Method of Monitoring Dislodgement of Venous Needles in Dialysis Patients

• US 20100073171A1
• Filed: 09/29/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Henry Ford Health System
• Original Assignee: Henry Ford Health System
• Inventors: Yee, Jerry, Frinak, Stanley, Besarab, Anatole, Zasuwa, Gerard
• Granted Patent: US 8,348,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.100
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3639 Blood pressure control, pressure transducers specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3653 Interfaces between patient blood circulation and extra-corporal blood circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3655 Arterio-venous shunts or fistulae
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3656 Monitoring patency or flow at connection sites; Detecting disconnections

Abstract

A method of detecting a dislodged needle in a hemodialysis procedure includes measuring venous drip pressure of the dialysis machine of a patient undergoing hemodialysis, analyzing the venous drip pressure and deriving intravascular blood pressure at a location of venous needle insertion into the patient, comparing the derived intravascular blood pressure to a standard, repeating the measuring, analyzing and deriving, and comparing steps and, if the intravascular blood pressure is within a specified range of the standard, determining that a needle has been dislodged in the hemodialysis procedure. A method of alerting the patient and medical personnel of a dislodged needle in a hemodialysis procedure includes detecting a drop in intravascular pressure derived from measured venous drip pressure, determining that a needle is dislodged, and alerting medical personnel of the dislodged needle.

Claims

1. A method of detecting a dislodged needle in a hemodialysis procedure, comprising the steps of:

measuring venous drip pressure for a patient undergoing dialysis;

analyzing the venous drip pressure and deriving intravascular blood pressure at a location of venous needle insertion into the patient;

comparing the derived intravascular blood pressure to a standard;

repeating said measuring, analyzing and deriving, and comparing steps; and

if the intravascular blood pressure is within a specified range of the standard, determining that a needle has been dislodged in the hemodialysis procedure.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the step of turning off the blood pump of hemodialysis machine.

3. The method of claim 1, further including the step of activating an alarm that notifies medical personnel of the dislodged needle.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the alarm is chosen from the group consisting of wireless and hardwired.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the alarm is wireless and sends a signal to a handheld device of a medical personnel.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the alarm is audible.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the alarm vibrates and is connected to an alarm device located on the patient.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing step is further defined as deriving venous access pressure (VAP) in proximity of a location of needle insertion into the patient'"'"'s body.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said repeating step is further defined as determining multiple VAP values over multiple time periods.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said comparing step is further defined as comparing the derived VAP to a standard.

11. A method of alerting medical personnel of a dislodged needle in a hemodialysis procedure, comprising the steps of:

detecting a drop in intravascular pressure derived from measured venous drip pressure;

detecting a dislodged needle; and

alerting medical personnel of the dislodged needle.

12. The method of claim 11, further including the step of initiating a state for the hemodialysis machine that is safest for the patient, stopping the blood pump and initiating alarm systems to warn the patient and alert medical personnel.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the hemodialysis procedure is performed in a device that transports blood from a patient to an extracorporeal circuit and returns the blood to the patient.