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Method and device for monitoring a vascular access during a dialysis treatment

  • US 6,077,443 A
  • Filed: 08/05/1998
  • Issued: 06/20/2000
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1997
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method of monitoring a vascular access during a dialysis treatment using a dialyzer subdivided into a blood chamber by a semipermeable membrane into a blood chamber and a dialysis fluid chamber, the method comprising:

  • passing blood through an arterial blood line of an extracorporeal blood circulation path into the blood chamber and returning the blood from the blood chamber through a venous blood line of the extracorporeal blood circulation path;

    providing fresh dialysis fluid via a dialysis fluid inlet line of a dialysis fluid path to the dialysis fluid chamber and removing spent dialysis fluid from the dialyzer via a dialysis fluid drain line of the dialysis fluid path;

    generating first pressure pulses in the dialysis fluid path during operation of the dialyzer; and

    monitoring a waveform of second pressure pulses in the extracorporeal blood circulation path, induced by the first pressure pulses generated in the dialysis fluid path so that a faulty vascular access is deduced when a characteristic change in the second pressure pulses waveform is detected.

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