The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 31, 1996
Filed:
Aug. 09, 1994
University of Washington, Seattle, WA (US);
Abstract
There is disclosed a method for rapidly and inexpensively determining the amount of recirculation in a patient undergoing a dialysis treatment comprising measuring temperature of an arterial limb and a venous limb of a dialysis access, decreasing temperature of blood being returned to the patient from about 0.5.degree. C. to about 30.degree. C. without adding volume, and measuring temperature of the arterial limb and the venous limb of the dialysis access to determine if there is a temperature drop in the arterial limb as evidence of recirculation. There is further disclosed an improved blood tubing set for use in dialysis and for simultaneously determining recirculation according to the inventive method herein, comprising a blood tubing set having an arterial limb comprising an arterial access device and an arterial tube and having a venous limb comprising a venous access device and a venous tube, wherein an access device comprises a means for obtaining or returning blood from or to an individual, wherein the improvement comprises a means for measuring temperature in the arterial limb and a means for measuring temperature in the venous limb.