Artificial kidney and methods of using same

• US 20020052571A1
• Filed: 09/13/2001
• Published: 05/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Renal Plant Corporation
• Original Assignee: Renal Plant Corporation
• Inventors: Fazio, Frank A.
• Application Number:
  US09/952,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20020052571A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/5.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/14 Dialysis systems; Artificial kidneys; Blood oxygenators semi-permeable membranes characterised by the material, manufacturing processes therefor B01D71/00; Reciprocating systems for treatment of body fluids, e.g. single needle systems for hemofiltration or pheresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/15 with a cassette forming partially or totally the flow circuit for the treating fluid, e.g. the dialysate fluid circuit or the treating gas circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1627 Dialyser of the inside perfusion type, i.e. blood flow inside hollow membrane fibres or tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1678 intracorporal peritoneal dialysis A61M1/28
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3622 with a cassette forming partially or totally the blood circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/12 with interchangeable cassettes forming partially or totally the fluid circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2206/11 Laminar flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/28 Apparatus therefor

Abstract

An implantable, or compact, extracorporeal, artificial kidney that generally comprises: at least one blood inlet conduit, at least one microfluidic filter, a support for said filter, at least one blood outlet conduit and at least one blood solute outlet conduit, and methods for using the kidney.

Claims

1. An artificial kidney, adapted to be worn externally proximate to a patient'"'"'s body, comprising, at least one blood inlet conduit, at least one microfluidic filtering means, a means for supporting said filtering means, at least one blood outlet conduit and at least one blood solute outlet conduit.

2. The artificial kidney of claim 1, further comprising at least one dialysate inlet conduit.

3. The artificial kidney of claim 2, wherein said blood and said dialysate pass through said microfluidic filtering means by laminar flow.

4. The artificial kidney of claim 1, further comprising a manifold adapted to collect blood leaving said filtering means and to transport said collected blood to said blood outlet conduit.

5. The artificial kidney of claim 1, further comprising blood inlet and outlet cuffs adapted to facilitate communication and attachment between a patient'"'"'s arterial system and said blood inlet conduit and between said blood outlet conduit and a patient'"'"'s venous system, respectively.

6. An artificial kidney, adapted to be implanted within a patient'"'"'s body, comprising, at least one blood inlet conduit, at least one microfluidic filtering means, a means for supporting said filtering means, at least one blood outlet conduit and at least one blood solute outlet conduit.

7. The artificial kidney of claim 6, further comprising at least one dialysate inlet conduit.

8. The artificial kidney of claim 7, wherein said blood and said dialysate pass through said microfluidic filtering means by laminar flow.

9. The artificial kidney of claim 6, wherein at least said microfluidic filtering means is implanted within a patient'"'"'s bladder

10. The artificial kidney of claim 6, further comprising a manifold adapted to collect blood leaving said filtering means and to transport said collected blood to said blood outlet conduit.

11. The artificial kidney of claim 6, wherein said blood solute outlet conduit transports said blood solute to a patient'"'"'s bladder for elimination through said patient'"'"'s urinary tract.

13. The artificial kidney of claim 12, wherein at least one ultra filtration matrix is configured as a coil.

14. The artificial kidney of claim 12, wherein said matrix cradle comprising a plurality of integral loops adapted to attach to an inner surface of a patient'"'"'s bladder wall with a means for attachment.

15. The artificial kidney of claim 14, wherein said means for attachment comprises a plurality of sutures.

16. The artificial kidney of claim 12, further comprising blood inlet and outlet cuffs adapted to facilitate communication and attachment between a patient'"'"'s arterial system and said blood inlet conduit and between said blood outlet conduit and a patient'"'"'s venous system, respectively.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said filtering means employs microfluidic laminar flow.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said artificial kidney is surgically implanted inside a patient'"'"'s bladder.

12. An artificial kidney, adapted to be implanted within a patient'"'"'s body, comprising, at least one blood inlet conduit, at least one ultra filtration matrix, a matrix cradle means for supporting said filtration matrix, and at least one blood outlet conduit.

17. A method of using an artificial kidney, comprising the steps of:

providing an artificial kidney comprising at least one blood inlet conduit, at least one dialysate inlet conduit, at least one filtering means, a means for supporting said filtering means, and at least one blood outlet conduit;

surgically implanting said artificial kidney inside a patient'"'"'s body, including establishing fluid communication between the patient'"'"'s arterial and venous systems and said blood inlet and outlet conduits, respectively; and

periodically voiding blood solute from said filtering means through the patient'"'"'s urinary tract.

20. A compact artificial kidney, comprising, at least one blood inlet conduit, at least one microfluidic, laminar flow filtering means, a means for supporting said filtering means, at least one blood outlet conduit and at least one blood solute outlet conduit.