Systems and method for practicing counter-cardiac retrograde perfusion

• US 20030212304A1
• Filed: 03/14/2003
• Published: 11/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Omar M. Lattouf
• Original Assignee: Omar M. Lattouf
• Inventors: Lattouf, Omar M.
• Application Number:
  US10/389,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20030212304A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/17
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3613 Reperfusion, e.g. of the coronary vessels, e.g. retroperfusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3623 Means for actively controlling temperature of blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3653 Interfaces between patient blood circulation and extra-corporal blood circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3659 Cannulae pertaining to extracorporeal circulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/04 Heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulation

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for performing counter-cardiac retrograde perfusion. Perfusion is performed in a counter-cardiac cycle such that oxygenated blood is urged through a patient vein associated with an organ to be provided with the blood during diastole only.

Claims

1. A method for performing retrograde perfusion, comprising:

monitoring patient cardiac function; and

urging oxygenated blood through a patient vein in a counter-cardiac cycle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring patient cardiac function comprises monitoring electrical activity of the patient'"'"'s heart.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring patient cardiac function comprises monitoring arterial blood pressure.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring patient cardiac function comprises monitoring blood flow.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein urging oxygenated blood through a patient vein comprises urging oxygenated blood through the vein in a pulsatile, counter-cardiac retrograde manner such that the blood is urged through the vein in a reverse direction only during diastole.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein urging oxygenated blood through the vein in a pulsatile, counter-cardiac retrograde manner comprises pumping oxygenated blood into the vein in a pulsatile, counter-cardiac manner.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein urging oxygenated blood through the vein in a pulsatile, counter-cardiac retrograde manner comprises continuously pumping oxygenated blood into the vein and inflating a balloon of a catheter inserted into the vein in a pulsatile, counter-cardiac manner.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein urging oxygenated blood through the vein in a pulsatile, counter-cardiac retrograde manner comprises urging blood through the vein in a one-to-one ratio in which blood is urged through the vein during each consecutive diastole phase.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein urging oxygenated blood through the vein in a pulsatile, counter-cardiac retrograde manner comprises urging blood through the vein in less than a one-to-one ratio such that blood is not urged through the vein during each consecutive diastole phase.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising pausing perfusion for a predetermined period of time to allow blood to drain from an organ served by the vein.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising resuming perfusion after passage of the predetermined period of time.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising alternately pausing and resuming perfusion in a cyclical manner.

13. A system for performing retrograde perfusion on a patient, comprising:

a venous catheter configured for insertion into a vein that serves an organ to be supplied with oxygenated blood;

an arterial catheter configured for insertion into an artery that supplies oxygenated blood;

a monitoring device configured to monitor cardiac function of the patient; and

a pumping device in electrical communication with the monitoring device, the pumping device being configured to siphon blood from the artery via the arterial catheter and pump it into the vein via the venous catheter, wherein blood is pumped into the vein in accordance with cardiac function information provided by the monitoring device such that blood is pumped only during diastole.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the venous catheter is a self-inflating balloon catheter.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the cardiac function information provided by the monitoring device is information about electrical activity of the patient'"'"'s heart.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the cardiac function information provided by the monitoring device is information about arterial blood pressure.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the cardiac function information provided by the monitoring device is information about blood flow.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the pumping device comprises a blood pump and a central controller that controls actuation of the pump.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the central controller executes instructions stored in pumping device memory.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the pumping device memory comprises at least one counter-cardiac control algorithm.

21. A system for performing retrograde perfusion on a patient, comprising:

a venous catheter configured for insertion into a vein that serves an organ to be supplied with oxygenated blood;

an arterial catheter configured for insertion into an artery that supplies oxygenated blood;

a monitoring device configured to monitor cardiac function of the patient; and

a pumping device in electrical communication with the monitoring device, the pumping device being configured to siphon blood from the artery via the arterial catheter and continuously pump it into the vein via the venous catheter, the pumping device further being configured to inflate the venous catheter balloon in accordance with cardiac function information provided by the monitoring device such that the balloon is inflated in a counter-cardiac manner only during diastole to thereby urge oxygenated blood through the vein during diastole.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the venous catheter is a self-inflating balloon catheter.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the cardiac function information provided by the monitoring device is information about electrical activity of the patient'"'"'s heart.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the cardiac function information provided by the monitoring device is information about arterial blood pressure.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the cardiac function information provided by the monitoring device is information about blood flow.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the pumping device comprises a blood pump and a central controller that controls actuation of the pump.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the central controller executes instructions stored in pumping device memory.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the pumping device memory comprises at least one counter-cardiac control algorithm.

29. A catheter, comprising:

a lumen having a proximal end and a distal end;

a self-inflating balloon adjacent the distal end of the lumen;

a coupler positioned at the proximal end of the lumen, the coupler including at least one port through which fluid may pass; and

a sharp bend formed in the lumen.

30. The catheter of claim 29, wherein the sharp bend is positioned at a central portion of the lumen.

31. The catheter of claim 29, wherein the sharp bend is formed directly adjacent the self-inflating balloon.

32. The catheter of claim 29, wherein the sharp bend forms an approximately ninety degree angle in the lumen.

33. A catheter, comprising:

a lumen having a proximal end and a distal end, the lumen having a length that enables it to extend from an adult femoral vein, through the vena cava, a subclavian vein, and into an internal jugular vein;

a self-inflating balloon adjacent the distal end of the lumen; and

a coupler positioned at the proximal end of the lumen, the coupler including at least one port through which fluid may pass.

34. A catheter, comprising:

a lumen having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the lumen including an opening that opens to an interior of the lumen;

an inflatable balloon adjacent the distal end of the lumen;

a coupler positioned at the proximal end of the lumen, the coupler including two ports, a first port that is in fluidic communication with the lumen interior and the opening such that blood can be pumped through the first port, along the lumen, and out through the opening; and

an auxiliary lumen in fluidic communication with the second port and the inflatable balloon such that gas can be pumped through the second port, along the auxiliary lumen, and into the balloon to inflate it.

35. The catheter of claim 34, further comprising a sharp bend formed in the lumen.

36. The catheter of claim 35, wherein the sharp bend is positioned at a central portion of the lumen.

37. The catheter of claim 35, wherein the sharp bend is formed directly adjacent the balloon.

38. The catheter of claim 34, wherein the sharp bend forms an approximately ninety degree angle in the lumen.

39. A catheter, comprising:

a lumen having a proximal end and a distal end;

two inflatable balloons positioned along the lumen;

a set apertures formed through the lumen between the inflatable balloons;

an opening provided at the distal end of the lumen; and

a coupler positioned at the proximal end of the lumen, the coupler including a first port that is in fluidic communication with the apertures such that blood can be pumped through the first port and out through the apertures, and a second port in fluidic communication with the balloons such that gas can be pumped through the second port and into the balloons to inflate them.

40. The catheter of claim 39, further comprising a second set of apertures formed through the lumen between a proximal balloon and the proximal end of the lumen, the second set of apertures being in fluidic communication with the opening provided at the distal end of the lumen such that blood flowing through a vein in which the catheter is used may pass through the opening, along the catheter, and out through the second set of apertures of bypass the balloons.