Anti-clotting apparatus and methods for fluid handling system

• US 7,364,562 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OptiScan Biomedical Corporation
• Original Assignee: OptiScan Biomedical Corporation
• Inventors: Braig, James R., Keenan, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Zalukaeva; Tatyana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Treyger; Ilya Y
• Application Number:
  US11/314,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20070083143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 604/6.08, 604/6.07, 604/66, 604/22, 604/101.04, 604/20, 604/96.01, 604/21, 604/35, 424/490, 601/2, 600/411, 600/478
• US Class Current: 604/6.08
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15003 for venous or arterial blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150213 Venting means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150221 Valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150229 Pumps for assisting the blood sampling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150755 Blood sample preparation for further analysis, e.g. by separating blood components or by mixing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150862 intermediate range, e.g. within room or building
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150992 Blood sampling from a fluid line external to a patient, such as a catheter line, combined with an infusion line; blood sampling from indwelling needle sets, e.g. sealable ports, luer couplings, valves tubing connectors and couplings A61M39/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/153 Devices specially adapted for taking samples of venous or arterial blood, e.g. with syringes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/155 Devices specially adapted for continuous or multiple sampling, e.g. at predetermined intervals devices loaded with multiple lancets simultaneously A61B5/15146
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/157 Devices characterised by integrated means for measuring characteristics of blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/20 Blood composition characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14212 Pumping with an aspiration and an expulsion action
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/35 using infrared light G01N21/39 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for maintaining clear passageways in an extracorporeal blood flow system. The method comprises intermittently providing one or more anti-clotting agents to a passageway of the extracorporeal blood flow system. Also disclosed is an extracorporeal blood flow system. The system comprises a passageway, and a device operatively connected to provide one or more anti-clotting agents to a least a portion of said passageway.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining clear passageways in a blood flow system comprising:

providing a first passageway for a blood flow in the blood flow system, the blood flow having a return portion which is returned to the patient through the first passageway;

providing at least one valve in operative association with the first passageway;

operating the valve to cause at least a portion of the blood flow to change a direction of blood flow in the first passageway;

separating from the blood flow at least one portion to provide a sample fluid flow, the sample fluid flow comprising a nonreturn portion;

providing a second passageway for the sample fluid flow;

providing one or more anti-clotting agents to only the sample fluid flow in the second passageway of the blood flow system;

treating the sample fluid flow;

analyzing the sample fluid flow for at least one analyte; and

collecting the nonreturn portion such that it is not returned to the patient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one of said one or more anti-clotting agents comprises ultrasound.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said providing one or more anti-clotting agents comprises positioning an ultrasound generator against at least a portion of said second passageway.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said providing one or more anti-clotting agents comprises providing from approximately 2 Watts to approximately 200 Watts of ultrasound.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said providing one or more anti-clotting agents comprises providing up to approximately 25 Watts of ultrasound.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said providing one or more anti-clotting agents comprises providing ultrasound having a frequency including approximately 15 kHz to approximately 60 kHz.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said providing one or more anti-clotting agents comprises providing ultrasound having a frequency of approximately 40 kHz.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one of said one or more anti-clotting agents is a detergent, and wherein said providing one or more anti-clotting agents comprises providing said detergent within at least a portion of said second passageway.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said detergent includes a protease enzyme.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said blood flow system includes a point-of-care analyte monitoring system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said blood flow system includes an optical detection device, wherein said second passageway includes an optical measurement cell, and wherein said one or more anti-clotting agents is provided at or near said optical measurement cell.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said blood flow system includes a spectral analyzer of the blood.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said treating the sample fluid flow comprises centrifuging the sample fluid flow with a centrifuge.

14. A blood flow system comprising:

a first passageway;

a second passageway in fluid communication with the first passageway;

a pump configured to draw a sample into the blood flow system from a blood source;

a valve in fluid communication with the first passageway and the second passageway, the valve being configured to separate the sample into a return portion and a nonreturn portion;

a controller configured to operate the blood flow system such that the return portion is returned to the blood source and the nonreturn portion is not returned to the blood source;

a blood analyzer operatively connected to the second passageway, the blood analyzer being configured to determine the concentration of at least one analyte in the nonreturn portion of the sample; and

an anti-clotting device operatively connected to provide one or more anti-clotting agents to at least a portion of the sample in the second passageway.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said anti-clotting device comprises an ultrasound generator positionable to contact said second passageway.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said ultrasound generator generates from approximately 2 Watts to approximately 200 Watts of ultrasound.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said ultrasound generator generates up to approximately 25 Watts of ultrasound.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said ultrasound has a frequency of from approximately 15 kHz to approximately 60 kHz.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said ultrasound has a frequency of approximately 40 kHz.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein one of said one or more anti-clotting agents comprises a detergent, and wherein said anti-clotting device provides said detergent within at least a portion of said second passageway.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said detergent includes a protease enzyme.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein said blood flow system comprises a point-of-care analyte monitoring system.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said point-of-care analyte monitoring system includes an optical detection device, wherein said passageway includes an optical measurement cell, and wherein said one or more anti-clotting agents is provided at or near said optical measurement cell.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said point-of-care analyte monitoring system includes a spectroscopic analyzer.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said spectroscopic analyzer is an infrared spectrometer.

26. A method for providing clear passageways in a blood flow system comprising:

providing a first passageway for a blood flow in the blood flow system;

providing at least one valve in operative association with the first passageway;

operating the valve on at least a portion of the blood flow;

separating at least one portion from the blood flow to provide a sample fluid flow;

providing a second passageway for the sample fluid flow;

providing one or more anti-clotting agents to only the sample fluid flow;

analyzing the sample fluid flow for at least one analyte; and

collecting the sample fluid flow such that it is not returned to the patient.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising treating the sample fluid flow.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein treating comprises separating the sample fluid flow into fluid components.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein separating the sample fluid flow into fluid components comprises filtering the sample fluid flow.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein separating the sample fluid flow into fluid components comprises centrifuging the sample fluid flow.