Dual-Function Blood Reservoir for Autologous Reinfusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for managing and recovering blood volume in extracorporeal circuits after cardiac surgery are inefficient, leading to dilution of blood components, circulatory overload, and reliance on allogeneic blood sources, which can cause complications and waste valuable patient blood.
Innovation Solution
The system eliminates the venous reservoir in conventional extracorporeal blood circuits and uses a blood reservoir with a hemoconcentrator to collect and concentrate blood, allowing for autologous reinfusion, thereby simplifying fluid management and blood recovery by redirecting fluid flow between cannula lines and a closed accumulator blood bag.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the content of the ECC circuit is transfused to the patient, then the patient receives blood volume, but the hematocrit concentration is low (18-25%) due to mixing with crystalloid priming fluid
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the red blood cells from the diluted blood mixture by passing the fluid through a cell washer that separates cells from effluent. This allows recovery of concentrated red blood cells while discarding or recovering the crystalloid priming fluid, thereby improving hematocrit concentration of the transfused blood.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the concentration parameter of the blood product by hemoconcentrating the recovered blood in a blood reservoir. This increases the hematocrit concentration from the diluted 18-25% range back to physiological levels suitable for effective transfusion.
2Reliability
If a substantial fraction of the diluted blood is kept in the circuit to maintain integrity, then circuit integrity is maintained, but the patient receives less blood volume
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and concentrates the red blood cells from the circuit fluid, allowing the concentrated cells to be transfused to the patient while the circuit is re-primed with fresh crystalloid solution. This separation allows full utilization of the circuit volume for patient benefit without compromising circuit integrity.
3Quantity of substance
If the fluid volume is separated into red blood cells and effluent using a cell washer, then red blood cells are saved, but the effluent containing plasma, platelets, clotting factors, albumin, and proteins is discarded as waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers the effluent from the cell washer and re-infuses it into the patient's circulation. This prevents waste of valuable blood components including plasma, platelets, clotting factors, albumin, and proteins while still achieving concentration of red blood cells. The effluent recovery maximizes utilization of all blood constituents.
4Quantity of substance
If allogeneic blood products are transfused to the patient, then additional blood volume is provided, but the patient may experience hemolytic reactions, immunological reactions, blood viruses, vCJD, Prion's disease, TACO, and other complications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the patient to receive their own concentrated red blood cells through autologous transfusion of recovered blood. This self-service approach eliminates the risks associated with allogeneic transfusion including hemolytic reactions, immunological reactions, blood-borne viruses, vCJD, Prion's disease, and TACO, while still providing necessary blood volume.
5Ease of operation
If the venous reservoir is used to accumulate fluid volume during surgery, then fluid management is possible, but the system complexity increases and blood recovery efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the blood reservoir multi-functional by using it both for hemoconcentration of patient blood and for accumulation of fluid volume during surgery. This eliminates the need for a separate venous reservoir, simplifies the overall system, and maintains fluid management capabilities while improving blood recovery efficiency.
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
This approach enables efficient recovery and concentration of whole blood, reducing allogeneic blood use, minimizing waste, and improving fluid management during and after surgery, allowing for safer and more efficient autologous blood reinfusion.
Implementation Method 1
circulating the fluid between the blood bag and the hemoconcentrator through the recovery circuit to increase the hematocrit concentration
Data Source
AI summary
The venous reservoir is omitted from an extracorporeal blood circuit system by substituting a blood reservoir in parallel with the arterial pump. The reservoir has an inlet connected to the outlet of the pump and an outlet connected to the inlet of the pump. At least three blood flow paths can be configured. A main path has the inlet and outlet of the reservoir blocked while pumped blood flows through the venous cannula, the oxygenator, and the arterial cannula. An accumulator path has the inlet to the oxygenator and the outlet of the reservoir blocked while blood flows through the venous cannula and the inlet to the reservoir. A discharge path has the inlet of the reservoir blocked while the outlet is open whereby blood from the reservoir flows into the oxygenator. In a fourth configuration, the ECC fluid can be recovered in the reservoir and hemoconcentrated for autologous transfusion.