Systems and methods of blood-based therapies having a microfluidic membraneless exchange device
First Claim
1. A method of performing a blood treatment, comprising:
- attaching venous and arterial blood lines of a patient'"'"'s blood tubing set to a first respective outlet and a first respective inlet of a membraneless channel;
attaching a first inlet and a first outlet of a membrane filter device to a second respective outlet and a second respective inlet of the membraneless channel such that a recirculating channel connecting the second respective outlet and the second respective inlet is defined, the recirculating channel being continuous and uninterrupted by a membrane;
attaching a second inlet of the membrane filter device to a source of dialysate;
permitting toxins and water to pass from the membraneless channel through a membrane of the membrane filter device to a second outlet of the membrane filter device;
returning components of the patient'"'"'s blood passing in the recirculating channel back to the patient'"'"'s blood;
disconnecting the source of dialysate after a first treatment while leaving the venous and arterial blood lines attached to the first respective outlet and the first respective inlet of the membraneless channel; and
repeating the attaching the second inlet to a source of dialysate, the permitting, and the returning so as to perform a second treatment.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to devices, systems and methods for removing undesirable materials from a sample fluid by contact with a second fluid. The sample fluid flows as a thin layer adjacent to, or between, concurrently flowing layers of the second fluid, without an intervening membrane. In various embodiments, a secondary separator is used to restrict the removal of desirable substances and effect the removal of undesirable substances from blood. The invention is useful in a variety of situations where a sample fluid is to be purified via a diffusion mechanism against an extractor fluid. Moreover, the invention may be used for the removal of components from a sample fluid that vary in size. When blood is the sample fluid, for example, this may include the removal of ‘small’ molecules, ‘middle’ molecules, macromolecules, macromolecular aggregates, and cells, from the blood sample to the extractor fluid.
243 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method of performing a blood treatment, comprising:
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attaching venous and arterial blood lines of a patient'"'"'s blood tubing set to a first respective outlet and a first respective inlet of a membraneless channel; attaching a first inlet and a first outlet of a membrane filter device to a second respective outlet and a second respective inlet of the membraneless channel such that a recirculating channel connecting the second respective outlet and the second respective inlet is defined, the recirculating channel being continuous and uninterrupted by a membrane; attaching a second inlet of the membrane filter device to a source of dialysate; permitting toxins and water to pass from the membraneless channel through a membrane of the membrane filter device to a second outlet of the membrane filter device; returning components of the patient'"'"'s blood passing in the recirculating channel back to the patient'"'"'s blood; disconnecting the source of dialysate after a first treatment while leaving the venous and arterial blood lines attached to the first respective outlet and the first respective inlet of the membraneless channel; and repeating the attaching the second inlet to a source of dialysate, the permitting, and the returning so as to perform a second treatment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of performing a blood treatment on a patient, the method comprising:
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connecting a membraneless channel device to both the patient and a membrane filter device such that a blood flow path of the membraneless channel device is coupled to respective inlet and outlet lines of a patient'"'"'s blood tubing set and a recirculating flow path of the membraneless channel device is coupled to a respective inlet and outlet of the membrane filter device; connecting the membrane filter device to a source of dialysate; co-flowing blood from the patient along the blood flow path and fluid from the membrane filter device along the recirculating flow path without a membrane between the paths such that toxins, water, and blood components move from the blood flow into the fluid flow and exit the membraneless channel device; flowing dialysate from said source along a side of a membrane in the membrane filter device such that toxins and water in the fluid flow exiting the membraneless channel device move across the membrane into the dialysate flow; and disconnecting the membrane filter device from the source of dialystate. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification