Extracorporeal Blood Circuit Pressure Correction for False Alarm Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing extracorporeal blood treatment systems face inaccuracies in pressure measurements due to the presence of additional devices and tube sections, leading to overestimated or underestimated pressure drops and transmembrane pressures, which can result in premature alarms and reduced treatment duration.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a mathematical correction model to estimate pressure drops in additional devices and circuit sections, using a model based on physical equations and empirical data to correct measured pressures and obtain actual pressures at reference sites.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If pressure sensors are placed in the blood circuit upstream and downstream of the blood treatment device, then pressure drops and transmembrane pressures can be monitored, but the presence of additional devices and tube sections between sensors and the treatment device introduces measurement biases leading to overestimated or underestimated pressure values
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces direct mechanical pressure measurement at the treatment device with indirect measurement using pressure sensors located in the blood circuit, combined with mathematical correction models. The correction model accounts for pressure drops in tube sections and additional devices, substituting the need for direct sensing at the treatment device while maintaining measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mathematical correction model that acts as a mediator between the pressure sensors and the actual pressure values at the treatment device. This correction model compensates for the influence of tube sections and additional devices, providing accurate pressure readings without requiring direct contact with the treatment device.
2Adaptability or versatility
If pressure sensors are spaced from the blood treatment device with additional devices and tube sections in between, then the system can integrate multiple functions (warming, gas exchange), but the pressure measurements become biased and inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where pressure sensor readings are continuously corrected using a mathematical model that accounts for the characteristics of intervening tube sections and additional devices. This feedback loop compensates for measurement biases, allowing the system to maintain accurate pressure monitoring while integrating multiple functions through spaced components.
3Reliability
If pressure values are overestimated due to neglected pressure drops in series with the blood treatment device, then clotting and TMP alarms may be triggered prematurely, but this leads to shortened treatment duration and reduced productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary correction to pressure measurements by using a mathematical model to account for pressure drops in tube sections and additional devices before the measurements are used for alarm triggering. This preliminary action prevents false alarms and ensures that treatment duration is not unnecessarily shortened, maintaining both reliability and productivity.
4Reliability
If multiple pressure sensors and additional devices are integrated into the blood circuit, then the system can perform comprehensive monitoring and treatment, but the complexity of pressure correction and measurement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the correction model to adapt to different configurations of additional devices and tube sections. By adjusting the model parameters based on the specific system configuration, the patent maintains comprehensive monitoring capability while managing the complexity of pressure corrections through a flexible, parameter-based approach.
Data Source
AI summary
An extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus, comprises: at least a pressure sensor (24, 25) located in a respective measurement site on an extracorporeal blood circuit (6, 7); an electronic control unit (23) operatively connected at least to the pressure sensor (24, 25). The electronic control unit (23) is configured to perform at least the following procedure: receiving from the pressure sensor (24, 25) a signal correlated to a measured blood pressure (P1measured, P2measured) in the measurement site; correcting the blood measured pressure (P1measured, P2measured) through a mathematical correction model to obtain a blood actual pressure (Pinlet, Poutlet) in a reference site other than the measurement site. Between the reference site and the measurement site, a circuit section and, optionally, at least one additional device (18, 27, 28) is/are positioned. The mathematical correction model is a model of a pressure drop in the circuit section and, optionally, in the additional device (18, 27, 28).