CARDIOPULMONARY APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR PRESERVING LIFE

• US 20150141897A1
• Filed: 09/23/2014
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZOLL Lifebridge GmbH
• Original Assignee: ZOLL Lifebridge GmbH
• Inventors: Muller-Spanka, Gerhard, Zerkowski, Hans-Reinhard
• Granted Patent: US 9,844,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/6.09
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1698 Blood oxygenators with or without heat-exchangers intracorporal A61M1/1678; manufacturing of membranes therefor B01D67/00; semi-permeable membranes for separation processes characterised by their properties B01D69/00; semi-permeable membranes characterised by their material B01D71/00
• 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 1/3621 Extra-corporeal blood circuits single-needle circuits A61M1/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3623 Means for actively controlling temperature of blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3626 Gas bubble detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3627 Degassing devices; Buffer reservoirs; Drip chambers; Blood filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3643 Priming, rinsing before or after use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3644 Mode of operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3666 Cardiac or cardiopulmonary bypass, e.g. heart-lung machines
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3693 using separation based on different densities of components, e.g. centrifuging
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0015 inhalation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/505 Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/08 Supports for equipment
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/00 Actuating devices; Operating means; Releasing devices regulating means G05D
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 35/00 Means to prevent accidental or unauthorised actuation

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for providing extracorporeal blood circulation and oxygenation control include seven-stage de-airing of blood to provide automated cardiopulmonary replacement to sustain patient life during a medical procedure comprising repairing or replacing the heart valve in a patient.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A method for performing transvascular heart valve repair or replacement in a patient comprising the steps of:

a) priming a heart-lung machine with a priming liquid in a priming mode;

b) switching the heart lung machine from the priming mode to an operational mode;

c) connecting a venous blood inlet on the heart lung machine to a vein in the patient and connecting an arterial blood outlet from the heart lung machine to an artery in the patient to form a closed extracorporeal blood circulation in fluid contact with the patient circulatory system;

d) operating the heart-lung machine in said operational mode to take venous blood from the patient, oxygenate the venous blood, and return oxygenated blood to the patient; and

e) repairing or replacing the heart valve in said patient wherein;

said heart-lung machine comprises a blood reservoir, a blood pump, an air extraction pump, an oxygenator, and a blood filter;

the air extraction pump is in fluid communication with an air space at the top of the blood reservoir and configured to pump air from the blood reservoir;

the blood pump is in fluid communication with and downstream from a blood space at the bottom of the blood reservoir and in fluid communication with and upstream from the oxygenator;

the blood filter is in fluid communication with and downstream from the oxygenator; and

separate event lines connect the top most spaces within each of the oxygenator and the blood filter with the blood reservoir.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said blood reservoir is separated into a lower blood-containing space and an upper air-containing space by a membrane that is permeable to blood but not to air bubbles.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the heart-lung machine further comprises:

a bubble detector located downstream of said arterial filter and connected by an arterial line to an arterial connection configured to deliver oxygenated blood to an artery of the patient;

a quick action arterial clamp disposed on the arterial line between the bubble detector and the arterial connection;

a bypass line connecting to said arterial line between the bubble detector and the quick action clamp and configured to transport blood from the arterial line to the blood reservoir; and

a bypass clamp disposed on the bypass line and wherein the heart-lung machine is configured such that, when the bubble detector detects an air bubble, the quick action clamp is closed, the blood pump is stopped, the bypass clamp is opened, and the blood pump is restarted when the bypass clamp is substantially opened, and blood is guided from the bubble detector back into the blood reservoir.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the quick action clamp is opened and the bypass clamp is dosed once the blood detector no longer detects an air bubble for a predetermined time interval.