Method and system for colloid exchange therapy

• US 20040173530A1
• Filed: 03/08/2004
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immunocept Medical Products, LLC (LMF Acquisition Opportunities, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Immunocept LLC
• Inventors: Matson, James R., Lee, Patrice A., Radunsky, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,524,420 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/647
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3413 Diafiltration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3437 downstream of the filter, e.g. post-dilution with filtrate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3472 with treatment of the filtrate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3486 Biological, chemical treatment, e.g. chemical precipitation; treatment by absorbents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/46 Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/48 having one or more compartments filled with ion-exchange material , e.g. electrodeionisation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/50 Stacks of the plate-and-frame type
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/52 Accessories; Auxiliary operation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/54 Controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/00 Semi-permeable membranes for separation processes or apparatus characterised by their form, structure or properties; Manufacturing processes specially adapted therefor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and system for using a hemofilter to treat IMRD, hepatic failure, exogenous intoxication and other conditions associated with toxins in a patient'"'"'s blood. One treatment includes the use of a very large pore hemofilter to remove target complex molecules and/or target molecules from a patient'"'"'s blood and to infuse a replacement fluid into the patient'"'"'s blood to maintain a prescribed albumin concentration in the patient'"'"'s blood.

Claims

1. A fluid for replacing target receptor molecules contaminated with at least one inflammatory mediator removed from a patient'"'"'s blood during hemofiltration comprising a pharmaceutical grade solution having corresponding clean target receptor molecules which are not contaminated.

2. The fluid of claim 1 wherein the hemofiltration comprises using a very large pore hemofilter.

3. The fluid of claim 1 further comprising a concentration of albumin in the fluid greater than approximately 0.5 grams per one hundred milliliters.

4. The fluid of claim 1 further comprising a concentration of albumin in the fluid less than approximately twenty grams per one hundred milliliters.

5. The fluid of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of clean target receptor molecules corresponding with a plurality of target receptor molecules contaminated with more than one inflammatory mediator removed from the patient'"'"'s blood.

6. A fluid for replacing target receptor molecules contaminated with at least one toxin removed from a patient'"'"'s blood during hemofiltration comprising a pharmaceutical grade solution having corresponding clean target receptor molecules which are not contaminated.

7. The fluid of claim 6 wherein the hemofiltration comprises using a very large pore hemofilter.

8. The fluid of claim 6 further comprising a concentration of albumin in the fluid greater than approximately 0.5 grams per one hundred milliliters.

9. The fluid of claim 6 further comprising a concentration of albumin in the fluid less than approximately twenty grams per one hundred milliliters.

10. The fluid of claim 6 further comprising a plurality of clean target receptor molecules corresponding with a plurality of target receptor molecules contaminated with more than one toxin removed from the patient'"'"'s blood.

11. A replacement fluid kit for attachment to an extracorporeal blood circuit during hemofiltration, the kit comprising:

a replacement fluid and a reservoir for the replacement fluid;

the reservoir having at least one port operable to communicate replacement fluid from the reservoir;

a coupling operable to allow flow of the replacement fluid from the port to the extracorporeal blood circuit; and

the replacement fluid formed in part by a pharmaceutical grade liquid, suitable for infusion into a patient'"'"'s blood circulatory system, with a concentration of albumin at least sufficient to maintain a prescribed albumin concentration in the patient'"'"'s blood circulatory system.

12. An extracorporeal blood circuit for the filtration of a patient'"'"'s blood comprising:

a circuit operable to remove and to return a portion of a patient'"'"'s blood supply;

a blood filter operably coupled with the circuit to allow the portion of the patient'"'"'s blood to flow therethrough;

the blood filter having an effective molecular weight cutoff sufficiently large to sieve more than a nominal amount of target complex molecules from the portion of the patient'"'"'s blood;

the effective molecular weight cutoff less than approximately five million Daltons; and

a source for infusing corresponding clean target receptor molecules into the blood circuit.

13. The extracorporeal blood circuit of claim 12, further comprising the effective molecular weight cutoff less than approximately one million Daltons.

14. The extracorporeal blood circuit of claim 12, further comprising the effective molecular weight cutoff less than approximately five hundred thousand Daltons.

15. A blood filter comprising a membrane having an effective molecular weight cutoff sufficiently large to sieve more than a nominal amount of target complex molecules during hemofiltration and the effective molecular weight cutoff less than approximately one million Daltons.

16. The blood filter of claim 15 further comprising a hemofilter operable to sieve target complex molecules from a patient'"'"'s blood to form a filtered blood stream and an ultrafiltrate stream containing target complex molecules.

17. An extracorporeal blood circuit for the filtration of patient'"'"'s blood comprising:

a circuit operable to remove and to return a portion of a patient'"'"'s blood supply;

a blood filter operably coupled with the circuit to allow the portion f the patients'"'"' blood to flow therethrough;

the blood filter having an effective molecular weight cutoff greater than approximately 150,000 Daltons to sieve more than a nominal amount of target complex molecules from the portion of the patient'"'"'s blood;

the effective molecular weight cutoff of the blood filter less than approximately 5,000,000 Daltons to avoid removal of undesired amounts of immunoglobulins and similar large molecules to prevent increasing the risk of opportunistic infection; and

a source for infusing corresponding clean target receptor molecules into the blood circuit.