A method for measuring pressure includes securing a flow channel to a chassis of a measurement device, the flow channel having a flexible wall with a first mechanical engagement feature presented from an external surface thereof. The method also includes engaging the mechanical engagement feature with a complementary engagement member connected to a force transducer, the securing being effective to immobilize the flow channel relative to the force transducer, and detecting at least one of the position and orientation of the of the flow channel relative to transducer and comparing to at least one of a predefined position and orientation. Further, the method includes generating a signal responsive to the detecting, flowing a fluid through the flow channel, and transmitting forces caused by displacement of the flexible wall through the complementary engagement member to the force transducer. Further, electrical signals are generated responsively to a state of the force transducer.

The present invention is directed generally to a method and apparatus for human brain neuroprotection during surgery. The invention includes use of a heart-lung machine to generate periodic rectangular pulsation of blood flow. The invention uses a non-invasive CA monitor to continuously record transient functions such as dynamic autoregulation functions of a human brain cerebrovascular autoregulation system and process the data to generate an alarm to indicate CA impairment and take steps to minimize the CA impairment event.

A method of delivering a therapeutic substance for treatment to a region of the body through vascular isolation and manipulation of fluid flux into and from the region of the body including the steps of: restricting vascular inflow to the region of the body; washing out oncotically active plasma proteins from the region of the body by increasing the outward oncotic pressure gradient from the region of the body; inducing ischemia in the region of the body; controlling the pressure and fluid flow of the main blood vessels to and from the region of the body; providing the therapeutic substance to the region of the body when the fluid flow to the region of the body is controlled.

A pressure-measuring assembly for measuring the internal line pressure of a line system of an extracorporeal blood treatment machine. The assembly includes a pressure sensor that is connectable to a pressure receiver by a rigid, bending-resistant fluid line. The pressure receiver is connected or connectable to the line system. The pressure sensor converts a fluid pressure signal from the fluid line into an electrical signal. An electrical line connects the pressure sensor to electronics to process the electrical signal. A retainer directly or indirectly retains the pressure sensor and forms, at least in parts, an inner channel, in which the electrical line is led. Alternatively, the retainer is a substantially plastically curvable bar which has, at one axial end portion, a fastening device for mounting on a stationary base and, at the other axial end portion, an articulation site for the pressure sensor or the pressure receiver.

The present disclosure pertains to control units for non-occlusive blood pumps of an extracorporeal circulatory support as well as systems comprising such a control unit and corresponding methods. Accordingly, a control unit for a non-occlusive blood pump of an extracorporeal circulatory support is configured to receive a flow value of the extracorporeal circulatory support, to receive a measurement of an arterial pressure and an ECG signal of a supported patient over a predetermined period of time, to determine a mean arterial pressure of the extracorporeal circulatory support or of the supported patient from the measurement of the arterial pressure and an energy equivalent pressure from the flow value and the arterial pressure.

An extracorporeal circulation management device pumps blood in synchronization with heartbeats of a patient based on measurements of blood flow. Maximum and minimum blood flow measurement samples are compared with upper and lower threshold values to identify candidate timing for a systolic phase and diastolic phase of the heartbeat. During pulsatile pumping of the blood using the candidate timing, differences in the pulsatile flow measurements are determined. Based on the size of the difference, a final correction may be made to identification of the systolic and diastolic phases, and the corrected phase information is used to start and stop the motor unit.

A blood purification system is provided that is capable of effectively utilizing accumulated histories stored during blood purification treatment and that helps take a quick and appropriate action in response to a particular incident that occurs unsteadily. In a blood purification system, a history stored in a storage device includes particular incidents having occurred unsteadily in blood purification treatment. The blood purification system includes an extracting device capable of searching the histories accumulated in the storage device and extracting a desired one of the particular incidents, a calculating device capable of calculating a time when the particular incident extracted by the extracting device occurs a predetermined or more number of times as a frequent-occurrence time slot, and a display control device capable of displaying the frequent-occurrence time slot calculated by the calculating device on a display during a current session of blood purification treatment.

A crossflow filter includes a rigid cylindrical inner wall and a rigid cylindrical outer wall inner with an inelastic filter membrane positioned therebetween defining a retentate channel inside the filter membrane and a permeate channel outside the filter membrane. Further, the filter includes transition channels shaped and connected to the inner and outer walls to deliver a flow of fluid from an inlet port to the retentate channel and to capture flow flowing longitudinally along the cylindrical inner and outer walls from both the retentate and permeate channels to respective outlet ports.

A system for controlling the position of a diaphragm in a diaphragm-containing pressure pod, is provided. The system can include a peristaltic pump, a pressure pod having a flow-through fluid side and a gas side that are separated by a diaphragm, and a pressure sensor operatively connected to the gas side. The pressure sensor is configured to sense pulses of pressure resulting from movement of the diaphragm and caused by the action of the peristaltic pump. A gas source and a valve can be in fluid communication with the gas side of the pressure pod and can be configured to provide gas to, or vent gas from, the gas side. A controller receives pressure signals from the pressure sensor and controls the valve in response, and in so doing, controls the position of the diaphragm. Methods for positioning the diaphragm are also included.

An intravenous sensing system includes an intravenous needle that may be inserted into an artery. Thus, the intravenous needle may receive blood from the artery. The intravenous needle may be fluidly coupled to a dialysis machine. Thus, the blood may be routed to the dialysis machine. A sensing unit is coupled to the needle. The sensing unit senses blood pressure inside the artery when the intravenous needle is inserted into the artery. The sensing unit is electrically coupled to the dialysis machine. Thus, the dialysis machine may monitor the blood pressure.