Method and apparatus for therapeutic apheresis
First Claim
1. A method of carrying out therapeutic apheresis comprising:
- securing a triple lumen catheter having a filter device on the proximal end thereof in a blood vessel of a patient, said filter device capable of separating plasma from whole blood in-vivo at pressures and flow rates therein;
separating plasma from whole blood in-vivo and directing the separated plasma through a first lumen of said triple lumen catheter to a therapeutic apheresis selective component removal apparatus;
carrying out therapeutic apheresis by separating and removing and/or neutralizing selected disease-related components comprising toxins, antibodies, proteins, bacteria, viruses, and/or combinations of two or more thereof from the plasma, returning treated plasma to the patient via a second lumen of said triple lumen catheter; and
selectively periodically backflushing said filter device via a third lumen of said triple lumen catheter.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for carrying out therapeutic apheresis comprises separating plasma from whole blood in-vivo and removing selected disease-related components from the separated plasma. Apparatus for carrying out therapeutic apheresis includes a filter device for being implanted in a blood vessel for carrying out in-vivo plasma separation having one or more elongated hollow tubes and a plurality of elongated hollow microporous fibers capable of separating plasma from whole blood at pressure and blood flow within a patient'"'"'s vein, a multiple lumen catheter secured to the proximal end of the filter device having one or more lumens in fluid communication with the interior of said one or more hollow tubes and a plasma return lumen, and therapeutic apheresis apparatus for removing and/or separating selected disease-related components from the separated plasma and means for directing plasma between said catheter and the selective component removal apparatus.
-
Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A method of carrying out therapeutic apheresis comprising:
-
securing a triple lumen catheter having a filter device on the proximal end thereof in a blood vessel of a patient, said filter device capable of separating plasma from whole blood in-vivo at pressures and flow rates therein;
separating plasma from whole blood in-vivo and directing the separated plasma through a first lumen of said triple lumen catheter to a therapeutic apheresis selective component removal apparatus;
carrying out therapeutic apheresis by separating and removing and/or neutralizing selected disease-related components comprising toxins, antibodies, proteins, bacteria, viruses, and/or combinations of two or more thereof from the plasma, returning treated plasma to the patient via a second lumen of said triple lumen catheter; and
selectively periodically backflushing said filter device via a third lumen of said triple lumen catheter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 18)
-
-
12. A method of carrying out therapeutic apheresis comprising:
-
securing a triple lumen catheter having a filter device on the proximal end thereof in a blood vessel of a patient, said filter device capable of separating plasma from whole blood in-vivo at pressures and flow rates in said blood vessel and comprising a plurality of elongated hollow fibers each fiber having an outer wall surface, an inner wall surface and an interior lumen extending along the length thereof, said fiber wall having an asymmetrical pore size and asymmetrical mass density morphology between inner and outer fiber walls wherein the mass density adjacent to said outer wall is greater than the mass density adjacent to said inner wall;
separating blood plasma and disease-related components therein from whole blood in-vivo by passing said plasma through the wall of said fibers from the outer wall to the inner wall and through a first lumen of said triple lumen catheter to a therapeutic apheresis selective component removal apparatus;
carrying out therapeutic apheresis by separating and removing and/or neutralizing selected disease-related components comprising toxins, antibodies, proteins, bacteria, viruses, and/or combinations of two or more thereof from the plasma; and
returning treated plasma to the patient via a second lumen of said triple lumen catheter. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
Specification