Kuraray Co., Ltd.

Kawasumi Laboratories. Inc.

Akiyoshi Nakano

Yoshimichi Harada

Hiroyuki Akasu

Yasuzo Kirita

Yoshio Yagiri

Michiko Ueda

Tohru Morioka

Tadashi Miyahara

Hidenori Terasaki

Takuichiro Watanabe

Kohichi Takase

Yasunori Ueda

Separation apparatus capable of separating plasma into high molecular weight substances and low molecular weight substances containing albumin, regardless of whether plasma is obtained by separation of corpuscular components in a continuous centrifugal separator or in a batch-type centrifugal separator. The apparatus comprises a filtration membrane module, a plasma feeding circuit connecting the centrifugal separator with the filtration membrane module, a plasma return circuit for returning to a patient purified plasma freed of high molecular weight substances, a supplemental fluid circuit for supplying additional fluid to the plasma return circuit, and a condensed plasma discharge circuit for disposal of high molecular weight substances. The apparatus is controlled independently of the centrifugal separator.

Method and apparatus for plasma treatment

A blood processing apparatus which comprises a blood circulating circuit including a plasma filter, a plasma circulating circuit for draining at least a portion of the blood plasma and for supplying a physiologically compatible fluid substitute to the subject through a portion of the blood circulating circuit, a blood pump and a drain pump, a priming fluid source adapted to be connected with the blood outlet and a fluid substitute inlet, a first detector for detecting the flow through the blood circulating circuit, a second detector for detecting the flow through the plasma circulating circuit, a first valve for selectively establishing and interrupting a first fluid circuit between a downstream portion of the plasma circulating circuit adjacent the blood outlet and that portion of the blood circulating circuit downstream of the plasma filter, a second valve for selectively establishing and interrupting a second fluid circuit between the downstream portion of the plasma circulating circuit and the outside of the apparatus, a blood pump drive for driving the blood pump to cause the priming fluid to flow through the blood circulating circuit, and a drain pump drive operable in response to an output signal from the first detector for driving the drain pump to cause the priming fluid to flow through the blood circulating circuit when the flow through the blood circulating circuit attains a first predetermined value.

Apparatus for the filtration of plasma from blood

An apparatus for extracorporeal lung assist including a pump device having a flexible blood reservoir housed in a rigid housing, which pump device is able to expand and contract the blood reservoir by pumping liquid into and from the housing, thereby repeating cycles of blood feed and blood take-off, a blood take-off circuit connected to the in-flow side of a membrane artificial lung and in which the pump device is disposed, a blood feed circuit connected to the out-flow side of the membrane artificial lung, the two circuits forming an extracorporeal circulation circuit, a liquid circulation circuit connected to the housing of the pump device and having a flexible liquid reservoir disposed therein with a head provided relative to the pump device, and sensors for detecting the expansion and contraction of the liquid reservoirs, whereby blood in-flow and out-flow paths are controlled so that when the blood reservoir is contracted, blood is drawn into the blood reservoir under subpressure in the housing, whereas when the blood reservoir is expanded, blood is discharged from the blood reservoir under pressure developed in the housing. The apparatus of the invention provides respiratory aids safely for a long period of time and is therefore useful for treatment of acute respiratory failure cases.

Apparatus for extracorporeal lung assist

Growing community of inventors

Okayama, Japan

Akiyoshi Nakano