Arrangement with a blood pump and a gas exchanger for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Abstract

The invention relates to an arrangement having a blood pump and a gas exchanger for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. According to the invention, the blood pump is designed as a pulsatile blood pump and is arranged with the gas exchanger in the same housing. The pulsatile blood pump and the gas exchanger are preferably connected to the same gas source so that the blood pump can be pneumatically driven. The novel ECMO system has a simple design, is flexible, and in particular can be used directly on the patient.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for pumping and performing gas exchange on blood, said method comprising:
 connecting a blood inlet to a first portion of the patient's vasculature and a blood outlet to a second portion of the patient's vasculature;   connecting an external gas source to a pumping gas inlet to drive an expandable member of a blood pump and deliver blood from the blood inlet to a gas exchanger; and   connecting said external gas source to a gas exchange gas inlet to oxygenate the blood and/or reduce CO2 in the blood within the gas exchanger,   wherein gas is delivered to the pumping gas inlet and gas is delivered to the gas exchange gas inlet simultaneously.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein connecting the blood inlet to the first portion of the patient's vasculature and the blood outlet to the second portion of the patient's vasculature comprises implanting cannulas or tube connections. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the cannulas or tube connections are connected to the patient by a blood inlet line and a blood outlet line, each having a length of 80 cm or less. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the blood inlet line and the blood outlet line are oriented in the same direction. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the blood pump is axially aligned with the gas exchanger within a housing, and
 wherein the blood inlet and the blood outlet are disposed on the same end of the housing, or the blood inlet and the blood outlet are disposed on opposite ends of the housing.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the blood pump is coaxially aligned with the gas exchanger. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the expandable member comprises a flexible diaphragm or wherein the blood pump comprises a balloon. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the blood pump comprises a diaphragm which is pre-tensioned to have a passive position at maximum filling of the pump. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the gas exchanger is connected via a valve to the external gas source or wherein after the gas has been delivered from the gas source to the pump, the gas is fed at least partially to the gas exchanger in a separate line. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the external gas source comprises a pneumatically operated gas console connected to a gas cylinder and wherein the pumping gas inlet and the gas exchange gas inlet are connected to the pneumatically operated gas console. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the first portion of the patient's vasculature comprises a patient's venous vasculature, and   wherein the second portion of the patient's vasculature comprises a patient's arterial vasculature, or   wherein the first portion of the patient's vasculature comprises a first portion of the patient's venous vasculature, and the second portion of the patient's vasculature comprises a second portion of the patient's venous vasculature.   
     
     
         13 . A method for pumping and performing gas exchange on blood, said method comprising:
 providing a housing having a blood inlet, a blood outlet, a blood pump comprising an expandable member, a gas exchanger, a gas exchange gas inlet, and a pumping gas inlet,   wherein the blood inlet is configured to be connected to a first portion of the patient's vasculature and the blood outlet is configured to be connected to a second portion of the patient's vasculature,   wherein the pumping gas inlet is configured to be connected to an external gas source so that gas from said external gas source can drive the expandable member of the blood pump and deliver blood from the blood inlet to the gas exchanger,   wherein the gas exchange inlet is configured to be connected to said external gas source so that the gas from said external gas source can one or more of oxygenate the blood or reduce CO2 in the blood within the gas exchanger, and   wherein gas is delivered to the pumping gas inlet and gas is delivered to the gas exchange gas inlet simultaneously.   
     
     
         14 . A method for pumping and performing gas exchange on blood, said method comprising:
 connecting a blood inlet to a first portion of a patient's vasculature and a blood outlet to a second portion of the patient's vasculature;   connecting an external gas source to a pumping gas inlet to drive an expandable member of a blood pump and deliver blood from the blood inlet to a gas exchanger, and   directing gas used to drive the expandable member of the blood pump through a pumping gas outlet to a gas exchange gas inlet to oxygenate the blood and/or reduce CO2 in the blood within the gas exchanger.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein connecting the blood inlet to the first portion of the patient's vasculature and the blood outlet to the second portion of the patient's vasculature comprises implanting cannulas or tube connections. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the cannulas or tube connections are connected to the patient by a blood inlet line and a blood outlet line, each having a length of 80 cm or less. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the blood inlet line and the blood outlet line are oriented in the same direction. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the blood pump is axially aligned with the gas exchanger within a housing, and wherein the blood inlet and the blood outlet are disposed on the same end of the housing, or the blood inlet and the blood outlet are disposed on opposite ends of the housing. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the blood pump is coaxially aligned with the gas exchanger. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the expandable member comprises a flexible diaphragm or wherein the blood pump comprises a balloon. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the blood pump comprises a diaphragm which is pre-tensioned to have a passive position at maximum filling of the pump. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the external gas source comprises a pneumatically operated gas console connected to a gas cylinder, and wherein the pumping gas inlet and the gas exchange gas inlet are connected to the pneumatically operated gas console. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the first portion of the patient's vasculature comprises a patient's venous vasculature, and
 wherein the second portion of the patient's vasculature comprises a patient's arterial vasculature, or wherein the first portion of the patient's vasculature comprises a first portion of the patient's venous vasculature, and the second portion of the patient's vasculature comprises a second portion of the patient's venous vasculature.   
     
     
         24 . A method for pumping and performing gas exchange on blood, said method comprising:
 providing a housing having a blood inlet, a blood outlet, a blood pump comprising an expandable member, a gas exchanger, a gas exchange gas inlet, a pumping gas inlet and a pumping gas outlet,   wherein the blood inlet is configured to connect to a first portion of the patient's vasculature and the blood outlet is configured to connect to a second portion of the patient's vasculature,   wherein the pumping gas inlet is configured to connect to an external gas source so that gas from said external gas source can drive the expandable member of the blood pump and deliver blood from the blood inlet to the gas exchanger,   wherein the pumping gas outlet is configured to connect the expandable member to the gas exchanger, and   wherein the gas used to drive the expandable member of the blood pump is directed through the pumping gas outlet to the gas exchange gas inlet to one or more of oxygenate the blood or reduce CO2 in the blood within the gas exchanger.