System for treating tissue swelling

• US 20030187367A1
• Filed: 10/17/2002
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Twin Star Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Twin Star Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Odland, Rick Mathew
• Granted Patent: US 6,942,634 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/573
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/031 Intracranial pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/74 Suction control underwater drainage A61M1/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/75 Intermittent or pulsating suction A61M1/63, A61M1/772 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/79 Filters for solid matter specially adapted for dental use A61C17/065
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/84 Drainage tubes; Aspiration tips for negative pressure wound therapy A61M1/90; for surgical cutting instruments A61B17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/00 Catheters; Hollow probes dilators A61M29/00; peritoneal catheters A61M1/285; tracheal tubes A61M16/04; for drainage A61M27/00; for uterus, vagina or rectum A61M31/00 ; for measuring or testing A61B; materials for catheters A61L29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/00 Drainage appliance for wounds or the like , i.e. wound drains, implanted drains negative pressure wound therapy devices A61M1/90; implements for holding wound open A61B17/02 ; middle ear drainage A61F11/202
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/008 pre-shaped, for use in the urethral or ureteral tract

Abstract

A system and related methods and components for treating tissue swelling, and particularly swelling associated with cerebral edema, compartment syndrome, and congestive heart failure, by the use of water removal therapy, in order to remove only water from biological fluids. Included also is a system for such use that incorporates one or more monitors, optionally in addition to the use of water removal therapy. By removing only water, all other biologic agents, including essentially all solutes and formed blood elements (such as cells) are increased in concentration in the remaining bodily fluid(s). WRT can be applied to several clinical conditions in which there is an excess of water, and is ideally used in an extracorporeal fashion, in combination with other functions and related components as well, including ultrafiltration.

Claims

1. A method of treating tissue swelling, the method comprising the step of employing one or more semipermeable membranes in combination with a hydratable medium in order to remove substantially only water through the semipermeable membrane(s) and from a biological fluid associated with the swelling.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the use of one or more semipermeable membranes in order to perform ultrafiltration on the same or different biological fluid, in order to remove both water and permeable solutes from the biological fluid, and either in series or parallel with the water removal step.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the method is used to treat swelling associated with congestive heart failure, and provides a desired combination of ultrafiltration to remove water and permeable solutes, together with water removal therapy to remove substantially only water.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein both ultrafiltration and water removal therapy are performed in an extracorporeal fashion.

5. A method according to claim 4 comprising respective extracorporeal cartridges in which both ultrafiltration and water removal are performed in parallel on different aliquots of blood.

6. A method according to claim 4 comprising respective extracorporeal cartridges in which both ultrafiltration and water removal are performed in series, with water removal therapy performed following ultrafiltration, and on at least a portion of the ultrafiltrate.

7. A method according to claim 4 further comprising the step of reinfusing the treated fluid with one or more components prior to return to the body.

8. A method according to claim 4 wherein the method is used to treat swelling associated with congestive heart failure, acute renal failure, chronic renal failure, hyponatremia, or water excess syndrome.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the method comprises an arteriovenous method based on a pressure differential between arterial and venous blood to drive blood through a water therapy removal cartridge.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein the method comprises a venovenous method based upon the pumping action of vaporization itself.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein the cartridges each comprise a plurality of hollow fibers together with extraluminal and intraluminal flow paths, the hydratable medium comprises a desiccated gas delivered to the intraluminal flow path, and the biological fluid comprises blood or ultrafiltrate delivered to the extraluminal flow path.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein the cartridges each comprise a plurality of hollow fibers together with extraluminal and intraluminal flow paths, the hydratable medium comprises a desiccated gas delivered to the extraluminal flow path, and the biological fluid comprises blood or ultrafiltrate delivered to the intraluminal flow path.

16. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the hydratable medium comprises a gas.

13. An apparatus for treating tissue swelling, comprising one or more semipermeable membranes adapted to be used in combination with a hydratable medium in order to remove substantially only water through the semipermeable membrane(s) and from a biological fluid associated with the swelling.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the apparatus comprises a cartridge containing one or more semipermeable membranes and positioned in an extracorporeal circuit.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the one or more semipermeable membranes are in the form of hollow fibers.

17. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the fibers are formed of materials selected from the group consisting of polyacrylonitrile, polyethersulfone, cellulose and polysulfone.

18. An apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising one or more monitoring components physically and/or functionally integrated with the placement and/or operation of the semipermeable membrane component.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the monitoring components are associated with the system of this invention, in that that one or more components of the monitoring components are physically and/or functionally integrated with the placement and/or operation of the semipermeable membrane component.

20. An apparatus for treating tissue swelling, comprising one or more semipermeable membranes adapted to be used in combination with a hydratable medium in order to remove substantially only water from a biological fluid associated with the swelling, wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of hollow fibers positioned within a cartridge in order to provide corresponding intraluminal and extraluminal flow paths within the cartridge, the flow paths being adapted to position both a biological fluid and a hydratable medium, respectively, on opposite surfaces of the fibers, under conditions suitable to remove substantially only water from the biological fluid.