Negative Pressure Therapy System

Abstract

A negative pressure therapy system is provided for inducing negative pressure in a portion of a urinary tract, the system including: (a) at least one ureteral catheter configured to be positioned within a ureter and/or kidney; (b) one or more sensor(s) configured to determine information about at least one of blood composition, blood flow, respiration, heart rate, glucose, protein, or creatinine; and (c) a controller configured to increase urine production by adjusting one or more operating parameters of a negative pressure source for inducing negative pressure through the at least one ureteral catheter into the urinary tract, based at least in part upon the information determined by the one or more sensor(s).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A negative pressure therapy system for inducing negative pressure in a portion of a urinary tract, the system comprising:
 (a) at least one ureteral catheter configured to be positioned within a ureter and/or kidney;   (b) one or more sensor(s) configured to determine information about at least one of blood composition, blood flow, respiration, heart rate, glucose, protein, or creatinine; and   (c) a controller configured to increase urine production by adjusting one or more operating parameters of a negative pressure source for inducing negative pressure through the at least one ureteral catheter into the urinary tract, based at least in part upon the information determined by the one or more sensor(s).   
     
     
         2 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the information about blood composition comprises hematocrit. 
     
     
         3 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the information about blood composition comprises protein(s). 
     
     
         4 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the information about blood composition comprises creatinine. 
     
     
         5 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the information about blood composition comprises hemoglobin. 
     
     
         6 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the information about blood composition comprises oxygen. 
     
     
         7 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 6 , wherein the sensor comprises a pulse oximetry sensor. 
     
     
         8 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the information about blood flow comprises blood pressure. 
     
     
         9 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the information about blood flow comprises blood flow velocity. 
     
     
         10 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the information about respiration comprises carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         11 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 10 , wherein the sensor comprises a capnography sensor. 
     
     
         12 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the information comprises heart rate. 
     
     
         13 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the information comprises glucose. 
     
     
         14 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the information comprises protein(s) in urine. 
     
     
         15 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the information comprises urine output volume. 
     
     
         16 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor(s) are configured to measure information of blood passing through an extracorporeal blood system or circuit. 
     
     
         17 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 16 , wherein the sensor is a capacitance sensor. 
     
     
         18 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 16 , wherein the sensor is an optical spectroscopy sensor. 
     
     
         19 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is embedded in a wall of the at least one ureteral catheter. 
     
     
         20 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is in fluid communication with a drainage lumen of the at least one ureteral catheter. 
     
     
         21 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is positioned in a fluid collection container. 
     
     
         22 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a negative pressure source for inducing negative pressure through the at least one ureteral catheter into the urinary tract. 
     
     
         23 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 22 , wherein the sensor(s) is positioned in internal circuitry of the negative pressure source. 
     
     
         24 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ureteral catheter comprises a distal portion comprising a retention portion, wherein when negative pressure is applied through the ureteral catheter, fluid is drawn into the ureteral catheter through one or more drainage ports of the retention portion while mucosal tissue is prevented from appreciably occluding the one or more drainage ports by contact with an outwardly facing portion of the retention portion. 
     
     
         25 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 24 , wherein the outwardly facing portion is essentially free of drainage ports. 
     
     
         26 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ureteral catheter comprises a distal portion comprising a retention portion, in which a diameter of the retention portion is greater than a diameter of the drainage lumen portion, and wherein the retention portion comprises at least one drainage port to permit fluid flow into the drainage lumen. 
     
     
         27 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein a distal portion of the ureteral catheter comprises a retention portion comprising at least one coil. 
     
     
         28 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein a proximal portion of the ureteral catheter is configured to be connected to a negative pressure source for application of negative pressure through the ureteral catheter. 
     
     
         29 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein a proximal portion of the ureteral catheter is configured to be positioned in a bladder. 
     
     
         30 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 29 , wherein a proximal portion of the ureteral catheter is configured to be in fluid communication with a bladder catheter, and wherein the bladder catheter is configured to be connected to a negative pressure source for application of negative pressure through both the bladder catheter and the ureteral catheter. 
     
     
         31 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the ureteral catheter is configured to be deployed in a urinary tract of a patient. 
     
     
         32 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 31 , wherein the patient is a human. 
     
     
         33 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 31 , wherein the patient is an animal. 
     
     
         34 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the negative pressure source alters interstitial pressure within the kidney. 
     
     
         35 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller adjusts the negative pressure to therapeutically appropriate levels. 
     
     
         36 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller adjusts the frequency with which the negative pressure source induces negative pressure. 
     
     
         37 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller induces negative pressure at two or more different pressure levels. 
     
     
         38 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller induces pulses of negative pressure followed by periods in which no negative pressure is provided. 
     
     
         39 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller induces alternating negative pressure and positive pressure to produce an alternating flush and pump effect. 
     
     
         40 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller induces a negative pressure ranging from about 0.1 mmHg to about 50 mmHg. 
     
     
         41 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 40 , wherein the controller induces a negative pressure of about 15 mm Hg, or about 20 mm Hg, or about 25 mm Hg. 
     
     
         42 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller induces a positive pressure ranging from about 0.1 mmHg to 20 mmHg. 
     
     
         43 . The negative pressure therapy system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a data transmitter in communication with the controller, the data transmitter being configured to provide the information from the one or more sensors to an external source. 
     
     
         44 . A system for determining information about urine produced within a urinary tract, the system comprising:
 (a) at least one ureteral catheter configured to be positioned within a ureter and/or kidney; and   (b) one or more sensor(s) configured to determine information about at least one of blood composition, blood flow, respiration, heart rate, glucose, protein, or creatinine.   
     
     
         45 . A method for inducing negative pressure in a portion of a urinary tract, comprising:
 (a) positioning a distal end of a ureteral catheter at a fluid collection position within a ureter and/or kidney;   (b) determining information from measurement(s) conducted by one or more sensor(s) configured to determine information about at least one of blood composition, blood flow, respiration, heart rate, glucose, protein, or creatinine; and   (c) inducing negative pressure in a portion of a urinary tract by adjusting one or more operating parameters of a negative pressure source, based at least in part upon the information determined by the one or more sensors.