Apparatus for whole-body hyperthermia

• US 6,156,007 A
• Filed: 01/26/1995
• Issued: 12/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thermasolutions
• Original Assignee: Hemotherm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ash, Stephen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): YASKO JR, JOHN D
• Application Number:
  US09/126,372
• Time in Patent Office: 2,140 Days
• Field of Search: 604/113, 604/4-6, 607/96, 607/104, 607/105, 607/106, 607/113, 607/114
• US Class Current: 604/113
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/16 with membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1649 with pulsatile dialysis fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1696 with dialysate regeneration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/26 and internal elements which are moving
• 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 1/3486 Biological, chemical treatment, e.g. chemical precipitation; treatment by absorbents
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3493 using treatment agents in suspension
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3607 Regulation parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3679 by absorption A61M1/3675 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/369 Temperature treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3379 Masses, volumes, levels of fluids in reservoirs, flow rates
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/366 by liquid heat exchangers

Abstract

An apparatus for use in whole body hypothermia includes a dialyzer having a blood side and a dialysate side separated by one or more dialysis membranes. A blood pump associated with the a blood circuit established on the blood side circulates blood through the dialyzer at high rates advantageous for hyperthermia treatments. A bypass is included whereby circulated blood can bypass the dialyzer. The bypass aids in preventing blood-side tensioning of dialyzer membranes thereby allowing proper membrane movement to assist in mixing a sorbent suspension circulated on the dialysate side of the dialyzer. A sorbent suspension composition for use as a dialysate in hemodialysis, especially when performed in conjunction with whole body hyperthermia, includes water, a surface adsorptive agent such as charcoal, a cation exchanger, and precipitated calcium phosphate. The precipitated calcium phosphate serves as a reservoir for calcium and phosphate ions to assist in controlling patient blood chemistries.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in whole body hyperthermia treatment of a patient, comprising:

a dialyzer having a blood inlet to and a blood outlet from a blood side separated from a dialysate side by at least one dialysis membrane, said dialyzer further having a dialysate inlet to and dialysate outlet from said dialysate side;

a blood circuit for conveying blood from the patient to said blood inlet and from said blood outlet back into the patient;

a pump operably associated with said blood circuit for circulating blood through said blood circuit;

a heat exchanger operably associated with said blood circuit and effective to heat blood circulating in said blood circuit to a temperature of at least about 40°

C.;

a sorbent suspension in said dialysate side of said dialyzer, said sorbent suspension comprising water, a particulate surface adsorptive agent, and precipitated calcium phosphate; and

circulating means for circulating said sorbent suspension in said dialysate side of said dialyzer in a direction generally from said dialysate inlet to said dialysate outlet.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the surface adsorptive agent is charcoal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sorbent suspension further comprises a solid particulate ion exchanger.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the ion exchanger is a zeolite or polymer resin.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the ion exchanger is a polymer resin and wherein said surface adsorptive agent is charcoal.

6. An apparatus for use in whole body hyperthermia, comprising:

a dialyzer having a blood inlet to and a blood outlet from a blood side separated from a dialysate side by dialysis membranes, said dialyzer further having a dialysate inlet to and dialysate outlet from said dialysate side, said membranes being compliantly formed to expand and compress in response to alternating negative pressure and positive pressure on said dialysate side of said dialyzer so as to agitate a sorbent suspension in said dialysate side;

means for applying alternating negative pressure and positive pressure on said dialysate side of said dialyzer;

a blood circulation circuit including a blood removal circuit for conveying blood from the patient to said blood inlet, said blood removal circuit including a first patient access;

said blood circulation circuit also including a blood return circuit for conveying blood from said blood outlet back into the patient, said blood return circuit including a second patient access separate from said first patient access;

one or more pumps operably associated with said blood circulation circuit for circulating blood through said blood circulation circuit in a direction generally from said first access to said second access;

bypass means fluidly connecting said blood removal circuit to said blood return circuit for allowing blood circulated by said pump to bypass said dialyzer, said bypass means being effective to reduce blood-side tensioning of said dialyzer membranes whereby effective mixing of said sorbent suspension is maintained; and

a heat exchanger operably associated with said blood circulation circuit and effective to heat blood circulating in said blood circulation circuit.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said pump is a centrifugal pump.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said pump is operably associated with said blood removal circuit.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the dialyzer is a plate dialyzer.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 and also comprising a heater in said dialysate circuit effective to heat said sorbent suspension to a temperature of at least about 40°

C.