Filter Assembly for Cholesterol Crystal Removal in Blood
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,334,842, are ineffective in separating cholesterol crystals from blood cells, particularly after catheter treatments, leading to complications like cholesterol crystal embolism and renal failure, as they fail to address the separation of fat-soluble compounds with sizes similar to blood cells.
Innovation Solution
A treatment method involving a guiding catheter to aspirate cholesterol crystals from the lesion area and a drug-coated balloon catheter to treat the site, followed by a separation method using centrifugal separation and a filter assembly with specific hole diameters to differentiate and remove cholesterol crystals from blood components based on size and density differences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional separation methods (U.S. Pat. No. 6,334,842) are used to separate blood components, then blood cells and plasma can be separated by centrifugal separation, but cholesterol crystals cannot be effectively separated from blood cells because they have similar sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs a porous filter with specifically controlled pore sizes (0.1 μm to 10 μm) that allows blood cells to pass through while retaining cholesterol crystals. The porous structure enables size-based separation that conventional centrifugal methods cannot achieve, as the filter physically blocks particles within its pore size range regardless of density differences.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the separation parameter from density-based centrifugal separation to size-based filtration. By using a filter with pore sizes matched to the dimensions of cholesterol crystals (55-200 μm), the system can selectively remove crystals while allowing smaller blood cells to pass, overcoming the limitation of conventional methods that rely on density differences.
2Ease of operation
If cholesterol crystals are not removed from the bloodstream, then the treatment procedure remains simple, but cholesterol crystal embolism and renal failure occur due to crystal accumulation in peripheral capillaries and glomeruli
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts cholesterol crystals from the bloodstream using a filter assembly integrated into the catheter system. The filter is positioned to capture crystals as blood flows through it during the procedure, removing the harmful particles before they can travel to and occlude peripheral capillaries or renal glomeruli.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter assembly acts as an intermediary device between the blood and the patient's circulation system. It intercepts and removes cholesterol crystals while allowing beneficial blood components to pass through, preventing the crystals from causing embolism or renal damage without requiring complex additional procedures.
3Reliability
If a filter with small pore sizes is used to remove cholesterol crystals, then crystal removal effectiveness increases, but blood flow resistance increases and may cause clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The filter assembly is segmented into multiple filtration stages or zones with progressively smaller pore sizes. This segmentation allows the filter to capture crystals of different sizes while maintaining adequate flow channels, distributing the filtration load and preventing single-point clogging that would cause excessive flow resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter design incorporates dynamic flow characteristics where pore size and flow channels are optimized to adapt to varying blood flow rates. The structure allows for efficient crystal capture at lower flow rates while maintaining adequate throughput at higher flow rates, balancing removal effectiveness with flow resistance.
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 removes cholesterol crystals from the bloodstream, preventing embolism and reducing patient burden by efficiently separating and removing these crystals from blood cells, thereby reducing the risk of renal failure and other complications.
Implementation Method 1
a filter assembly with specific hole diameters to differentiate and remove cholesterol crystals from blood components based on size and density differences
Implementation Method 2
a method of separating platelets, white blood cells, red blood cells, and plasma by a continuous centrifugal separation device based on relative density and size
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a treatment method, a separation method, and a filter assembly capable of preventing so-called “Blue Toe syndrome” which is so-called cholesterol crystal embolism of which a fat-soluble compound such as cholesterol crystals generated during dilation of a stenosed site causes clogging in glomeruli of peripheral capillaries or kidney, acute renal failure, and the like. Cholesterol crystals generated from plaque during use of a balloon catheter are taken out of the body and removed using a centrifugal separation device or a filter, and usable living cells are returned to the body to reduce blood transfusion and reduce cholesterol crystal embolism.