Enhanced clearance in an artificial kidney incorporating a pulsatile pump
First Claim
1. A method of dialysis comprising:
- receiving blood in a blood circuit of a dialysis device;
pumping the blood in a pulsed manner to provide an average pulsatile blood flow rate of between 30 and 90 ml/min;
pumping dialysate, in a dialysate circuit of said dialysis device, in a pulsed manner to provide an average pulsatile dialysate flow rate of between 30 and 90 ml/min;
receiving said pumped blood at a blood inlet of a dialyzer; and
receiving said pumped dialysate at a dialysate inlet of said dialyzer, wherein a pressure differential between said blood in said blood inlet and said dialysate in said dialysate inlet fluctuates at a periodic rate between 0 mmHg+/−
10 mmHg and 120 mmHg+/−
20 mmHg; and
transferring urea molecules from said blood to said dialysate while said blood and said dialysate are passing through said dialyzer;
cleaning said dialysate by a filtration means, said cleaned dialysate being recirculated in said dialysate circuit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) device is provided that weighs between 2 and 10 pounds. The CRRT device can be portable, mobile or completely worn on the person of the patient. Blood and dialysate are each pumped in a pulsed or pulsatile manner through a dialyzer such that a significant portion of the peak pulse of the blood flow coincides with a significant portion of a low pulse portion of the dialysate flow. An differential pressure between a dialysate inlet of the dialyzer and the blood inlet of the dialyzer periodically changes from a high differential pressure of between 70 and 120 mmHg for a first time period and a low differential pressure of between −10 and 10 mmHg for a first time period and a low differential pressure of between −10 and 10 mmHg for a second time period. The frequency of the high and low differential pressure cycle is between about 0.5 and 4 Hz.
31 Citations
7 Claims
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1. A method of dialysis comprising:
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receiving blood in a blood circuit of a dialysis device; pumping the blood in a pulsed manner to provide an average pulsatile blood flow rate of between 30 and 90 ml/min; pumping dialysate, in a dialysate circuit of said dialysis device, in a pulsed manner to provide an average pulsatile dialysate flow rate of between 30 and 90 ml/min; receiving said pumped blood at a blood inlet of a dialyzer; and receiving said pumped dialysate at a dialysate inlet of said dialyzer, wherein a pressure differential between said blood in said blood inlet and said dialysate in said dialysate inlet fluctuates at a periodic rate between 0 mmHg+/−
10 mmHg and 120 mmHg+/−
20 mmHg; andtransferring urea molecules from said blood to said dialysate while said blood and said dialysate are passing through said dialyzer; cleaning said dialysate by a filtration means, said cleaned dialysate being recirculated in said dialysate circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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Specification