Extracorporeal whole body hyperthermia using alpha-stat regulation of blood pH and pCO2

Abstract

A device and method for extracorporeal whole body hyperthermia treatment of a patient's blood using alpha-stat regulation of blood pH and pCO2 is described. The respiratory rate of a patient is either increased or decreased in accordance with the changes in pH, pCO2, and base excess. The regulation of blood during the hyperthermic treatment of the patient's blood stabilizes the biochemical reactions fundamental to the metabolic welfare of the organisms within the patient's blood while the viruses within the patient's blood are eliminated.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for eliminating viruses by means of extracorporeal whole body hyperthermia, and more particularly to an apparatus and method that regulates the blood pH, pCO.sub.2, and base excess, thereby maintaining a constant CO.sub.2 as the patients body temperature is increased.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe use of heat to treat ailments dates back many centuries to ancient Egyptian times, where certain cancers were treated by partial burial of the patient in hot sand. The use of hyperthermia as a treatment has continued into the twentieth century. Hyperthermia presents a unique set of physiologic problems that require careful management in order to achieve success. These problems have plagued soldiers on the battlefield, inner city residents during heat waves, and clinicians trying to treat cancer and AIDS.In homoiothermal bodies, thermoregulation and maintenance of near normal temperature automatically takes pr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

A motor which drives the pump is coupled physically to the pump and electrically to a microprocessor. The microprocessor controls the speed of the motor and consequently the rate the blood is pumped through the flow circuit. The BGA may be linked to the microprocessor or may be a stand alone unit. The microprocessor is also connected to the heat exchanger, thereby allowing the operator to vary the temperature of the blood. Leads from the temperature probe, flow probe, and pressure transducer are connected to an analog / digital converter which is coupled to the microprocessor. The microprocessor utilizes the information from the probes, transducer and BGA is controlling the motor and heat exchanger.

The respiratory management of the blood at constant CO.sub.2 content, while the temperature is changed, maintains a constant alpha thereby stabilizing the biochemical reactions fundamental to the metabolic welfare of organisms within the patient's blood. The sodium bicarbonate buffering system is based upon the following equation:

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of treating the patient's blood during extracorporeal hyperthermic treatment, whereby, the biochemical reactions fundamental to the metabolic welfare of the organisms in a patient's blood is stabilized.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an economical apparatus for the hyperthermic treatment of blood which regulates the patients blood to keep the acid-base equilibrium of the blood constant, wherein all components in contact with the patient's blood are disposable.

Problems solved by technology

These problems have plagued soldiers on the battlefield, inner city residents during heat waves, and clinicians trying to treat cancer and AIDS.

A negative consequence of hyperventilation is that an increased respiratory rate effectively and drastically reduces the pCO.sub.2 (and total CO.sub.2) of the circulating blood creating a respiratory alkalosis.

Additionally, cellular function may be impaired as enzyme activity is adversely affected by electrolyte imbalance.

One explanation for this is that the use of the pH-stat technique artificially imposes a respiratory alkalosis which in turn affects oxyhemoglobin dissociation, reducing the availability of oxygen to the tissue.

However, in the latter case hormonal and central nervous system intervention has affected the organism in ways which are not yet completely understood.

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