An operational unit for locating and neutralizing pathogen cells in blood. A cassette has a plurality of thin holding chambers that are filled with blood drawn from a patient. A light source illuminates each of the holding chambers and passes light to an underlying sensor array such that the cells in the blood produce shadow images of the cells in the sensor array. A processor performs pattern recognition to identify and locate the pathogen cells by use of an image library. After the pathogen cells are located, the pump is operated to move the identified cells to a processing zone. When each identified cell reaches the processing zone, electric energy is applied to destroy the identified pathogen cells. A pump refills the cassette holding chambers, returns the neutralized-pathogen blood to the patient, and the process is repeated for a treatment time period.

An apparatus for locating and venting pathogen cells in blood. A cassette has a plurality of thin holding chambers that are filled with blood drawn from a patient. A light source illuminates each of the holding chambers and passes light to an underlying sensor array such that the cells in the blood produce shadow images of the cells in the sensor array. A processor performs pattern recognition to identify and locate the pathogen cells by use of an image library. After the pathogen cells are located, a pump is operated to move the identified cells to a processing zone. When each identified cell reaches the processing zone, a control voltage is generated to open a valve to vent the identified pathogen cells. The pump refills the cassette holding chambers, returns the processed blood to the patient, and the procedure is repeated for a treatment time period.

An apparatus for locating and venting pathogen cells in blood. A cassette has a plurality of thin holding chambers that are filled with blood drawn from a patient. A light source illuminates each of the holding chambers and passes light to an underlying sensor array such that the cells in the blood produce shadow images of the cells in the sensor array. A processor performs pattern recognition to identify and locate the pathogen cells by use of an image library. After the pathogen cells are located, a pump is operated to move the identified cells to a processing zone. When each identified cell reaches the processing zone, a control voltage is generated to open a valve to vent the identified pathogen cells. The pump refills the cassette holding chambers, returns the processed blood to the patient, and the procedure is repeated for a treatment time period.

Membranes are provided to be specially developed for use in chambers for artificial circulatory assistance which may be employed primarily in cardiovascular procedures, notably to produce arterial capacitance, to regulate blood pressure, to produce aortic counterpulsation and to pump blood. The membrane may have circular sections that may vary in size or not depending on the function to be performed and are interconnected so that the transition between one section and the other is smooth, regardless of the size of each section. Further, chambers and pumps may be used for cardiopulmonary bypass and a pumping system.

A blood processing system includes a collection line for carrying blood, a blood separation device for separating the blood into first and second fractions, a plasma delivery line for delivering the first blood fraction to an adsorption device, and a peristaltic pump. The adsorption device adsorbs plasma of the first blood fraction. Portions of the collection and plasma delivery lines are positioned in a channel of the peristaltic pump, and the peristaltic pump causes the blood to flow through the collection line at a first flow rate and causes the first blood fraction to flow through the plasma delivery line at a second flow rate that is less than the first flow rate. In some implementations, the collection and plasma delivery lines are tubes having different internal diameters facilitating such differential flow rates. In some implementations, the peristaltic pump is the only pump in the blood processing system.

A blood processing system includes a collection line for carrying blood, a blood separation device for separating the blood into first and second fractions, a plasma delivery line for delivering the first blood fraction to an adsorption device, and a peristaltic pump. The adsorption device adsorbs plasma of the first blood fraction. Portions of the collection and plasma delivery lines are positioned in a channel of the peristaltic pump, and the peristaltic pump causes the blood to flow through the collection line at a first flow rate and causes the first blood fraction to flow through the plasma delivery line at a second flow rate that is less than the first flow rate. In some implementations, the collection and plasma delivery lines are tubes having different internal diameters facilitating such differential flow rates. In some implementations, the peristaltic pump is the only pump in the blood processing system.

A mechanical circulatory support system for a heart having a cooling element and a method for using the system to treat the effects of a cardiac episode. The support system has a pump comprising a rotor, the rotor having at least one blade. The system also has a catheter having an inner surface and an outer surface, the catheter extending proximally relative to the pump housing. The outer surface of the catheter is configured to contact blood when disposed within patient vasculature. The outer surface of the catheter comprises a heat transfer surface configured for cooling blood that comes in contact with the outer surface. The support system is operated to provide a temperature selected to cool the circulating blood in contact with the outer surface of the catheter to a temperature selected to reduce or prevent an effect of a cardiac episode.

A mechanical circulatory support system for a heart having a cooling element and a method for using the system to treat the effects of a cardiac episode. The support system has a pump comprising a rotor, the rotor having at least one blade. The system also has a catheter having an inner surface and an outer surface, the catheter extending proximally relative to the pump housing. The outer surface of the catheter is configured to contact blood when disposed within patient vasculature. The outer surface of the catheter comprises a heat transfer surface configured for cooling blood that comes in contact with the outer surface. The support system is operated to provide a temperature selected to cool the circulating blood in contact with the outer surface of the catheter to a temperature selected to reduce or prevent an effect of a cardiac episode.

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to certain types of reciprocating positive-displacement pumps (which may be referred to hereinafter as pods, pump pods, or pod pumps) used to pump fluids, such as a biological fluid (e.g., blood or peritoneal fluid), a therapeutic fluid (e.g., a medication solution), or a surfactant fluid. The pumps may be configured specifically to impart low shear forces and low turbulence on the fluid as the fluid is pumped from an inlet to an outlet. Such pumps may be particularly useful in pumping fluids that may be damaged by such shear forces (e.g., blood, and particularly heated blood, which is prone to hemolysis) or turbulence (e.g., surfectants or other fluids that may foam or otherwise be damaged or become unstable in the presence of turbulence).

Devices can be used to detect a level of a fluid in a medical fluid reservoir. Methods for controlling the flow rate of a medical pump, and/or the occlusion amount of a medical fluid tube, that are based on the detected level of fluid in the medical reservoir can be used in a clinical setting.