Extracorporeal circulation system

Abstract

A system for controlling and monitoring the extracorporeal circulation of fluids, which is particularly useful in controlling and monitoring the circulation of blood and cardioplegia solution in surgical procedures. A set of perfusion assemblies are mounted in a transportable console, each perfusion assembly having a separable pump and control module pod. Virtually all the instrumentation for the monitoring and controlling of the pump and the fluid being pumped by that perfusion assembly are present on the pump and control module pod for that perfusion assembly, without the need for any separate control screen. Further, the perfusion assembly uses removable circuit cards and associated instrumentation strips to custom configure the perfusion assembly for each application. The perfusion assembly thereby provides complete information at a glance and complete control of the perfusion assembly by using dedicated controls that are grouped to each perfusion assembly. It is flexible in being configured to the desires of the user, is easy to use and involves a minimum of clutter.

We claim: 
     
       1. A system controllable by a system operator for extracorporeal pumping of fluids between a pump assembly and a patient, comprising an instrumentation panel for controlling and monitoring at least one of a pumping or a patient parameter, a housing having at least one receptacle adapted to receive at least one selected circuit card removably attached to the receptacle and in electrical communication with the instrumentation panel for processing electrical signals indicative of the parameter, said selected circuit card being selected from a plurality of different circuit cards, each different circuit card having circuitry for the processing of different parameters. 
     
     
       2. The system of claim 1, further comprising said plurality of circuit cards, wherein said plurality of circuit cards are for processing signals indicative of at least one of pressure of the pumped fluid, volume of the pumped fluid, temperature of the pumped fluid, temperature of the patient, the presence of air in the pumped fluid, level of the pumped fluid in a reservoir, the hemoglobin oxygen saturation level of the pumped fluid, the hematocrit of the pumped fluid, the pulsation of the pumped fluid, the time of pumping of the pumped fluid and the cardiac index. 
     
     
       3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system includes a communications port to receive an external communications line to transmit pumping parameter information between the system and a location separate from the system. 
     
     
       4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system includes a pump housing and a detachably attached control module, the control module having said instrumentation panel, and the pump housing having a second instrumentation panel. 
     
     
       5. The system of claim 4, wherein the second instrumentation panel includes controls to start and stop the pumping of fluids and to control and monitor the pumping rate. 
     
     
       6. The system of claim 5, wherein the second instrumentation panel includes controls to control and monitor the pumping rate in both volume of fluid pumped over time and speed of the pump. 
     
     
       7. The system of claim 5, wherein the second instrumentation panel includes controls for turning the pump in a first direction of in a second direction opposite the first direction. 
     
     
       8. The system of claim 5, wherein the system includes said pump assembly, and said pump is a peristaltic pump that receives flexible tubing that is occluded by rollers on a rotor. 
     
     
       9. The system of claim 5, wherein the second instrumentation panel includes an indicator to indicate that the pump is overloaded. 
     
     
       10. The system of claim 5, wherein the second instrumentation panel includes a control for muting an audible alarm. 
     
     
       11. The system of claim 1, wherein the instrumentation panel includes a plurality of instrumentation sets, each instrumentation set having a plurality of switches activatable by the operator, and each circuit card being in electrical communication with an associated instrumentation set for monitoring the at least one parameter. 
     
     
       12. The system of claim 11, wherein the instrumentation panel includes a different set of labels associated with each different circuit card selected by the operator, each label set being detachably attached to an associated instrumentation set to label instrumentation set switches, so that a circuit card and associated instrumentation set and associated label set are used to monitor the parameter. 
     
     
       13. The system of claim 12, wherein the instrumentation sets to which label sets may be detachably attached have substantially the same sets of switches. 
     
     
       14. The system of claim 3, wherein at least one instrumentation set includes at least one alarm light, at least one alpha-numerical display, and a set of at least one control switch. 
     
     
       15. The system of claim 14, wherein a label set and circuit card are for monitoring a level in a fluid reservoir. 
     
     
       16. The system of claim 14, wherein a label set and circuit card are for monitoring the presence of air in the fluid being pumped. 
     
     
       17. The system of claim 14, wherein a label set and circuit card are to monitor the hemoglobin oxygen saturation level of the fluid being pumped. 
     
     
       18. The system of claim 14, wherein a label set and circuit card are to monitor the hematocrit of the fluid being pumped. 
     
     
       19. The system of claim 14, wherein a label set and circuit card are to monitor the cardiac index of the patient. 
     
     
       20. The system of claim 14, wherein a label set and circuit card are to monitor time. 
     
     
       21. The system of claim 20, wherein the label set includes labelling for at least one instrumentation set switch for programming an amount of time, after the elapse of which an alarm light is activated. 
     
     
       22. The system of claim 14, wherein a label set and circuit card are to monitor temperature. 
     
     
       23. The system of claim 22, wherein the temperature being monitored is at least one of rectal temperature of the patient, esophageal temperature of the patient and temperature of the fluid being pumped. 
     
     
       24. The system of claim 22, wherein the label set includes labelling for at least one instrumentation set switch to program an upper temperature limit and a lower temperature limit, whereby an alarm light is activated if the monitored temperature is outside of the range between the lower and upper limit. 
     
     
       25. The system of claim 14, wherein a label set and circuit card are to monitor the volume of fluid that is pumped. 
     
     
       26. The system of claim 25, wherein the label set includes labelling for at least one instrumentation set switch to program a volume of fluid to be pumped. 
     
     
       27. The system of claim 25, wherein the label set includes labelling for at least one instrumentation set switch to monitor the total volume of fluid pumped. 
     
     
       28. The system of claim 14, wherein a label set and circuit card are monitoring the pressure of the fluid being pumped. 
     
     
       29. The system of claim 28, wherein the label set includes a labelling for at least one instrumentation set switch to program at least one of an upper pressure limit and a lower pressure limit, whereby an alarm light is activated if the pressure is at least one of below the lower pressure limit or above the upper pressure limit. 
     
     
       30. The system of claim 29, further comprising means for automatically adjusting the pump rate to maintain the fluid pressure at least one of above the lower pressure limit or below the upper pressure limit. 
     
     
       31. The system of claim 30, wherein the instrumentation sets include a control for preventing the automatic adjustment means from automatically adjusting the pump rate to maintain the fluid pressure at least one of above the lower pressure limit or below the upper pressure limit. 
     
     
       32. The system of claim 14, wherein a label set and circuit card are to monitor and control the pulsation of the fluid being pumped. 
     
     
       33. The system of claim 32, wherein the label set includes labelling for at least one instrumentation set switch to cause pulsation of the fluid being pumped. 
     
     
       34. The system of claim 33, wherein the label set includes labelling for at least one instrumentation set switch to program at least one pulsation parameter. 
     
     
       35. The system of claim 34, wherein the label set includes labelling for at least one instrumentation set switch to program pulsation beats per minute. 
     
     
       36. A method for extracorporeal pumping of fluids between a pump assembly and a patient, using a pump assembly, comprising selecting at least one pumping parameter for monitoring from a plurality of pumping parameters that can be monitored, each pumping parameter that can be monitored being associated with a circuit card to process signals indicative of said pumping parameter, removable attaching the circuit card associated with each selected pumping parameter to the pump assembly by placing it into one of a plurality of circuit card receptacles in the pump assembly, and operating the pump assembly to pump fluids while monitoring the selected pump parameters. 
     
     
       37. The method of claim 36, wherein the pump assembly includes a monitor for monitoring said pump parameters, the monitor including a plurality of control sets so that each circuit card associated with a selected pump parameter is associated with a control set for monitoring said pump parameter. 
     
     
       38. The method of claim 37, wherein at least two of the instrumentation sets are substantially the same and each selected pump parameter and associated circuit card and associated control set is associated with a label set with identifies controls on the instrumentation set to monitor the selected pump parameter. 
     
     
       39. The method of claim 38, wherein the selected pump parameters include the presence of air in the fluid being pumped, and the instrumentation set associated with the presence of air in the fluid being pumped includes an alarm to indicate such presence. 
     
     
       40. The method of claim 38, wherein the selected pump parameters include the hemoglobin oxygen saturation level of the fluid being pumped. 
     
     
       41. The method of claim 38, wherein the selected pump parameters include the hematocrit of the fluid being pumped, and the set of controls associated with the hematocrit include a display to display the hematocrit as measured by a sensor. 
     
     
       42. The method of claim 38, wherein the selected pump parameters include the pulsation of the fluid being pumped, and the instrumentation set associated with the pulsation of the fluid being pumped include a set of controls to choose whether the pumping is pulsed or not pulsed, and controls for programming pulsation parameters including pulsation beats per minute. 
     
     
       43. The method of claim 38, wherein the selected pump parameters includes the time of pumping, and the instrumentation set associated with the time of pumping includes a set of controls for programming a measurement of elapsed pump time. 
     
     
       44. The method of claim 38, wherein the selected pump parameters include whether the fluid level in a fluid reservoir is below a predetermined level, and the instrumentation set associated with the level includes an alarm to indicate that the fluid level has dropped below said predetermined level. 
     
     
       45. The method of claim 38, wherein the instrumentation set includes a display of the cardiac index. 
     
     
       46. The method of claim 38, wherein the selected pump parameters include measured temperature and the instrumentation set associated with temperature include a display of the temperature and a set of controls to choose an upper temperature limit and a lower temperature limit and an alarm to indicate that the temperature is outside the range between the upper and lower limits. 
     
     
       47. The method of claim 46, wherein said choosing controls includes an up button to increase the displayed temperature, a down button to decrease the display temperature and an enter button to choose the displayed value as a limit. 
     
     
       48. The method of claim 38, wherein the selected pump parameters include the volume of fluid pumped, and the instrumentation set associated with the volume of fluid pumped includes a display of volume and a set of controls to choose the volume to be pumped. 
     
     
       49. The method of claim 48, wherein the choosing controls includes an up button to increase the displayed volume, a down button to decrease the displayed volume and an enter button to choose the displayed volume as the volume to be pumped. 
     
     
       50. The method of claim 38, wherein the pump assembly includes a second instrumentation panel, and further comprising controlling the pump rate through the second instrumentation panel utilizing a pump rate display and a pump rate adjustment control. 
     
     
       51. The method of claim 50, wherein the second instrumentation panel includes controls for selecting the size of tubing used in a peristaltic pump in the pump assembly and controls for choosing the direction of fluid flow. 
     
     
       52. The method of claim 38, wherein the selected pump parameters include the pressure of the fluid being pumped, and the instrumentation set associated with the pressure of the fluid being pumped includes a display of fluid pressure, a set of controls to choose a pressure limit and an alarm to indicate if the pressure is a preselected one of above or below the pressure limit. 
     
     
       53. The method of claim 52, wherein said choosing controls includes an up button to increase the displayed pressure, a down button to decrease the displayed pressure and an enter button to choose the displayed value as a limit. 
     
     
       54. The method of claim 52, wherein the pump assembly includes means for automatically adjusting the pump rae to maintain the fluid pressure a preselected one of below the chosen upper pressure limit or above the chosen lower pressure limit. 
     
     
       55. The method of claim 54, wherein the instrumentation set includes a control for preventing the automatic adjustment means from automatically adjusting the pump rate to maintain the fluid pressure the preselected one of the above or below the chosen pressure limit.