Blood aspiration system and methods of use

1. Apparatus suitable for providing variable rates of aspiration to a working lumen of a catheter, the apparatus comprising:

a manifold having an inlet port, an outlet port, a slide valve slidingly disposed therebetween, the slide valve having an open position and a closed position, and a first check valve disposed within the manifold and in fluid communication with the inlet port, wherein the inlet port is in fluid communication with the working lumen of the catheter;

a pump coupled to the manifold, the pump having a housing defining a pump lumen and a plunger disposed within the lumen, the pump coupled to the manifold so that the plunger contacts and retains the slide valve in the open position when the plunger is fully depressed in the pump lumen;

a spring in operative association with the slide valve to bias the slide valve to a closed position:

wherein proximally retracting the plunger moves the slide valve to the closed position and causes fluid to enter the pump lumen, whereby proximally retracting the plunger varies the rate of aspiration in the working lumen of the catheter, and wherein distally advancing the plunger causes fluid in the pump lumen to exit through the outlet port.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outlet port is coupled to a venous line that is in fluid communication with a patient's venous vasculature.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a filter chamber having a filter disposed therein coupled to the outlet port of the manifold.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the filter chamber is detachable from the outlet port.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein distally advancing the plunger compresses the slide valve against the spring.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the slide valve further comprises a block having a first end, a second end, and a bore extending laterally through a central region of the block.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the block comprises an oval-shaped configuration.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the block comprises a rectangular-shaped configuration.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the manifold further comprises a suction/infusion port in fluid communication with the working lumen of the catheter.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing further comprises a plurality of indicia for quantifying a rate of pump-assisted aspiration.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first check valve is configured to permit fluid flow from the inlet port into a pump chamber of the housing.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the first check valve is configured to close when the plunger is advanced in a distal direction.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second check valve disposed within the manifold that is configured to permit fluid flow in a direction from a pump chamber of the housing towards the outlet port.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the second check valve is configured to close when the plunger is retracted in a proximal direction.

15. Method for providing variable rates of aspiration to a working lumen of a catheter, the method comprising:

providing apparatus comprising a manifold having an inlet port in fluid communication with the working lumen of the catheter, an outlet port, a slide valve slidingly disposed therebetween and operable between an open position and a closed position, a spring in operative association with the slide valve to bias the slide valve to the closed position, and a first check valve disposed within the manifold and in fluid communication with the inlet port, the apparatus further comprising a pump coupled to the manifold, the pump including a housing having a pump lumen and a plunger disposed within the pump lumen, the pump coupled to the manifold so that the plunger contacts and retains the slide valve in the open position when the plunger is fully depressed in the pump lumen;

proximally retracting the plunger to move the slide valve to the closed position and to cause fluid to enter the pump lumen, whereby proximally retracting the plunger causes the spring to urge the slide valve to the closed position and varies the rate of aspiration in the working lumen of the catheter; and

distally advancing the plunger to cause fluid in the pump lumen to exit through the outlet port.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising actuating the first check valve to allow flow from the inlet port into the pump lumen when the plunger is proximally retracted.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising causing the first check valve to close when the plunger is distally advanced.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising providing a second check valve disposed between the pump lumen and the outlet port, and actuating the second check valve to open to allow flow from the pump lumen into the outlet port when the plunger is distally advanced.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising causing the second check valve to close when the plunger is proximally retracted.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein distally advancing the plunger compresses the slide valve against the spring.

21. The method of claim 15 further comprising reperfusing blood that exits through the outlet port into a remote vein.

22. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

providing a filter chamber coupled to the outlet port of the manifold, the filter chamber having a filter disposed therein; and

filtering blood flowing from the outlet port through the filter chamber.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising selectively detaching the filter chamber from engagement with the outlet port.

24. The method of claim 15 further comprising selectively providing suction-assisted aspiration through the working lumen of the catheter through a suction/infusion port coupled to the manifold.