Transvivo plasma extraction catheter device

• US 5,224,926 A
• Filed: 08/16/1991
• Issued: 07/06/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matria Healthcare, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Healthdyne, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Atkin, John, Gorsuch, Reynolds G. F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Green, Randall L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CLARKE, ROBERT A
• Application Number:
  US07/745,912
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 604/4-6, 604/7, 604/8, 604/52, 604/53, 604/403, 604/406, 604/27, 422/44, 422/48, 210/645, 210/646
• US Class Current: 604/6.04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14528 invasively
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14557 specially adapted to extracorporeal circuits
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1678 intracorporal peritoneal dialysis A61M1/28
• 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 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 using modem, internet or bluetooth

Abstract

A device for being implanted in a blood vessel for carrying out continuous in vivo plasma separation comprises an elongated, axial header and at least one elongated microporous fiber having a hollow interior, said fiber being dimensioned to be received within a blood vessel without significantly obstructing fluid flow through said blood vessel, the pore size of said fiber being sufficient to allow plasma to diffuse through said pores into said hollow interior of said fiber but not sufficient to allow cellular components larger than plasma to diffuse therethrough, said one or more fibers extending laterally relative to the axis of said header and in fluid communication with said header.

In another embodiment, the fibers comprise a drogue-shaped device comprising a plurality of said fibers aligned lengthwise, a first end of said fibers terminating substantially in first plane and generally forming an annulus having a first diameter, and a second end of said fibers terminating generally in a second plane and secured in an annular header having a second diameter smaller than said first diameter.

Claims

1. A device for being implanted in a blood vessel for carrying out continuous in vivo plasma separation comprising an elongated, axial header having an elongated exterior surface, and at least one elongated microporous fiber having a hollow interior, said fiber being dimensioned to be received within a blood vessel without significantly obstructing fluid flow through said blood vessel, the pore size of said fiber being sufficient to allow plasma to diffuse through said pores into said hollow interior of said fiber but not sufficient to allow cellular components larger than plasma to diffuse therethrough, said one or more fibers secured along and extending from said elongated exterior surface of said header and extending laterally relative to the axis thereof, and in fluid communication with said header.

2. A device of claim 1 wherein said fiber comprises a plurality of looped branches.

3. A device of claim 2 wherein said branches extend substantially normal and radially from said header.

4. A device of claim 1 wherein said fiber comprises a plurality of fibers extending substantially normal and radially from said header.

5. A device of claim 4 wherein said fibers comprise a plurality of substantially planar ribs extending radially from said header.

6. A device of claim 5 wherein the plane of each of said planar ribs lies substantially parallel with the axis of said header.

7. A device of claim 1 wherein said one or more of said fibers extend substantially radially from said header in the form of a pattern and wherein said pattern for each of said devices is substantially identical.

8. A device of claim 1 comprising a plurality of said fibers each having a first end secured in said header.

9. A device of claim 1 wherein said fibers have a flux coefficient of between about 0.8 and about 2.5 ml/min/sqcm/0.1 bar.

10. A device of claim 1 wherein said fibers have a flux coefficient of at least 1.8 ml/min/sq cm/0.1 bar.

11. A device of claim 1 wherein said fiber is composed of a polymeric material.

12. A device of claim 11 wherein said polymeric material is polypropylene.

13. A device of claim 11 wherein said fiber has a pore size of from about 0.1 to 1.0 μ

m.

14. An apparatus comprising the device of claim 1 wherein said hollow interior of said elongated fibers is in fluid communication with a means for conducting plasma comprising a first discrete hollow tube which connects to one end of the fibers and permits passage of plasma from said hollow interior of said fibers and a second discrete hollow tube which returns plasma to said blood vessel such that plasma being removed from said fibers is kept separated from plasma being returned to the blood vessel.

15. An apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a treatment system in fluid communication with said fibers, whereby selected subcomponents of said plasma removed from said blood vessel are treated and the treated plasma returned to said blood vessel.

16. In an apparatus for continuous in vivo plasma separation, comprising:

at least one elongated microporous fiber having a hollow interior, said fiber being dimensioned to be received within a blood vessel without significantly obstructing fluid flow through said blood vessel, the pore size of said fiber being sufficient to allow plasma to diffuse through said pores into said hollow interior of said fiber but not sufficient to allow cellular components larger than plasma to diffuse therethrough, the improvement comprising

a drogue-shaped device comprising a plurality of said fibers aligned lengthwise, a first end of said fibers terminating substantially in first plane and generally forming an annulus having a first diameter, and a second end of said fibers terminating generally in a second plane and secured in an annular header having a second diameter smaller than said first diameter.

17. An apparatus of claim 16 wherein said header is in fluid communication with the interior of said fibers.

18. An apparatus of claim 17 including a catheter secured in said header and in fluid communication therewith.

19. An apparatus of claim 16 wherein said device comprises a single layer of adjacent fibers along said annulus.

20. An apparatus of claim 19 wherein said fibers are overlapped adjacent said annular header.

21. An apparatus of claim 18 comprising a plurality of said devices secured axially in series along said catheter.

22. Apparatus of claim 16 wherein said fibers have a flux coefficient of between about 0.8 and about 2.5 ml/min/sq cm/0.1 bar.

23. An apparatus of claim 16 wherein said fibers have a flux coefficient of at least 1.8 ml/min/sq cm/0.1 bar.

24. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said fiber is composed of a polymeric material.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said polymeric material is polypropylene.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said fiber has a pore size of from about 0.1 to 1.0 μ

m.

27. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said hollow interior of said elongated fibers is in fluid communication with a means for conducting plasma comprising a first discrete hollow tube which connects to one end of the fibers and permits passage of plasma from said hollow interior of said fibers and a second discrete hollow tube which returns plasma to said blood vessel such that plasma being removed from said fibers is kept separated from plasma being returned to the blood vessel.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising a treatment system in fluid communication with said fibers, whereby selected subcomponents of said plasma removed from said blood vessel are treated and the treated plasma returned to said blood vessel.