terms such as "part" and "module" described in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be realized by hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software. Furthermore, throughout the specification, when a part is "connected" to another part, this includes not only the case where the part is "directly connected" but also the case where the part is connected "with other elements between them."

[0061] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0062] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the overall configuration of a blood pump 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] Referring to FIG. 1, a blood pump 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a blood chamber 110, a pump inlet valve 120, and a pump outlet valve .

[0064] At this time, the pump injection valve 120 is fluidly coupled to one end of the blood chamber 110 to block the flow of blood to the blood chamber 110 .

[0065] The pump exhaust valve 130 is fluidly coupled to the other end of the blood chamber 110 and blocks the flow of blood from the blood chamber 110 .

[0066] According to the embodiment, the blood pump 100 further includes a case 140 in which the blood chamber 110, the pump injection valve 120, and the pump exhaust valve 130 are housed. This is to prevent movement of the blood chamber 110, the pump injection valve 120, and the pump exhaust valve 130 that may occur when gas is injected into the blood chamber 110, the pump injection valve 120, and the pump exhaust valve 130. However, the case 140 is not an essential component of the present invention, and the omission of the case 140 does not mean that it is impossible to implement the blood pump 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] At this time, the case 140 is provided with inlets 150, 160, 170, 180 that are in fluid communication with the blood chamber 110, the pump inlet valve 120, or the pump outlet valve 130.

[0068] The case 140 is not limited to the shape of the case shown in FIG. 1, but may be modified to a shape capable of accommodating the blood chamber 110, the pump inlet valve 120, and the pump outlet valve 130.

[0069] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the structure and connections of a blood pump 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] Referring to FIG. 2, the blood chamber 110 of the blood pump 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an outer wall 111 having a gas outlet 112 formed on one side thereof, and a bag 113 inserted into the inside of the outer wall 111 and having both ends connected to both ends of the outer wall 111, respectively.

[0071] The outer wall 111 and the bag 113 may be manufactured to have a curved pipe shape. At this time, it is preferable that the bag is formed to completely adhere to the outer wall.

[0072] The curved tube has a curvature such that when one side of the bag 113 is deformed by air pressure, the side does not expand or contract, and the side of the bag 113 deformed by air pressure comes into contact with the other side of the bag 113.

[0073] According to an embodiment, the pump injection valve 120 or the pump exhaust valve 130 may further include a valve outer wall 121, 131 having a gas outlet 122, 132 formed on one side, and a valve bag 123, 133 inserted into the valve outer wall 121, 131 and having both ends connected to both ends of the valve outer wall 121, 131, respectively.

[0074] In addition, according to the embodiment, the valve outer walls 121, 131 and the valve bags 123, 133 can be manufactured to have a curved tube shape. In this case, the curvature of the curved tube means that when one side of the bag 113 is deformed by air pressure, the one side of the bag deformed by air pressure comes into contact with the other side of the bag without expanding or contracting.

[0075] According to an embodiment, the blood pump 100 may further include a connecting part 190, both ends of which are connected to the blood chamber 110 and the pump inlet valve 120 or the pump outlet valve 130, respectively, and the inner diameter of the connecting part 190 may increase from the end connected to the pump inlet valve 120 or the pump outlet valve 130 to the end connected to the blood chamber 110.

[0076] By adding the configuration of the connection portion 190, the difference in cross-sectional area between the end of the blood chamber 110 and the ends of the pump inlet / outlet valves 120, 130 can be reduced, thereby reducing blood vortexes that may occur inside the blood pump 100 due to the difference in cross-sectional area between the ends of each component.

[0077] According to an embodiment, the components of blood chamber 110, pump inlet valve 120, pump outlet valve 130, or connector 190 may be coupled together by a fitting method. In this case, the coupling portions coupled together by the fitting method may be bonded using an adhesive having substantially the same material as the material of each component.

[0078] According to the embodiment, it is preferable that the adhesive is used to coat the inner surface of the blood pump 100, so that there are no gaps that may be formed due to bonding between components in the passage through which blood flows in the blood pump 100. This is to prevent blood from entering gaps present inside the passage and forming blood clots.

[0079] Although FIG. 2 shows blood chamber 110 and pump inlet / outlet valves 120, 130 as being arranged on the same plane, in order to reduce the overall amount of blood required to drive blood pump 100, it is preferable that the ends of pump inlet valve 120 and pump outlet valve 130 that are not connected to blood chamber 110 are connected to blood chamber 110 so that they face toward the patient.

[0080] However, the method of connecting the blood chamber 110 and the pump inlet / outlet valves 120, 130 is not limited to this, and appropriate design modifications may be made within the scope of the operation of the blood pump 100 to flow blood in one direction.

[0081] 3A and 3B are diagrams showing the operation process of the blood pump 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which Fig. 3A shows the blood outflow process of the blood pump 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 3B shows the blood inflow process.

[0082] In FIG. 3, the white arrows indicate the movement of the bag 113, and the black arrows indicate the flow of blood.

[0083] Referring to FIG. 3, a bag 113 of a blood chamber 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention is formed in a hollow shape having elastic restoring force, one side of which can be deformed by air pressure to form a blood flow.

[0084] According to the embodiment, the valve bag 123, 133 of the pump inlet valve 120 or the pump outlet valve 130 is formed in a hollow shape having elastic restoring force, and one side of the valve bag 123, 133 can be deformed by air pressure to block the flow of blood.

[0085] For example, as shown in FIG. 3(a), by deforming one side of valve bag 123 of pump injection valve 120 by air pressure, the flow of blood from blood chamber 110 toward pump injection valve 120 can be blocked, and by deforming one side of bag 113 of blood chamber 110 by air pressure, the flow of blood from blood chamber 110 toward pump exhaust valve 130 can be established.

[0086] Also, as shown in FIG. 3(b), by deforming one side of valve bag 133 of pump exhaust valve 130 by air pressure, the flow of blood from blood chamber 110 toward pump exhaust valve 130 is blocked, and by restoring one side of bag 113 of blood chamber 110, the flow of blood from pump injection valve 120 toward blood chamber 110 can be established.

[0087] 4 is a diagram showing the operation of the blood pump 100 according to the position of the gas outlet 112 of the blood pump 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4, thick arrows indicate the flow of blood, and thin arrows indicate the flow of air.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 4, in a blood pump 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, air pressure is generated between an outer wall 111 and a bag 113 in a blood chamber 110 by gas flowing in and out through a gas outlet 112 .

[0089] According to an embodiment, the direction in which gas outlet 112 is arranged on outer wall 111 of blood chamber 110 is preferably such that the center line of gas outlet 112 is perpendicular to the center line of blood chamber 110. This is because blood contained in bag 113 of blood chamber 110 can be pumped out more efficiently when the center line of gas outlet 112 is perpendicular to the center line of blood chamber 110, compared to when the center line of gas outlet 112 and the center line of blood chamber 110 are aligned.

[0090] FIG. 4(a) shows the case where the center line of the blood chamber 110 and the center line of the gas outlet 112 coincide, and FIG. 4(b) shows the case where the center line of the blood chamber 110 and the center line of the gas outlet 112 are perpendicular to each other.

[0091] 4(a), when the center line of blood chamber 110 and the center line of gas outlet 112 coincide with each other, the gas flowing in through gas outlet 112 spreads left and right based on gas outlet 112. At this time, the center of bag 113 of blood chamber 110 begins to deform first, so blood present near the part where the blood flow is blocked by pump inlet / outlet valves 120, 130 cannot be pumped out and remains inside bag 113.

[0092] 4(b), when the center line of blood chamber 110 and the center line of gas outlet 112 are perpendicular to each other, the gas flowing in through gas outlet 112 spreads in the opposite direction to the direction in which the gas flowed in. At this time, the deformation of bag 113 of blood chamber 110 occurs in the opposite direction to the direction in which the gas flows in.

[0093] That is, in FIG. 4(b), one end portion of the bag 113 of the blood chamber 110 is deformed before the center portion, so that, unlike in FIG. 4(a), the amount of blood remaining inside the bag 113 that cannot be pumped out is reduced.

[0094] 5 shows various embodiments of the blood pump 100 according to the present invention, which are realized differently depending on the purpose. The various embodiments of the blood pump according to the present invention shown in Fig. 5(a) to Fig. 5(c) have different external structures, but all of them include a blood chamber 110, an inlet valve 120 for the pump, and an outlet valve 130 for the pump.

[0095] Referring to FIG. 5, in one embodiment of the blood pump 100 of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the bending directions of the pump inlet valve 120 and the pump outlet valve 130 are different from the bending direction of the blood chamber 110, thereby enabling the overall size of the blood pump 100 to be reduced.

[0096] In addition, as shown in FIG. 5(b), by realizing the bending direction of the pump injection valve 120 and the pump exhaust valve 130 to be substantially the same as the bending direction of the blood chamber 110, the blood flow in the pump injection valve 120, the blood pump 100 and the pump exhaust valve 130 can be unified into one direction, and by realizing the cross-sectional areas of the pump injection valve 120 and the pump exhaust valve 130 to gradually increase toward the blood chamber 110, one end of the pump injection valve 120 and the pump exhaust valve 130 has substantially the same cross-sectional area as both ends of the blood chamber 110, thereby reducing blood vortexes that may be generated in the blood pump 100 without adding any additional configuration to the connecting portion 190 (i.e., without adding any additional configuration).

[0097] 5(c), the flow of blood in the blood pump 100 can be unified into one direction by realizing the bending direction of the pump inlet valve 120 and the pump outlet valve 130 to be substantially the same as the bending direction of the blood chamber 110, and the volume can be reduced by reducing the cross-sectional area of ​​the pump inlet / outlet valves 120 and 130, thereby reducing the amount of blood required by the blood pump 100. Furthermore, by adding a configuration of a connection part 190 between the blood chamber 110 and the pump inlet / outlet valves 120 and 130, vortex flow of blood that may be generated in the blood pump 100 can be reduced.

[0098] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a blood oxygenation system 1000 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0099] 6, a blood oxygenation system 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the above-mentioned blood pump 100, a pressure tank 200 for storing compressed gas, an oxidizer 300 for oxidizing blood circulated by the blood pump 100, a connecting pipe 500 which is a gas transfer passage and connects the blood pump 100, the pressure tank 200 or the oxidizer 300, a plurality of valves 600 disposed in the connecting pipe 500 and controlling the flow of gas into and out of the blood pump 100, and a control unit 700 which opens and closes the valves 600 to control the operation of the blood pump 100.

[0100] According to an embodiment, blood oxygenation system 1000 further comprises a number of pressure sensors (not shown).

[0101] According to an embodiment, the pressure sensors are located in the blood chamber 110, the pump inlet valve 120 and the pump outlet valve 130, respectively.

[0102] Also, depending on the embodiment, the pressure sensor may be disposed in a 3-way solenoid valve to which multiple connecting tubes 500 are connected, which connect the inlet valve 620 and outlet valve 630 to the blood chamber, the inlet valve 120 for the pump, or the outlet valve 130 for the pump, respectively.

[0103] At least two pressure sensors are placed in each of the blood chamber 110, the pump inlet valve 120, and the pump outlet valve 130, or in each of the three 3-way solenoid valves, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the pressure measured by the pressure sensors.

[0104] At this time, the control unit 700 determines whether the valve 600 is broken or not based on the pressure measured by the pressure sensor under a preset condition.

[0105] Here, the preset conditions refer to the operating states or operating processes of the inlet valve 620 and the outlet valve 630 .

[0106] For example, the conditions can be set based on an operating state, such as whether the injection valve 620 or the exhaust valve 630 is open, or whether the injection valve 620 and the exhaust valve 630 are both closed, and an operating process, such as whether the valve that was opened immediately before was the exhaust valve 630 or the injection valve 620.

[0107] That is, if the pressures measured by the pressure sensor when the injection valve 620 and the exhaust valve 630 are operating normally are 200 mmHg and 0 mmHg, respectively, the control unit 700 can determine that the injection valve 620 or the exhaust valve 630 has failed if the pressure measured by the pressure sensor when the injection valve 620 is open is not 200 mmHg, or if the pressure measured by the pressure sensor when the exhaust valve 630 is open is not 0 mmHg.

[0108] In addition, when the injection valve 620 and the exhaust valve 630 are all closed and the valve that was previously opened was the exhaust valve 630, the control unit 700 can determine that the injection valve 620 has failed if the pressure measured by the pressure sensor is close to 200 mmHg, and can determine that the exhaust valve 630 has failed if the injection valve 620 and the exhaust valve 630 are all closed and the valve that was previously opened was the injection valve 620, and can determine that the exhaust valve 630 has failed if the pressure measured by the pressure sensor is close to 0 mmHg.

[0109] According to an embodiment, the blood oxygenation system 1000 includes a plurality of blood pumps 100. In this case, the control unit 700 can control some of the plurality of blood pumps 100 so that blood flows out from them and the rest of the blood pumps 100 so that the flow of blood pumped from all the blood pumps 100 is not interrupted.

[0110] Pumping out the blood contained inside the bag 113 of the blood pump 100 is an operation that takes a relatively short time, whereas injecting blood into the bag 113 of the blood pump 100 corresponds to an operation that requires a relatively long time.

[0111] Therefore, it is preferable to control the flow of blood pumped from the whole blood pump 100 so that it is not interrupted by causing the remaining blood pumps 100 to discharge blood while the blood flows in through some of the blood pumps 100.

[0112] According to an embodiment, the plurality of blood pumps 100 may be connected in parallel, and in this case, the plurality of blood pumps 100 may be arranged so as to overlap each other.

[0113] For example, multiple blood pumps 100 being arranged so as to overlap can mean that the configurations of the blood chamber 110, pump inlet valve 120, and pump outlet valve 130 of one blood pump 100 are arranged so as to correspond to the configurations of the blood chamber 110, pump inlet valve 120, and pump outlet valve 130 of the remaining blood pumps 100, respectively.

[0114] In this case, it is preferable that the directions of the multiple inlets fluidly connected to each of the components included in the blood pump 100 (i.e., the blood chamber 110, the pump inlet valve 120, and the pump outlet valve 130) are manufactured to have the same direction based on the type of component of the blood pump 100 to which each inlet is connected.

[0115] In addition, according to the embodiment, the multiple blood pumps 100 connected in parallel further include a fixing part having both side surfaces corresponding to one side of the blood pump 100 and a bottom surface corresponding to the bottom surface of the blood pump 100, and a partition plate that separates each blood pump 100.

[0116] However, the arrangement shape of the parallel connection of multiple blood pumps 100 is not limited to this, and various modifications to the shape may be possible as long as the effect of connecting multiple blood pumps 100 in parallel can be obtained.

[0117] FIG. 7 is a graph showing the amount of blood pumped from blood pump 100 before and after the addition of pneumatic pump 400 to blood oxygenation system 1000 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

[0118] According to an embodiment, the blood oxygenation system 1000 further includes an air pressure pump, which is disposed in a connecting pipe 500 connecting the blood pump 100 and the oxidizer 300, and sucks in gas supplied to the blood pump 100 to form a vacuum in the blood pump 100.

[0119] 7, the horizontal axis represents the afterload, and the vertical axis represents the outlow per minute of the blood pump 100. Afterload refers to the degree of tension that the ventricle creates to pump blood from the left ventricle to the aorta during systole, and is also called pressure load.

[0120] Referring to FIG. 8, it can be seen that the flow rate of the blood pump 100 can be increased in some sections when an air pressure pump is further added.

[0121] That is, the pneumatic pump 400 can improve the restoring force of the bag 113 or the valve bag 123, 133 by sucking in the gas supplied to the blood pump 100 by the pressure tank 200 and forming a vacuum between the bag 113 (or the valve bag 123, 133) and the outer wall 111 (or the valve outer wall 121, 131) of the blood pump 100, thereby increasing the amount of blood flowing into the inside of the blood pump 100 and increasing the flow rate of the blood pump 100.

[0122] Figures 8 to 13 are diagrams showing operations performed by control unit 700 of blood oxygenation system 1000 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In Figures 8 to 13, solid lines represent connecting pipe 500 through which gas flows, and dotted lines represent connecting pipe 500 through which gas does not flow.

[0123] Referring to FIG. 8, in a blood oxygenation system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the gas may be oxygen, and the oxygen moves from the pressure tank 200 to the blood pump 100 through a connecting pipe 500, and from the blood pump 100 to the oxidizer 300.

[0124] That is, the gas that is supplied to the blood pump 100 and used to operate the blood pump 100 by generating air pressure is then transferred to the oxidizer 300 and used to oxidize the blood supplied to the oxidizer 300 by the blood pump 100.

[0125] The valve 600 of the blood oxygenation system 1000 according to one embodiment of the present invention, which is simply shown in FIGS. 8 to 13, includes a connection valve 610, an inlet valve 620, and an outlet valve 630.

[0126] In this case, the connection valve 610 may include a first connection valve 611 having one end connected to the inlet valve 120 for the pump, a second connection valve 612 having one end connected to the blood chamber 110, and a third connection valve 613 having one end connected to the outlet valve 130 for the pump.

[0127] In addition, the injection valve 620 may include a first injection valve 621 having both ends connected to the pressure tank 200 and a first connection valve 611, respectively, a second injection valve 622 having both ends connected to the pressure tank 200 and a second connection valve 612, respectively, and a third injection valve 623 having both ends connected to the pressure tank 200 and a third connection valve 613, respectively.

[0128] In addition, the exhaust valve 630 may include a first exhaust valve 631 having both ends connected to the oxidizer 300 and a first connection valve 611, respectively, a second exhaust valve 632 having both ends connected to the oxidizer 300 and a second connection valve 612, respectively, and a third exhaust valve 633 having both ends connected to the oxidizer 300 and a third connection valve 613, respectively.

[0129] At this time, the control unit 700 of the blood oxygenation system 1000 according to one embodiment of the present invention performs a series of operations with the blood chamber 110, which include a step of opening the first injection valve 621 while only the third exhaust valve 633 is open to supply gas to the pump injection valve 120 (FIG. 8), a step of opening the second injection valve 622 and closing the third exhaust valve 633 to supply gas to the blood chamber 110 (FIG. 9), and a step of closing the first injection valve 621 and opening the third injection valve 623 to supply gas to the blood chamber 110 (FIG. 10). 10), supplying gas to the exhaust valve 130 for the pump; closing the second injection valve 622 and opening the first exhaust valve 631 to suck gas through the injection valve 120 for the pump (FIG. 11), closing the third injection valve 623 and opening the second exhaust valve 632 to suck gas from the blood chamber 110 (FIG. 12), and closing the first exhaust valve 631 and opening the third exhaust valve 633 to suck gas through the exhaust valve 130 for the pump (FIG. 13).

[0130] According to an embodiment, the controller 700 controls the opening and closing of the inlet valve 620 and the outlet valve 630 to cause the blood pump 100 to repeatedly perform the above operations.

[0131] At this time, the number of repetitions of the above operation can be calculated based on the patient's heart rate, and the ratio of the time required for each step included in the above operation can be calculated based on the ratio of the volume of the blood chamber 110, the pump inlet valve 120, and the pump outlet valve 130 in the blood pump 100, respectively.

[0132] For example, if the patient's heart rate (HR) is 60 bpm, the control unit 700 can set the number of repetitions of the operation to be 60 times per minute, and at this time, the proportion of time for each step included in the operation (i.e., the ratio of time required for each step in Figures 8 to 13) can be calculated in proportion to the volume ratio occupied by the blood chamber 110, the pump inlet valve 120, and the pump outlet valve 130 in the blood pump 100.

[0133] At this time, the patient's heart rate may be calculated from a photoplethysmogram (PPG) signal or an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal measured from the patient using a PPG sensor or an ECG sensor, or may be a value input by a user of the blood oxygenation system 1000 (e.g., a doctor, a nurse, etc.).

[0134] The above description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be easily modified into other specific forms without changing the technical idea or essential features of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all respects and are not limiting. For example, each component described as a single component may be implemented in a distributed form, and similarly, each component described as a distributed component may be implemented in a combined form.

[0135] The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims set forth below rather than by the above detailed description, and all modifications and variations derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. In a blood pump that causes blood to flow in one direction, a blood chamber including an outer wall having a gas outlet formed on one side thereof, and a bag inserted into the outer wall and having both ends connected to both ends of the outer wall; a pump inlet valve fluidly coupled to one end of the blood chamber to block the flow of blood to the blood chamber; a pump exhaust valve fluidly coupled to the other end of the blood chamber to block the flow of blood from the blood chamber; A blood pump is disposed so that a centerline of the gas outlet extending in a gas flow direction of the gas outlet and passing through a center of a cross section of the gas outlet is perpendicular to a centerline of the blood chamber extending in a blood flow direction of the blood chamber and passing through a center of a cross section of the blood chamber, a connecting portion having both ends connected to the blood chamber and the pump inlet valve or the pump outlet valve, respectively, and an inner diameter gradually increasing from the end connected to the pump inlet valve or the pump outlet valve to the end connected to the blood chamber.

2. The blood chamber comprises:

2. The blood pump according to claim 1, wherein air pressure is generated between the outer wall and the bag by gas flowing in and out through the gas outlet.

3. The blood chamber comprises:

2. The blood pump according to claim 1, wherein the outer wall and the bag have an outer shape of a curved tube.

4. The bag is 2. The blood pump according to claim 1, wherein one side surface is deformed by air pressure to form a blood flow.

5. 2. The blood pump according to claim 1, wherein the bag is formed in a hollow shape having elastic restoring force.

6. The pump inlet valve or the pump outlet valve is an outer wall of the valve having a gas outlet formed on one side; 2. The blood pump according to claim 1, further comprising a valve bag inserted into the valve outer wall, both ends of which are respectively coupled to both ends of the valve outer wall.

7. The valve outer wall and the valve bag are 7. The blood pump according to claim 6, wherein the outer shape is a curved pipe shape.

8. The valve bag comprises:

7. The blood pump according to claim 6, wherein one side surface is deformed by air pressure to block the flow of blood.

9. The valve bag comprises:

7. The blood pump according to claim 6, wherein the pump is formed in a hollow shape having an elastic restoring force.

10. A blood pump that causes blood to flow in one direction; a pressure tank containing compressed gas; an oxidizer for oxidizing the blood circulated by the blood pump; a connecting pipe which is a passage for the gas to move and connects the blood pump, the pressure tank, or the oxidizer; a plurality of valves disposed in the connecting tube for controlling the flow of the gas into and out of the blood pump; a control unit that opens and closes the valve to control the operation of the blood pump, The blood pump comprises: a blood chamber including an outer wall having a gas outlet formed on one side thereof, and a bag inserted into the outer wall and having both ends connected to both ends of the outer wall; a pump inlet valve fluidly coupled to one end of the blood chamber to block the flow of blood to the blood chamber; a pump exhaust valve fluidly coupled to the other end of the blood chamber to block the flow of blood from the blood chamber; The blood oxygenation system, including:

11. a plurality of said blood pumps; 11. The blood oxygenation system according to claim 10, wherein the control unit controls some of the plurality of blood pumps so that blood flows out from some of the plurality of blood pumps and blood flows in from the remaining blood pumps.

12. a connecting pipe connecting the blood pump and the oxygenator; 11. The blood oxygenation system of claim 10, further comprising a pneumatic pump for drawing in gas supplied to the blood pump to create a vacuum in the blood pump.

13. the gas is oxygen; 11. The blood oxygenation system of claim 10, wherein the gas travels from the pressure tank to the blood pump and from the blood pump to the oxidizer through the connecting tube.

14. 11. The blood oxygenation system of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of pressure sensors disposed in the blood chamber, the pump inlet valve, and the pump outlet valve, respectively.

15. The control unit is 15. The blood oxygenation system according to claim 14, wherein it is determined whether the valve is malfunctioning based on the pressure measured by the pressure sensor under preset conditions.

16. The valve is a connecting valve including a first connecting valve having one end connected to an inlet valve for the pump, a second connecting valve having one end connected to the blood chamber, and a third connecting valve having one end connected to an outlet valve for the pump; an injection valve including a first injection valve, both ends of which are connected to the pressure tank and a first connecting valve, respectively; a second injection valve, both ends of which are connected to the pressure tank and a second connecting valve, respectively; and a third injection valve, both ends of which are connected to the pressure tank and a third connecting valve, respectively; 11. The blood oxygenation system of claim 10, further comprising exhaust valves including: a first exhaust valve, both ends of which are connected to the oxidizer and a first connecting valve, respectively; a second exhaust valve, both ends of which are connected to the oxidizer and a second connecting valve, respectively; and a third exhaust valve, both ends of which are connected to the oxidizer and a third connecting valve, respectively.

17. The control unit is performing a series of operations with the blood chamber; The operations include: supplying gas to the pump injection valve by opening the first injection valve while only the third exhaust valve is open; supplying gas to the blood chamber by opening the second inlet valve and closing the third outlet valve; closing the first inlet valve and opening the third inlet valve to supply gas to the exhaust valve for the pump; closing the second inlet valve and opening the first outlet valve to draw gas through the pump inlet valve; closing the third inlet valve and opening the second outlet valve to draw gas from the blood chamber; and closing the first exhaust valve and opening the third exhaust valve to draw gas through the pump exhaust valve.

18. The control unit controls the blood chamber to repeatedly perform the operation, 18. The blood oxygenation system of claim 17, wherein the number of repetitions is calculated based on the patient's heart rate.

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