Blood Pump Backflow for Microbubble Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing blood purification apparatuses require a large volume of priming solution at high flow rates to discharge microbubbles from the squeezable tube, and backflow occurs when the blood pump is activated, leading to inefficient bubble removal.
Innovation Solution
A blood purification apparatus and method utilizing a backflow generated when the blood pump's roller releases the squeezable tube, with a control unit managing the rotation of the blood pump and closing unit to create negative pressure, allowing for the detection of the roller release position and subsequent reverse rotation to discharge microbubbles through an overflow line or the arterial/venous blood circuit ends.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large volume of priming solution is supplied at a high flow rate to discharge microbubbles from the squeezable tube, then microbubbles can be discharged, but excessive priming solution is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The blood pump operates in periodic cycles, alternating between forward rotation (normal operation) and reverse rotation (bubble discharge mode). During reverse rotation, the roller releases the squeezable tube to generate backflow that discharges microbubbles. This periodic switching allows efficient bubble removal without continuously consuming large volumes of priming solution, as the high-flow backflow occurs only during brief reverse rotation intervals.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes reverse rotation of the blood pump rotor, causing the roller to move in the opposite direction and release the squeezable tube. This inversion of the normal pumping action generates backflow that pushes microbubbles toward the discharge unit. By operating 'the other way round' temporarily, the system achieves effective bubble discharge without requiring excessive priming solution supply at high flow rates during normal operation.
2Reliability
If the blood pump is activated with the suction side closed to generate backflow for bubble discharge, then microbubbles can be discharged, but backflow occurs at high flow rate causing instability
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic switching between forward and reverse rotation modes. During reverse rotation, the suction side closure is temporarily maintained to generate controlled backflow for bubble discharge. After a predetermined period, the system switches back to forward rotation, allowing the flow to stabilize. This periodic action confines the high-flow backflow instability to brief intervals, maintaining overall system stability during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit pre-determines the timing and duration of reverse rotation based on detected roller release positions. By initiating reverse rotation at optimal moments and limiting its duration to a predetermined period, the system generates sufficient backflow to discharge bubbles while preventing prolonged high-flow instability. This preliminary planning of the reverse rotation timing ensures effective bubble discharge with minimized flow instability.
3Productivity
If the roller position is precisely detected to control backflow timing, then bubble discharge timing is optimized, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit continuously monitors the roller position during rotation and uses this feedback information to determine the optimal timing for switching between forward and reverse rotation. When the roller reaches the discharge unit position during reverse rotation, the control unit detects this and switches back to forward rotation after a predetermined period. This feedback mechanism optimizes bubble discharge timing without requiring complex additional detection systems, as it utilizes existing control unit capabilities to process roller position information.
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
Enables efficient and assured discharge of microbubbles from the squeezable tube and blood circuit, preventing backflow and ensuring effective bubble removal without excessive priming solution usage.
Implementation Method 1
a peristaltic blood pump that delivers liquid by squeezing, with a roller, the squeezable tube while a rotor is driven to rotate
Implementation Method 2
a closing unit that generates a negative pressure in the squeezable tube at the normal rotation of the rotor of the blood pump by closing a region of the blood pump that is filled with the priming solution
Implementation Method 3
a phenomenon in which when a negative pressure is generated in the squeezable tube by activating the blood pump with a flow route on the suction side being closed, a backflow occurs at the instant that the roller of the blood pump releases the squeezable tube
Data Source
AI summary
Microbubbles detached from a blood circuit and a blood purification unit are discharged with the use of a backflow generated at the instant that a roller of a blood pump releases a squeezable tube. In a normal rotation step, a region filled with a priming solution after a priming step is closed by a closing unit, and a rotor of a blood pump is rotated normally until a roller of the blood pump releases a squeezable tube to generate a backflow. After the backflow is generated at the release of the squeezable tube by the roller of the blood pump, bubbles are moved by reversely rotating the rotor while disabling the closing by the closing unit. Thus, the bubbles are discharged through a discharge unit.