WEARABLE ULTRAFILTRATION DEVICE

• US 20100094193A1
• Filed: 12/11/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Incorporated (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Original Assignee: National Quality Care Inc.
• Inventors: GURA, VICTOR, RAMBOD, EDMOND
• Granted Patent: US 8,206,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/6.09
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/16 with membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1696 with dialysate regeneration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/34 Filtering material out of the blood by passing it through a membrane, i.e. hemofiltration or diafiltration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3403 Regulation parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3382 Upper level detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/082 Mounting brackets, arm supports for equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/088 on the body
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/243 Pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2321/2066 Pulsated flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/145 Ultrafiltration

Abstract

An ultrafiltration device adapted to be worn on a portion of the body of a patient includes a blood inlet tube leading from a first blood vessel, a blood pump, an anticoagulant reservoir for infusing anticoagulants into the blood, a blood filter including a substrate through which the blood is circulated and filtered, a fluid bag for storing the excess fluid and a blood outlet tube leading to a second blood vessel.

Claims

1. A portable, wearable ultrafiltration device comprising:

a blood inlet for receiving blood flow from a patient;

a pump for pumping said blood, from said patient, through said ultrafiltration device at a blood flow rate, said pump adapted to receive power from a battery;

a blood filter for filtering fluid from said blood, the rate of fluid filtering from the blood is configured to be adjusted by a combination of the blood flow rate and by controlling a continuous fluid flow from the blood filter;

a blood outlet connected to the blood filter, the blood outlet configured to receive blood from the blood filter and return the blood to the patient;

a fluid bladder, in removable fluid communication with said blood filter, for collecting said fluid, the wearable ultrafiltration device constructed and configured to operate while in various three-dimensional orientations on the body of the patient;

an alarm for providing an alarm indication to said patient;

a microcontroller electrically connected to the battery, the pump and the alarm, the microcontroller sensing a battery charge and providing an alarm signal to said alarm if said battery charge is below a predetermined level.

2. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 1, wherein said pump weighs less than 400 grams.

3. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 1, wherein said pump is a pulsatile pump adapted to pump blood at a flow rate between 40 and 200 ml/hr.

4. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 3, wherein said pump requires less than 10 watts of energy.

5. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 1, said pump is a dual chamber pulsatile pump.

6. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 1, wherein said battery is rechargeable.

7. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 1, wherein said battery is adapted to be removable.

8. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 1, wherein said alarm indication is at least one of an audible, visual, a felt sensation indication.

9. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 1, further comprising a bladder sensor for sensing a fullness of said fluid bladder and enabling a full fluid bladder signal to be received by said microcontroller.

10. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 9, wherein said micro controller sends an off signal to said pump after receiving said full fluid bladder signal.

11. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 1, wherein said fluid bladder contains an absorbent material.

12. The portable, wearable ultrafiltration device of claim 11, wherein said absorbent material expands as it absorbs fluid.