Cardiopulmonary apparatus and methods for use during PCI and CABG

1. A method for providing extracorporeal circulation to a patient comprising the steps of:

a) providing a heart-lung machine which comprises:

a venous line which is connectable to the patient's venous vasculature;

a blood reservoir which comprises a blood-containing space and an air-receiving space separated by a membrane that is permeable to blood but not to air bubbles, said blood reservoir configured to receive blood from said venous line;

an oxygenator connected to the blood reservoir for oxygenating venous blood that exits the blood reservoir;

a blood pump configured to draw blood from said blood reservoir and pump the blood into the oxygenator;

an arterial filter located downstream of said oxygenator;

a bubble detector located downstream of said arterial filter and connected by an arterial line which is connectable to the patient's arterial vasculature;

a spring biased quick action clamp disposed on the arterial line between the bubble detector and the arterial connection, said quick action clamp being held by a latch in an open position against the spring bias, said quick action clamp being transitionable to a closed position by releasing the latch thereby allowing the spring bias to close the quick acting clamp;

a bypass line connecting to said arterial line between the bubble detector and the quick action clamp and configured to transport blood from the arterial line to the blood reservoir; and

a bypass clamp disposed on the bypass line;

b) connecting the venous line to the patient's venous vasculature;

c) connecting the arterial line to the patient's arterial vasculature;

d) operating the blood pump such that blood flows from the patient, through the venous line, through the blood reservoir, through the oxygenator, through the arterial line and into the patient's arterial vasculature; and

e) upon detection of a bubble by the bubble detector, i) releasing the latch thereby allowing the spring bias to close the quick acting clamp before the detected bubble has past the quick acting clamp and ii) opening the bypass clamp, thereby causing blood and the detected bubble to flow from the arterial line, through the bypass line and back into the blood reservoir.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

returning the quick acting clamp to its open position; and

returning the bypass clamp to its closed position;

thereby again causing blood to flow from the oxygenator, though the arterial line and into the patient's arterial vasculature.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

the heart lung machine further comprises a controller that is programmed to receive signals from the bubble detector indicating when a bubble has been detected and to issue control signals to the quick acting clamp and bypass clamp; and

step e is performed by said controller without involvement of a human operator.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the method is performed during a medical procedure selected from the group consisting of: cardiopulmonary bypass graft surgery, keyhole cardiopulmonary bypass graft surgery, percutaneous angioplasty, percutaneous stent placement, and percutaneous etherectomy and the method further comprises the method step of performing said medical procedure.

5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of extracting air from the air-containing space in the blood reservoir using an air extraction pump.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein:

the blood reservoir further comprises a fill level detector in communication with said air extraction pump and said blood pump;

said fill level detector being operative to activate said air extraction pump when the blood level detected by the fill level detector in the blood reservoir falls below a first predetermined level; and

said fill level detector being further operative to shut down said blood pump when the blood level detected by the fill level detector in the blood reservoir falls below a second predetermined level.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein said fill level detector comprises two fill level sensors located at different positions in the blood reservoir.

8. A method according to claim 5 wherein the air extraction pump comprises a peristaltic hose pump comprising:

a rotor rotatable by a drive shaft;

a support element extending along a part of the rotor periphery;

a flexible hose insertable between the support element and the rotor;

a drive plate rotatable about the drive shaft said drive plate comprising a spiral guide that guides the movement of the support element;

wherein:

the support element is movable by a predetermined distance in a direction toward the rotor by rotation of the drive shaft in a first direction of rotation;

a ring groove is provided in the drive plate into which a fixed position cam guide engages; and

the drive plate has at least one guide chamfer, whose lowest point is an opening in the base of the ring groove, in the region of the opening on the side opposite the ring groove.