Apparatus for the preparation and delivery of gas-enriched fluids

Abstract

A gas-enriched fluid is provided by the combination of a first fluid, such as a patient's blood, with a second gas-supersaturated fluid, such as an oxygen supersaturated fluid. In this example, a catheter assembly includes a portion that receives the patient's blood from a pump and that receives the oxygen supersaturated fluid from an appropriate fluid source. The oxygen supersaturated fluid is advantageously combined with the blood in an area of laminar flow, and then this gas-enriched fluid is delivered to the patient through an appropriate lumen coupled to the portion of the catheter assembly.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for the preparation of a gas-enriched fluid, the apparatus comprising: 
 means for supplying a first fluid comprising a gas-supersaturated liquid;    means for supplying a second fluid; and    means for combining the first and second fluids to form the gas-enriched fluid.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the combining means comprises a catheter including a central lumen in fluid communication with the means for supplying the first and second fluids.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the first fluid comprises an oxygen-supersaturated fluid.  
     
     
         4 . An apparatus for the preparation of a gas-enriched fluid, the apparatus comprising: 
 an assembly including first and second lumens;    the first lumen in fluid communication with a first fluid supply; and    the second lumen in fluid communication with a second fluid supply of a gas-supersaturated fluid and with the first lumen.    
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the second fluid comprises an oxygen-supersaturated fluid.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein a portion of the assembly is removably insertable within a patient's body.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the gas-enriched fluid is a physiologic solution.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the gas-enriched fluid comprises blood.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the gas-enriched fluid comprises oxygen-enriched blood.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the gas-enriched fluid comprises an oxygen-supersaturated fluid and blood.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the gas-enriched fluid comprises a blood substitute.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the gas-enriched fluid comprises blood plasma.  
     
     
         13 . An apparatus for the delivery of a gas-enriched fluid to a site, the apparatus comprising: 
 a first assembly comprising an elongated generally tubular member including proximal and distal ends and a lumen comprising a continuous fluid flow path between the proximal and distal ends, the distal end disposed proximate to the site to which the gas-enriched fluid is to be delivered; and    a second assembly comprising at least one elongated generally tubular member including first and second ends and at least one lumen comprising a continuous fluid flow path between the first and second ends, the second end disposed within the lumen of the first assembly, the first end of the second assembly adapted to be coupled to a supply of a first fluid, the first fluid comprising a gas-supersaturated fluid, and the proximal end of the first assembly adapted to be coupled to a supply of a second fluid.    
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the second assembly comprises a plurality of elongated generally tubular members, each member including first and second ends and at least one lumen comprising a continuous flow path between the first and second ends, the second ends disposed within the lumen of the first assembly.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the second assembly lumen has an internal diameter of between about 20 microns and 1000 microns.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the second assembly lumen has an internal diameter of between about 100 microns to 125 microns.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein at least a portion of the first assembly including the distal end is removably insertable within a patient's body.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the removably insertable portion is insertable through a body access port.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the body access port comprises a guiding catheter.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the body access port comprises a sheath.  
     
     
         21 . An apparatus for increasing fluid oxygen levels, the apparatus comprising: 
 means for providing a supply of a first fluid;    means for providing a supply of a second fluid comprising a gas-supersaturated liquid; and    an assembly including first and second lumens, the first lumen in fluid communication with the first fluid supply means, the second lumen in fluid communication with the second fluid supply means and with the first lumen.    
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21  wherein the first fluid comprises blood.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 22  wherein the oxygen level increased is the level of dissolved oxygen in the blood.  
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 21  wherein the oxygen level increased is the oxygen saturation level of an oxygen carrier.  
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 24  wherein the oxygen carrier is hemoglobin.  
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 24  wherein the oxygen carrier is a blood substitute.  
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 22  wherein the oxygen level increased is the concentration of oxygen in the blood.  
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 22  wherein the oxygen level increased is the blood partial pressure of oxygen.  
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 21  wherein the means for providing a supply of a first fluid comprise a means for withdrawing blood from a patient body.  
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 21  wherein the means for providing a supply of a first fluid includes a blood pump.  
     
     
         31 . A catheter comprising: 
 a first elongated generally tubular member including proximal and distal ends, the first member including a lumen comprising a continuous fluid pathway between the proximal and distal ends; and    a second elongated generally tubular member including proximal and distal ends, the second member coupled to the first member, the second member including a lumen comprising a continuous fluid pathway between the proximal end of the second member and the fluid pathway between the proximal and distal ends of the first member.    
     
     
         32 . The catheter of  claim 31  wherein a portion of the first member proximate to its distal end is removably insertable into a patient's body.  
     
     
         33 . The catheter of  claim 32  wherein the insertable portion of the first member includes at least one port in fluid communication with the fluid pathway between the proximal and distal ends of the first member.  
     
     
         34 . The catheter of  claim 32  wherein the proximal end of the first member is adapted to provide a continuous fluid pathway between a supply of blood and the fluid pathway between the proximal and distal ends of the first member.  
     
     
         35 . The catheter of  claim 32  wherein the proximal end of the second member is adapted to provide a continuous fluid pathway between a supply of gas-supersaturated fluid and the fluid pathway between the proximal end of the second member and the fluid pathway between the proximal and distal ends of the first member.  
     
     
         36 . A catheter comprising: 
 a first elongated generally tubular member including proximal and distal ends, the first member including a lumen comprising a continuous fluid pathway between the proximal and distal ends; and    a plurality of side members, each side member comprising an elongated generally tubular member including proximal and distal ends, the side members coupled to the first member, each side member including a lumen comprising a continuous fluid pathway between the proximal ends of the side members and the fluid pathway between the proximal and distal ends of the first member.    
     
     
         37 . A device for combining a first fluid with a second gas-supersaturated fluid, the device comprising: 
 a housing having therein a first fluid passageway having a first end and a second end and a second fluid passageway having a first end and a second end, the second end of the second fluid passageway intersecting the first fluid passageway at a junction between the first and second ends of the first fluid passageway, the first end of the first fluid passageway being adapted to receive a first line for supplying the second gas-supersaturated fluid, and the first end of the second fluid passageway being adapted to receive a supply of the first fluid, the first line having an outlet positioned in a substantially laminar flow region of the first fluid passageway.    
     
     
         38 . The device of  claim 37 , wherein the second end of the first fluid passageway is adapted to receive a proximal end of a first catheter, the first catheter having a distal end adapted to be positioned within a patient's body for delivering a combination of the first fluid and the second gas-supersaturated fluid to a site within the patient's body.  
     
     
         39 . The device of  claim 38 , wherein the outlet of the first line is positioned downstream from the proximal end of the first catheter.  
     
     
         40 . The device of  claim 38 , wherein the outlet of the first line is positioned upstream from the proximal end of the first catheter.  
     
     
         41 . The device of  claim 37 , wherein the outlet of the first line is positioned between the junction and the second end of the first fluid passageway.  
     
     
         42 . The device of  claim 37 , wherein the outlet of the first line is positioned between the first end of the first fluid passageway and the junction.  
     
     
         43 . The device of  claim 37 , wherein the outlet of the first line is positioned at the junction.  
     
     
         44 . The device of  claim 37 , wherein the first line comprises a plurality of wings for supporting the first line within the first fluid passageway.  
     
     
         45 . The device of  claim 37 , wherein the first fluid passageway is angled relative to the second fluid passageway at an acute angle.  
     
     
         46 . The device of  claim 37 , wherein the first fluid comprises blood and wherein the second fluid comprises oxygen-supersaturated fluid.  
     
     
         47 . The device of  claim 37 , further comprising a pump coupled to supply the first fluid to the second fluid passageway.  
     
     
         48 . The device of  claim 47 , comprising a second catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being coupled to an inlet of the pump, and the distal end being adapted to be positioned within a patient's body for delivering the first fluid from the patient's body to the pump, and comprising a tube coupled between an outlet of the pump and the first end of the second fluid passageway for delivering the first fluid to the second fluid passageway.  
     
     
         49 . The device of  claim 38 , further comprising a microbubble detector disposed proximate the distal end of the first catheter.