Disposable Blood Circuit Recirculation Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current extracorporeal blood treatment systems face challenges in safely and economically managing temporary disconnections of patients, leading to risks of blood coagulation and high costs due to the need for complete disposable circuit substitution during interruptions.
Innovation Solution
A disposable circuit with auxiliary connectors allows for fluid recirculation, enabling safe temporary disconnection and reconnection without additional components, reducing the risk of coagulation and minimizing economic costs by avoiding complete circuit substitution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the patient is temporarily disconnected from the blood treatment apparatus, then the patient can undergo medical exams or interventions, but the blood in the circuit may coagulate and the treatment must be interrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring the disposable circuit with auxiliary connectors that enable recirculation mode before disconnection is needed. The circuit is designed with integrated recirculation capability, allowing the blood to be redirected into a recirculation loop within the same disposable circuit, preventing coagulation during patient disconnection without requiring additional components or complete circuit replacement.
2Reliability
If the disposable circuit is completely substituted during temporary interruption, then the risk of coagulation is eliminated, but the economic cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing the disposable circuit to serve multiple functions: it can operate in standard blood treatment mode when the patient is connected, and switch to recirculation mode when the patient is temporarily disconnected. The auxiliary connectors and recirculation pathway are integrated into the same disposable circuit, allowing one circuit to handle both treatment and temporary storage/recirculation functions, eliminating the need for complete circuit substitution.
3Reliability
If additional components are added to enable recirculation during disconnection, then the risk of coagulation is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by combining the recirculation functionality directly into the disposable circuit itself. The auxiliary connectors are integrated into the circuit design, and the recirculation pathway uses existing circuit elements rather than requiring separate external components. This merging approach enables recirculation during patient disconnection while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Facilitates safe and cost-effective temporary disconnection and reconnection of patients during extracorporeal blood treatment, reducing the risk of blood coagulation and maintaining treatment continuity without the need for additional components or complete circuit replacement.
Implementation Method 1
The semipermeable membrane selectively allows matter in the blood to cross the membrane from the primary chamber into a secondary chamber and also selectively allows matter in the secondary chamber to cross the membrane into the blood in the primary chamber
Implementation Method 2
a blood pump configured to force fluid to circulate through the blood withdrawal line and the blood return line
Data Source
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AI summary
A disposable circuit for extracorporeal blood treatment comprising a filtration unit (2) and a blood circuit (6, 7) with a blood withdrawal line (6) and a blood return line (7), said blood withdrawal line (6) and said blood return line (7) being designed to be connected to a patient cardiovascular system, wherein the blood withdrawal line (6) and the blood return line (7) are provided with an arterial connector (40) and a venous connector (41) detachably connected to a vascular access device of a patient; at least one fluid line (15, 21, 25, 42; 42a) is connected to the blood circuit (6, 7) and the disposable circuit further comprises a first auxiliary connector (51, 53, 55, 57, 59) and a second auxiliary connector (50, 52, 54, 56, 58) arranged either on the blood circuit (6, 7) or on the fluid line (15, 21, 25, 42; 42a), and configured to be removably connected with the arterial connector (40) and the venous connector (41) in a recirculation configuration so as to define a closed circuit allowing fluid recirculation.