Blood Warming Control Using Infusion Fluid Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Extracorporeal blood treatment therapies pose a risk of hypothermia due to heat loss from infusion fluids and the extracorporeal blood circuit, particularly in prolonged treatments and low body weight patients, where existing solutions like warming treatment fluids or using separate blood warmers have limitations such as precipitation issues and require additional hardware.
Innovation Solution
An extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus with a control unit that calculates a set point for a warming device to maintain desired blood temperature at the venous vascular access, considering infusion fluid flow rates and temperatures, allowing for efficient management of blood warming without additional sensors or hardware, and can handle multiple infusion lines both upstream and downstream of the warming device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If treatment fluids are warmed to prevent hypothermia, then patient temperature is maintained, but precipitation issues occur and additional warming hardware is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the blood warming function with the existing extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus by integrating a warming device into the blood circuit. The control unit of the blood treatment apparatus calculates the set point for the warming device and sends control signals, merging temperature control functionality into the existing system architecture rather than requiring completely separate warming equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the existing sensors and control unit of the blood treatment apparatus to monitor blood temperature and control the warming device. The control unit calculates the required set point based on measured blood temperature and sends appropriate control signals, allowing the system to self-regulate temperature without requiring additional dedicated temperature monitoring hardware.
2Temperature
If separate blood warmers are used to maintain blood temperature, then hypothermia is prevented, but additional hardware and complexity are required
Solution Approach 1:
The warming device is integrated into the extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus with the control unit calculating set points and sending control signals. This merging approach allows temperature control to be performed by the existing system's control architecture rather than requiring completely separate warming equipment with independent control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit of the blood treatment apparatus performs multiple functions including monitoring blood temperature, calculating appropriate set points for the warming device, and sending control signals. This multi-functional approach allows the existing control unit to manage both the blood treatment process and temperature regulation without requiring dedicated temperature control hardware.
3Reliability
If blood temperature is monitored and controlled throughout the circuit, then hypothermia is prevented, but additional sensors and hardware are needed
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the existing sensors and control unit of the blood treatment apparatus to monitor blood temperature and control the warming device. The control unit calculates the required set point based on measured blood temperature and sends appropriate control signals, allowing the system to self-regulate temperature without requiring additional dedicated temperature monitoring hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit continuously monitors blood temperature through existing sensors and adjusts the warming device set point accordingly. The system uses feedback from temperature measurements to dynamically calculate and update the set point, ensuring reliable temperature control while utilizing the existing sensor infrastructure of the blood treatment apparatus.
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
Effectively maintains patient safety by preventing hypothermia by accurately controlling blood temperature at the return line, ensuring the blood temperature remains within safe limits without the need for additional sensors or hardware, and addressing cooling effects from infusion fluids.
Implementation Method 1
a warming device configured to heat a blood heating zone of the extracorporeal blood circuit
Implementation Method 2
heat loss from infusion fluids and the extracorporeal blood circuit
Data Source
AI summary
An extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus (1) comprising a control unit (10) connectable to a blood warming device (200). The apparatus (1) comprises: an extracorporeal blood circuit (100) and at least one infusion line (15, 21, 25) connected to the extracorporeal blood circuit (100). A control unit (10) is configured to execute the following procedure: receiving a first value representative of a desired blood temperature (Tdes) at an end (70) of a blood return line (7) configured to be connected to a venous vascular access of a patient (P); receiving at least a first signal relating to at least a flow rate (QPBP, QREP1, QREP2) of an infusion fluid in the at least one infusion line (15, 21, 25); calculating a set point value of an operating parameter (TOUT; Pw) to be imposed on the warming device (200) configured to heat a blood heating zone (H) of the extracorporeal blood circuit (100) in order to maintain the desired blood temperature (Tdes) at the end (70) of the blood return line (7). The set point is calculated based on input parameters comprising: at least the first value representative of the desired blood temperature (Tdes) and at least one selected in the group of: the first signal (QREP1, QPBP, QREP2) and a second value representative of a temperature (TREP1, TPBP, TREP2) of the at least one infusion fluid in the at least one infusion line (15, 21, 25).