Extracorporeal fluid circuit and related methods
View Patent ↗A circuit for extracorporeal treatment of a body fluid, the circuit including in serial fluidic communication an inlet for receiving the body fluid from a patient, a first pump, a first treatment device for processing the body fluid, a second pump, an outlet for returning processed body fluid to the patient; and a shunt. The shunt is upstream from the first pump and downstream from the second pump.
1. A circuit for extracorporeal treatment of a fluid from a body, the circuit comprising:
(a) a first section comprising in serial fluidic communication:
(1) an inlet for receiving a body fluid from a source;
(2) a first treatment device for processing the body fluid;
(3) a first pump;
(4) an outlet for providing processed body fluid to the body; and
(5) a shunt, wherein the shunt connects the inlet with the outlet; and
(b) a second section comprising in serial fluidic communication:
(1) a first conduit for receiving an additional fluid from the source;
(2) a second pump; and
(3) the first treatment device for processing the additional fluid, wherein the first treatment device comprises a porous member capable of permitting at least a portion of the additional fluid to combine with at least a portion of the body fluid,
wherein the porous member has a cell located adjacent thereto; and
wherein the circuit further comprises a third pump between the inlet and the first treatment device in the first section or a third pump after the first treatment device in the second section.
2. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the body fluid is altered prior to entering the inlet.
3. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the shunt connects the inlet to the outlet.
4. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the source comprises a second treatment device and the circuit further comprises the second treatment device upstream from the inlet.
5. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the first treatment device performs at least one function of a human organ.
6. The circuit of claim 5 wherein the first treatment device comprises a renal assist device.
7. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the shunt is in parallel with the first treatment device.
8. The circuit of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the additional fluid receivable within the first conduit and at least a portion of the body fluid receivable within the inlet combine within the first treatment device.
9. The circuit of claim 1 wherein at least one of the fluids is altered within the first treatment device.
10. The circuit of claim 1 further comprising a waste receptacle in fluidic communication with the first treatment device.
11. The circuit of claim 1 further comprising at least one heating device in association with the circuit.
12. The circuit of claim 1 further comprising an anticoagulant infuser in fluidic communication with the circuit.
13. The circuit of claim 1 wherein at least one of the pumps has a pumping rate from about 10 ml/mm to about 1000 ml/mm.
14. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the first pump has a pumping rate that differs from a pumping rate of the third pump by a value ranging from about 1 ml/min to about 200 ml/min.
15. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the third pump is after the first treatment device in the second section.
16. The circuit of claim 15 further comprising a flow controller between the inlet and the first treatment device in the first section.
17. The circuit of claim 16 wherein the flow controller comprises a pump.
18. The circuit of claim 16 wherein the flow controller comprises a clamp.
19. The circuit of claim 16 wherein the flow controller comprises a pressure monitor.
20. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the body fluid comprises filtered blood.