Acoustic access disconnection systems and methods

• US 8,795,217 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2012
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• 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, Childers, Robert, Kelly, Thomas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiest, Philip R
• Application Number:
  US13/413,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20120165719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 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 machine including a blood treatment machine housing;

a member separate from the blood treatment machine housing;

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

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

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

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

electronic circuitry positioned on the member, the electronic circuitry coupled to at least one of the transmitter and receiver, the electronic circuitry configured to send a disconnection output to the blood treatment machine, the disconnection output indicative of a change in the wave received by the receiver from the transmitter sufficient to expect that an access site disconnection of one of the arterial or venous lines has occurred.

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

(i) shut down a blood pump;

(ii) activate a venous line clamp; and

(iii) alert the patient of the disconnection.

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

sonic, subsonic, ultrasonic, sound, 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 the 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 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) a capacitive sensing pad detector and (iii) a 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 disallows the wave from traveling from the transmitter through a blood pump of the blood processing machine to the receiver so that the wave travels through the access site instead.

8. The access disconnection system of claim 1, wherein the member is a printed circuit board.

9. The access disconnection system of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuitry is in wired communication with the blood treatment machine.

10. An access disconnection system comprising:

a blood treatment machine including a blood treatment machine housing;

a member separate from the blood treatment machine housing;

an arterial line;

a venous line;

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

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

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

electronic circuitry positioned on the member, the electronic circuitry configured to send a disconnection output to the blood treatment machine, the disconnection output indicative of a change in the reflected wave received by the receiver sufficient to expect that an access site disconnection of one of the arterial or venous lines has occurred.

11. The access disconnection system of claim 10, wherein the electronic circuitry includes a wireless communication apparatus positioned on the member, the wireless communication apparatus configured to wirelessly send the disconnection output to the blood treatment machine.

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

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

13. The access disconnection system of claim 10, wherein the transmitter and receiver are at least one of:

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

14. The access disconnection of system of claim 10, 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.

15. The access disconnection system of claim 10, wherein the member is a printed circuit board.

16. The access disconnection system of claim 10, wherein the electronic circuitry is in wired communication with the blood treatment machine.

17. An access disconnection system comprising:

a blood treatment machine including a blood treatment machine housing;

a member separate from the blood treatment machine housing;

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

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

a receiver positioned on the member and configured to receive a wave within the arterial or venous line when connected to a patient; and

electronic circuitry positioned on the member, the electronic circuitry configured to;

(i) develop a characteristic pattern of the wave; and

(ii) send a disconnection output to the blood treatment machine, the disconnection output indicative of a change in the characteristic pattern sufficient to expect that an access site disconnection of one of the arterial or venous lines has occurred.

18. The access disconnection system of claim 17, wherein the disconnection output causes the blood treatment machine 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.

19. The access disconnection system of claim 17, wherein the disconnection output is sent wirelessly to the blood treatment machine via a wireless communication apparatus.

20. The access disconnection system of claim 17, wherein the receiver is at least one of:

a transducer, piezoelectric, or electromagnetic.

21. The access disconnection system of claim 17, wherein the member is a printed circuit board.

22. The access disconnection system of claim 17, wherein the electronic circuitry is in electrical communication with the blood treatment machine via electrical wiring.