Wearable ultrafiltration device
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.
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.