Blood Treatment Recirculation Detection Using Priming Fluid
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for detecting recirculation in extracorporeal blood treatment require explicit bolus administration and/or blood sampling, which can be invasive and disrupt treatment flow.
Innovation Solution
An extracorporeal blood treatment machine uses priming fluid for both priming and detecting recirculation by checking the shunt before treatment, utilizing integrated blood and dialysate property recording units to assess cannula position and recirculation rate without additional bolus administration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If explicit bolus administration and blood sampling are used to detect recirculation, then recirculation detection accuracy is improved, but treatment interruption and patient discomfort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by using the priming fluid (already present in the circuit) to prime the venous section and create a bolus effect before treatment begins. This allows recirculation detection to be performed during the priming phase rather than requiring a separate bolus administration step during treatment, thus maintaining treatment continuity while achieving accurate recirculation detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the priming fluid that is already in the extracorporeal blood circuit to serve dual purposes: both priming the venous section and acting as the bolus for recirculation detection. This self-service approach eliminates the need for additional bolus administration and blood sampling, resolving the contradiction between detection accuracy and treatment continuity.
2Productivity
If recirculation is detected during treatment, then treatment efficiency is improved, but treatment time is increased due to remedial measures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs recirculation detection during the priming phase before treatment begins. This preliminary detection allows any recirculation issues to be identified and remedied before the actual treatment starts, ensuring treatment efficiency is maintained without adding time during the treatment phase itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the priming phase, which is a necessary preparatory step, into a beneficial opportunity for recirculation detection. By utilizing the priming fluid flow to detect recirculation, the system turns a routine procedure into a diagnostic opportunity without extending the overall treatment time.
3Measurement precision
If cannula positioning is checked manually, then recirculation detection is improved, but operation complexity and treatment interruption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical checking of cannula positioning with an automated optical or sensor-based detection system. The system uses recording units to detect recirculation automatically during the priming phase, eliminating the need for manual intervention while maintaining detection accuracy and operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-detection of recirculation using automated recording units that monitor the priming fluid flow. This self-service capability eliminates the need for operator intervention in checking cannula positioning, thereby maintaining measurement precision while greatly simplifying operation and avoiding treatment interruptions.
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 allows for efficient and safe extracorporeal blood treatment by detecting and addressing recirculation before treatment begins, ensuring correct cannula positioning without interrupting the therapy.
Implementation Method 1
conveying the priming fluid through an extracorporeal blood circuit (5) from an arterial section (42) to a venous section (50)
Implementation Method 2
a dialyzer with a semipermeable membrane for exchanging substances between a patient's blood conveyed in an extracorporeal blood circuit and a dialysis fluid conveyed in a dialysis fluid circuit
Data Source
AI summary
An machine is used for extracorporeal treatment of blood from a patient. The machine includes a dialyzer, a blood circuit with arterial and venous sections, a dialysis fluid circuit, a blood property and/or dialysate property recording unit, and a control unit. The blood treatment machine is configured to perform priming of the extracorporeal blood circuit with priming fluid, request connection of an arterial shunt section with the arterial section filled with priming fluid by priming and/or to ascertain this connection, request connection of a venous shunt section with the venous section filled with priming fluid by the priming and/or to ascertain this connection, and detect and/or quantify and/or check a recirculation and/or a recirculation rate at the shunt depending on a blood and/or dialysate property. A computer-implemented detection method is used for detecting recirculation at a shunt of the machine. The method can be executed with a computer program.