Acoustic access disconnection systems and methods

• US 8,152,751 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Baxter Healthcare SA (Baxter International Inc.), Baxter International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Baxter Healthcare SA (Baxter International Inc.), Baxter International Inc.
• Inventors: Roger, Rodolfo G., Childers, Robert W., Kelly, Thomas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zalukaeva, Tatyana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wiest, Philip R
• Application Number:
  US11/673,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20080195021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 600485-490, 604 401- 616, 604 8- 10, 604 65- 67, 604 27- 31, 604/122, 604/149, 210644-650, 422 44- 48
• US Class Current: 604/4.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/14 Dialysis systems; Artificial kidneys; Blood oxygenators semi-permeable membranes characterised by the material, manufacturing processes therefor B01D71/00 ; Reciprocating systems for treatment of body fluids, e.g. single needle systems for hemofiltration or pheresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3607 Regulation parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3639 Blood pressure control, pressure transducers specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3653 Interfaces between patient blood circulation and extra-corporal blood circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3656 Monitoring patency or flow at connection sites; Detecting disconnections
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/058 with ultrasound therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/15 Detection of leaks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3306 Optical measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3317 Electromagnetic, inductive or dielectric measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3344 Measuring or controlling pressure at the body treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3375 Acoustical, e.g. ultrasonic, measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/04 Heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulation

Abstract

An access disconnection system includes: an arterial line; a venous line; a transmitter configured to transmit a sound wave in one of the arterial and venous lines when connected to a patient; a receiver configured to receive the sound wave from the other of the arterial and venous lines when connected to the patient; and electronic circuitry coupled to at least one of the transmitter and receiver, the circuitry configured to send a disconnection output indicative of a change in the sound waves received by the receiver from the transmitter sufficient to expect that an access disconnection of one of the arterial line and venous lines has occurred.

Claims

1. An access disconnection system comprising:

a blood treatment unit including a blood treatment unit housing;

a board separate from the blood treatment unit housing;

an arterial line, a portion of the arterial line positioned on the board;

a venous line, a portion of the venous line positioned on the board;

a transmitter positioned on the board and configured to transmit a sound wave in one of the arterial and venous lines when connected to a patient;

a receiver positioned on the board and configured to receive the sound wave from the other of the arterial and venous lines when connected to the patient; and

electronic circuitry including a wireless communication apparatus positioned on the board, the electronic circuitry coupled to at least one of the transmitter and receiver, the circuitry configured to send a disconnection output to the blood treatment unit via a wireless signal sent by the wireless communication apparatus, the disconnection output indicative of a change in the sound waves received by the receiver from the transmitter sufficient to expect that an access disconnection of one of the arterial line and venous lines has occurred.

2. The access disconnection system of claim 1, the disconnection output causing the blood treatment unit to perform at least one of:

(i) shutting down a blood pump;

(ii) activating a venous line clamp; and

(iii) alerting the patient of the disconnection.

3. The access disconnection system of claim 1, wherein the sound wave is of at least one type selected from the group consisting of:

sonic, subsonic, pressure, single frequency, multiple frequencies, continuous, pulsed, modulated in amplitude, modulated in frequency, modulated in phase and any suitable combination thereof.

4. The access disconnection system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter and receiver are of at least one type selected from the group consisting of:

a single transducer, multiple transducers, piezoelectric, and electromagnetic.

5. The access disconnection of system of claim 1, wherein the disconnection output is of at least one type selected from the group consisting of:

an electrical output, a radio frequency output, a continuous output, an intermittent output and an output occurring upon the change.

6. The access disconnection system of claim 1, which is a redundant system that combines one of:

(i) an optical blood leak detector, (ii) capacitive sensing pad detector and (iii) conductive blanket detector with the transmitter, the receiver and the electronic circuitry.

7. The access disconnection system of claim 1, which includes an air separation device, which acts to disallow the sound wave from traveling from the transmitter, to the receiver, through a blood pump of the blood processing unit implementing the access disconnection system.

8. An access disconnection system comprising:

a blood treatment unit including a blood treatment unit housing;

a board separate from the blood treatment unit housing;

an arterial line;

a venous line;

wherein a portion of at least one of the venous line and the arterial line is positioned on the board;

a transmitter positioned on the board and configured to transmit a sound wave in one of the arterial and venous lines when connected to a patient;

a receiver positioned on the board and configured to receive a reflection of the sound wave within the arterial or venous line when connected to the patient; and

electronic circuitry including a wireless communication apparatus positioned on the board, the electronic circuitry coupled to at least one of the transmitter and receiver, the circuitry configured to send a disconnection output to the blood treatment unit via a wireless signal sent by the wireless communication apparatus, the disconnection output indicative of a change in the reflected sound waves received by the receiver sufficient to expect that an access disconnection of one of the arterial line and venous lines has occurred.

9. The access disconnection system of claim 8, the disconnection output causing the blood treatment unit to perform at least one of:

(i) shutting down a blood pump;

(ii) activating a venous clamp; and

(iii) alerting the patient of the disconnection.

10. The access disconnection system of claim 8, wherein the sound wave is of at least one type selected from the group consisting of:

sonic, subsonic, pressure, single frequency, multiple frequencies, continuous, pulsed, modulated in amplitude, modulated in frequency, modulated in phase and any suitable combination thereof.

11. The access disconnection system of claim 8, wherein the transmitter and receiver are at least one of:

a single transducer, multiple transducers, piezoelectric, electromagnetic, and housed with the wireless communication apparatus configured to communicate with the blood treatment unit.

12. The access disconnection of system of claim 8, wherein the disconnection output is of at least one type selected from the group consisting of:

an electrical output, a radio frequency output, a continuous output, an intermittent output and an output occurring upon the change.

13. The access disconnection system of claim 8, wherein the change in the reflected sound waves is a change in a signature response produced by the reflected sound waves.

14. The access disconnection system of claim 8, which is a redundant system that combines one of (i) an optical blood leak detector, (ii) capacitive sensing pad detector and (iii) conductive blanket detector with the transmitter, the receiver and the electronic circuitry.

15. An access disconnection system comprising:

a blood treatment unit including a blood treatment unit housing;

a board separate from the blood treatment unit housing;

an arterial line, a portion of the arterial line positioned on the board;

a venous line, a portion of the venous line positioned on the board;

a receiver positioned on the board and configured to receive sound waves within the arterial or venous line when connected to a patient, the waves generated by at least one apparatus coupled to one of the arterial and venous lines; and

electronic circuitry including a wireless communication apparatus positioned on the board, the electronic circuitry coupled to the receiver, the circuitry configured to;

(i) develop a characteristic pattern of the sound waves; and

(ii) send a disconnection output to the blood treatment unit via a wireless signal sent by the wireless communication apparatus, the disconnection output indicative of a change in the characteristic pattern, which is sufficient to expect that an access disconnection of one of the arterial line and venous lines has occurred.

16. The access disconnection system of claim 15, the disconnection output causing the blood treatment unit to perform at least one:

(i) shut down a blood pump;

(ii) activate a venous line clamp; and

(iii) alert the patient of the disconnection.

17. The access disconnection system of claim 15, wherein the at least one apparatus coupled to one of the arterial and venous lines includes a blood pump, drip chamber and a dialyzer.

18. The access disconnection system of claim 15, wherein the receiver is at least one of:

a transducer, piezoelectric, electromagnetic, and housed with the wireless communication apparatus configured to communicate with the blood treatment unit.

19. The access disconnection of system of claim 15, wherein the disconnection output is of at least one type selected from the group consisting of:

an electrical output, a radio frequency output, a continuous output, an intermittent output and an output occurring upon the change.

20. The access disconnection system of claim 15, which is a redundant system that combines one of (i) an optical blood leak detector, (ii) capacitive sensing pad detector and (iii) conductive blanket detector with the receiver and the electronic circuitry.

21. An access disconnection system comprising:

a blood treatment unit including a blood treatment unit housing;

a printed circuit board;

an arterial line, a portion of the arterial line positioned on the board;

a venous line, a portion of the venous line positioned on the board;

a transmitter positioned on the board and configured to transmit a sound wave in one of the arterial and venous lines when connected to a patient;

a receiver positioned on the board and configured to receive the sound wave from the other of the arterial and venous lines when connected to the patient;

wherein the printed circuit board carries the transmitter, the receiver and electronic circuitry including a wireless communication apparatus, the electronic circuitry coupled to at least one of the transmitter and receiver, the circuitry configured to send a disconnection output to the blood treatment unit via a wireless signal sent by the wireless communication apparatus, the disconnection output indicative of a change in the sound waves received by the receiver from the transmitter sufficient to expect that an access disconnection of one of the arterial line and venous lines has occurred.

22. The access disconnection system of claim 21, wherein the disconnection output is of at least one type selected from the group consisting of:

an electrical output, a radio frequency output, a continuous output, an intermittent output and an output occurring upon the change.