Wearable ultrafiltration device

• US 20040254514A1
• Filed: 05/17/2004
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Incorporated (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Original Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Incorporated (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Inventors: Gura, Victor
• Granted Patent: US 7,645,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/5.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/16 with membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1696 with dialysate regeneration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/34 Filtering material out of the blood by passing it through a membrane, i.e. hemofiltration or diafiltration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3403 Regulation parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3382 Upper level detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/082 Mounting brackets, arm supports for equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/088 on the body
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/243 Pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2321/2066 Pulsated flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/145 Ultrafiltration

Abstract

An ultrafiltration device adapted to be worn on a portion of the body of a patient includes a blood inlet tube leading from a first blood vessel, a blood pump, an anticoagulant reservoir for infusing anticoagulants into the blood, a blood filter including a substrate through which the blood is circulated and filtered, a fluid bag for storing the excess fluid and a blood outlet tube leading to a second blood vessel.

Claims

1. A portable, wearable ultrafiltration device comprising:

a blood inlet for receiving blood flow from a patient;

a pump for pumping said blood, from said patient, through said ultrafiltration device, said pump adapted to receive power from a battery;

a blood filter for filtering fluid from said blood;

a blood outlet for returning said blood to said patient;

a fluid bladder, in removable fluid communication with said blood filter, for collecting said fluid;

an alarm for providing an alarm indication to said patient

a microcontroller electrically connected to the battery, the pump and the alarm, the microcontroller sensing a battery charge and providing an alarm signal to said alarm if said battery charge is below a predetermined level.

2. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 1, wherein said pump weighs less than 400 grams.

3. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 1, wherein said pump is a pulsatile pump adapted to pump blood at a flow rate between 40 and 200 ml/hr.

4. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 3, wherein said pump requires less than XXX watts of energy.

5. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 1, said pump is a dual chamber pulsatile pump.

6. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 1, wherein said battery is rechargeable.

7. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 1, wherein said battery is adapted to be removable.

8. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 1, wherein said alarm indication is at least one of an audible, visual, a felt sensation indication.

9. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 1, further comprising a bladder sensor for sensing a fullness of said fluid bladder and enabling a full fluid bladder signal to be received by said microcontroller.

10. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 9, wherein said micro controller sends an off signal to said pump after receiving said full fluid bladder signal.

11. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 1, wherein said ultrafiltration device is operational in any three-dimensional configuration.

12. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 1, wherein said fluid bladder contains an absorbent material.

13. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 12, wherein said absorbent material expands as it absorbs fluid.

14. A portable, wearable ultrafiltration device comprising:

a blood inlet for receiving blood flow from a patient;

a pump for pumping said blood, from said patient, through said ultrafiltration device, said pump adapted to receive power from a battery;

a blood filter for filtering fluid from said blood;

a blood outlet for returning said blood to said patient;

a fluid bladder, in removable fluid communication with said blood filter, for collecting said fluid;

a second pump, associated with said blood filter for moving said fluid from said blood filter to said fluid bladder.

a bladder sensor associated with said fluid bladder for sensing a fullness of said fluid bladder;

an alarm for providing an alarm indication to said patient a microcontroller for controlling the ultrafiltration device, the microcontroller receiving a full bladder signal from said bladder sensor and providing an alarm signal to said alarm if said bladder sensor senses a predetermined fullness of said fluid bladder.

15. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 14, wherein said microcontroller provides an off signal to said pump and said second pump after receiving the full bladder signal from said bladder sensor.

16. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 14, wherein said second pump is a micropump.

17. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 14, wherein said ultrafiltration device weighs less than five (5) pounds.

18. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 14, wherein said ultrafiltration device is adapted to be completely worn around a waist of a patient.

19. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 14, wherein said ultrafiltration device is operational in any three-dimensional orientation.

20. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 14, wherein said ultrafiltration device operates on less than XXX watts.

21. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 14, wherein said ultrafiltration device can filter fluid from the blood at rates between 0 to 700 ml/hour.

22. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 14, wherein said fluid bladder contains an absorbent material that expands as it absorbs fluid.

23. A portable, wearable ultrafiltration device comprising:

a blood inlet for receiving blood flow from a patient;

a pump for pumping said blood, from said patient, through said ultrafiltration device, said pump adapted to receive power from a battery;

a blood filter for filtering fluid from said blood;

a blood outlet for returning said blood to said patient;

a fluid bladder, in removable fluid communication with said blood filter, for collecting said fluid;

a covering about said ultrafiltration device for containing said ultrafiltration device;

a moisture sensor inside said covering for sensing moisture inside said covering;

an alarm for providing an alarm indication to said patient a microcontroller for controlling said ultrafiltration device, the microcontroller being in electrical communication with said moisture sensor, the microcontroller adapted to receive a moist signal from the moisture sensor and provide an alarm signal to said alarm if moisture is sensed inside said covering.

24. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 23, wherein said microcontroller is further adapted to turn off said pump after receiving said moist signal.

25. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 23, further comprising a micro pump between said fluid bladder and said blood filter, said micropump for pumping said fluid from said blood filter to said fluid bladder.

26. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 23, further comprising a micro pump between said fluid bladder and said blood filter, said micropump for creating a negative pressure on said blood filter.

27. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 23, wherein said ultrafiltration device is adapted to be worn about the waist of the patient, said ultrafiltration device adapted to be operational in any three-dimensional orientation.

28. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 27, wherein said ultrafiltration device weighs less than five pounds when worn by the patient.

29. A portable, wearable ultrafiltration device comprising:

a blood inlet for receiving blood flow from a patient;

a pump for pumping said blood, from said patient, through said ultrafiltration device, said pump adapted to receive power from a battery, said pump requiring less than XXX watts of power and being able to pump said blood at a flow rate of between 40 and 200 ml/hr.

a blood filter for filtering fluid from said blood;

a blood outlet for returning said blood to said patient;

a fluid bladder, in fluid communication with said blood filter, for collecting said fluid;

said portable, wearable ultrafiltration device weighing less than five (5) pounds when being worn by a patient and being operational in any three-dimensional orientation.

30. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 29, further comprising:

an anticoagulant reservoir; and

a first micropump for pumping anticoagulant from said anticoagulant reservoir into said blood at a location between said blood inlet and said blood filter.

31. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 29, further comprising a microcontroller for controlling said pump.

32. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 29, further comprising a moisture sensor inside a covering about said ultrafiltration device, said moisture sensor providing a moisture signal to said microcontroller when moisture is sensed inside said covering.

33. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 32, wherein said microcontroller provides a signal that turns said pump off after receiving said moisture signal when moisture is sensed inside said covering.

34. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 29, further comprising a bladder sensor for sensing a fullness of said fluid bladder, said bladder sensor providing a full signal to said microcontroller when said bladder sensor senses that said fluid bladder is full.

35. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 34, wherein said microcontroller provides a signal that turns off said pump after receiving said full signal.

36. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 29, wherein said fluid bladder contains an absorbent material that reduces the movement of the fluid within said fluid bladder.