Control system for driving fluids through an extracorporeal blood circuit

Abstract

A control deck and system for controlling and driving blood fluids through an extracorporeal blood circuit kit. In one aspect, the invention is a deck having an improved mechanism for securing a cassette in place during treatment operations. The improved deck comprises catches for slidably receiving tabs of the cassette and one or more rotating clamps for locking and securing the cassette in a loaded position. In another aspect the invention is a system for controlling and driving blood fluids having infrared communication abilities to transmit and receive real time data. In still another aspect, the invention is a system for controlling and driving blood fluids having an upright tower design that reduces the footprint of the system. In this embodiment, a centrifuge chamber is positioned in an upper portion of the system while the control deck and photoactivation chamber are located in a base portion of the system.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates generally to the field of systems for driving fluids through an extracorporeal blood circuit, and specifically to non-disposable systems for driving and controlling fluid flow through disposable extracorporeal blood circuit kits. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Several treatments for disease require the removal of blood from a patient, processing the one or more components of the blood, and return of the processed components for a therapeutic effect. Those extracorporeal treatments require systems for safely removing blood from the patient, separating it into components, and returning the blood or blood components to the patient. With the advance of medical sciences, it has become possible to treat a patient's blood in closed-loop processes, returning the patient's own treated blood back to him in one medical treatment. An example of such processes include external treatment methods for diseases in which there is a pa...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011] These objects and others are met by the present invention. The present invention is directed at permanent blood driving systems for photopheresis and apheresis to provide less complex, easier to manufacture, and a continuous process for separation of sufficient fragment for treatment so as to greatly reduce the treatment time.

[0014] Each rotating clamp will preferably have an angled ledge that allows the cassette to be lowered onto the cassette loading area of the plate while the rotating clamps are in closed position. The angled ledge will also prohibit the cassette from being raised from the cassette loading area when the rotating clamps are in the closed position. Rotation between the open and closed positions can be facilitated by pneumatic cylinders.

[0015] When the above claming mechanism is provided on a deck, a cassette can be loaded onto the deck by aligning the tabs of the cassette with the catches, slidably inserting the tabs into the catches, and pressing the cassette downward onto the cassette loading area. As the cassette is forced downward against the rotating clamps, the rotating clamps are rotated to the open position allowing the cassette to move below the angled ledge. When the cassette is below the angled ledges, the rotating clamps snap back to the closed position locking the cassette onto the cassette loading area. When this happens the cassette can not be removed or moved until the rotating clamps are moved to the open position after treatment is complete or until the operator does so manually. This setup provides little or no chance for operator error in loading the cassette and is time efficient.

[0021] In another aspect, the invention is a system for driving blood fluids through a disposable kit comprising: a housing having the deck described above; a centrifuge chamber within the housing; and an infrared communication port coupled to the controller. Preferably, the infrared communication port is adapted to transmit real time data relating to a therapy session being performed on the system to a remote device. Infrared communication abilities allow the system to be able to both transmit and receive data in real time during a treatment process without disturbing the treatment.

[0024] In yet another aspect, the invention is a blood diving system having an upright tower configuration that reduces the footprint of the system, saving valuable hospital floor space. In this embodiment, the system will comprise: a controller; a base portion having a top having a deck for receiving and controlling a cassette for directing fluid flow through the kit; an upper portion atop the top; and a centrifuge chamber within the upper portion. Placing the centrifuge chamber above the deck reduces the footprint of the system and provide a working platform for the operator to place objects on.

Problems solved by technology

Additionally, apheresis systems and methods have also been proposed and used which involve separation of blood into various components, and also involve systems pumping and valving systems which are difficult to manufacture or operate.

Prior photopheresis and apheresis systems and methods usually require batch processes and therefore take several hours to treat a patient or to obtain a sufficient supply of separated blood components.

Furthermore, the systems are very complex to manufacture, especially the fluid flow controllers and valving systems.

Known disposable photopheresis kits are difficult and expensive to manufacture, especially the valving and pumping mechanisms within the cassette.

The size of existing permanent blood driving systems is another issue.

Known blood driving systems are bulky and have a very large footprint, taking up valuable hospital floor space.

Another deficiency in existing blood driving systems is their inability to communicate or receive real time data during a treatment.

If a problem arises during the treatment, either the problem will not be detected and / or nothing can be done until after the treatment.

Additionally, prior photopheresis and apheresis systems and methods usually require batch processes and therefore take several hours to treat a patient or to obtain a sufficient supply of separated blood fragments.

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