Adjustable Cuff for Blood Filtration Recirculation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Blood filtration systems face issues with blood flow inhibition and recirculation, leading to increased resistance and clotting, which can clog components and require frequent replacements, especially when patients flex their arms or when infusion and withdrawal lines are too close together.
Innovation Solution
A blood filtration system with a cuff that inhibits blood flow in a limb by applying pressure, allowing arterial flow while preventing venous return, and is adjustable to enhance blood flow into the system and minimize recirculation by positioning the withdrawal line distally and the infusion line proximally relative to the cuff.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the infusion and withdrawal lines are positioned close together in the vasculature, then the system complexity is reduced, but recirculation of filtered blood occurs causing increased resistance and potential clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the blood flow path by using separate infusion and withdrawal lines that are deliberately positioned at different locations in the vasculature. This spatial segmentation prevents recirculation of filtered blood while maintaining system functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from considering only the proximity of lines (one-dimensional arrangement) to considering the three-dimensional spatial relationships between infusion and withdrawal sites in the vasculature. By optimizing spatial positioning in multiple dimensions, recirculation is prevented without excessive complexity.
2Productivity
If a cuff is applied to inhibit blood flow in the limb, then recirculation is minimized and blood flow into the system is enhanced, but the risk of clotting increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cuff is inflated and deflated in periodic cycles rather than remaining continuously inflated. This periodic action enhances blood flow into the system during inflation while allowing blood flow to resume during deflation, thereby preventing clotting that would result from prolonged flow inhibition.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static cuff application to a dynamic, controllable inflation/deflation mechanism. This allows the cuff pressure and duration to be optimized to enhance blood flow while minimizing clotting risk through controlled temporal variations.
3Productivity
If the cuff is tightly applied to enhance blood flow into the system, then productivity increases, but patient comfort decreases and tissue damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates monitoring of physiological parameters (such as oxygen saturation, pulse, or blood flow) to provide feedback on the effect of cuff inflation. This feedback allows real-time adjustment of cuff pressure and duration to maintain blood flow enhancement while preventing tissue damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts cuff inflation parameters (pressure, duration, frequency) based on patient response and physiological conditions. By changing these parameters adaptively, the system maintains productivity while minimizing harmful effects on tissue.
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
The cuff system enhances blood flow through the filtration system by increasing pressure distal to the cuff, reducing recirculation, and preventing clotting without the need for anti-coagulants, thus maintaining system efficiency and extending component lifespan.
Implementation Method 1
the cuff is configured to selectively engage with the limb to apply an external force to the limb and correspondingly inhibit flow of blood within the vasculature of the limb
Data Source
AI summary
A blood filtration system may include a blood circuit. The blood filtration system may include an adjustable cuff configured to receive a portion of a limb of a patient. The cuff may selectively engage with the limb to apply an external force to the limb. Applying force to the limb with the cuff may inhibit flow of blood within the vasculature of the limb. The system may adjust the cuff to change the force applied to the limb, for example to correspondingly change flow of blood from the vasculature to the blood circuit. The blood filtration system may include a controller. The controller may communicate with the cuff. The controller may operate the cuff to adjust the force applied to the limb of the patient.