A system and method for increasing the speed of blood and wall shear stress (WSS) in a peripheral vein for a sufficient period of time to result in a persistent increase in the overall diameter and lumen diameter of the vein is provided. The method includes pumping blood at a desired rate and pulsatility. The pumping is monitored and adjusted, as necessary, to maintain the desired blood speed, WSS and pulsatility in the peripheral vein in order to optimize the rate and extent of dilation of the peripheral vein.

The present invention relates to a perfusion balloon catheter that has an expandable (enlargeable) inner lumen (114) with a novel design feature that allows a continuous flow through this enlarged lumen sufficient perfusion to the distal lumen of the blood vessel or air passage concurrent to and independently of balloon (104) inflation or deflation resulting in the prolonged dilatation and avoiding the high risks of blood or air flow stricture during balloon inflation.

The present invention relates to a perfusion balloon catheter that has an expandable (enlargeable) inner lumen (114) with a novel design feature that allows a continuous flow through this enlarged lumen sufficient perfusion to the distal lumen of the blood vessel or air passage concurrent to and independently of balloon (104) inflation or deflation resulting in the prolonged dilatation and avoiding the high risks of blood or air flow stricture during balloon inflation.

Various systems and methods are provided for reducing pressure at an outflow of a duct such as the thoracic duct or the lymphatic duct. In one embodiment, an indwelling catheter can be configured to be at least partially implanted within a vein of a patient in the vicinity of an outflow port of a duct of the lymphatic system. The catheter can include first and second restrictors each configured to at least partially occlude the vein within which the catheter is implanted and thus to restrict fluid flow within the vein when the restrictors are activated. The restrictors can each be configured to move between an activated configuration, in which the restrictor occludes the vein, and a relaxed configuration, in which the restrictor does not occlude the vein. The catheter can include a pump, such as an axial motor pump, configured to pump fluid through the catheter.

The present invention relates to a perfusion balloon catheter that has an expandable (enlargeable) inner lumen with a novel design feature that allows a continuous flow through this enlarged lumen sufficient perfusion to the distal lumen of the blood vessel or air passage concurrent to and independently of balloon inflation or deflation resulting in the prolonged dilatation and avoiding the high risks of blood or air flow stricture during balloon inflation.

A system for perfusing a localized site within a body includes a catheter assembly having a venous access line that is adapted to deliver perfusate to the localized site, a venous or arterial drainage line adapted to drain perfusate from the localized site, and an occlusion device adapted to prevent some or substantially all physiological blood flow between the localized site and the systemic circulation of the body during and in the course of perfusing and draining perfusate to and from the localized site. The system may include a blood circuit associated with the catheter assembly to facilitate blood conditioning for use as the perfusate, in the course of a controlled perfusion and/or drainage of untreated, treated, or inactivated treated blood to and from the localized site. A delivery machine may control the blood circuit and catheter assembly in order to both deliver perfusate to, and drain some or all perfusate from, the localized site in a manner that provides perfusate to substantially only the localized site.

Systems and methods for blood flow control are described herein. In some variations, a blood flow control system may comprise a blood flow control device. The blood flow control device may be placed within a body of a patient and may comprise an expandable member and a sensor. The sensor may be configured to measure at least one of a physiologic condition of the patient and a pressure associated with the expandable member. The blood flow control system may include at least one controller communicably coupled to the sensor to: receive data indicative of at least one of the physiologic condition of the patient and the pressure associated with the expandable member from the sensor, compare the received data with target data, identify at least one error based on the comparison, and in response to identifying the error, inhibit at least one function of the blood flow control system.

In one exemplary embodiment, a wearable extracorporeal life support device includes a catheter fluidly connected to a pump and first and second modular extracorporeal life support components. The device may also be configured to be attached to a garment. The pump and the first and second modular extracorporeal life support components may be fluidly connected in series. The pump and the first and second modular extracorporeal life support components may also be fluidly connected in parallel. The first modular extracorporeal life support component may be a lung membrane and the second modular extracorporeal life support component may be a dialysis membrane.

In one exemplary embodiment, a wearable extracorporeal life support device includes a catheter fluidly connected to a pump and first and second modular extracorporeal life support components. The device may also be configured to be attached to a garment. The pump and the first and second modular extracorporeal life support components may be fluidly connected in series. The pump and the first and second modular extracorporeal life support components may also be fluidly connected in parallel. The first modular extracorporeal life support component may be a lung membrane and the second modular extracorporeal life support component may be a dialysis membrane.

Device and method for comminution or inactivation of circulating tumor cells (CTC) or tumor cell clusters (CTCC) from a tumor-affected organ or organ part, wherein it is proposed that in the venous drain of the tumor-affected organ or organ part a pump (2) with a pressure-increasing section and a pressure-reducing throttle (13) is arranged and is operated at the output side in its design point given by volumetric flow (Q) and pumping pressure (p) according to the volumetric flow and the blood pressure of the venous drain of the tumor-affected organ or organ part. Circulating tumor cells (CTC) and tumor cell clusters (CTCC) are thus comminuted and inactivated to thus reduce the risk of metastasis formation in cancerous diseases.