Adjustable Shunt Pediatric/Neonatal ECMO Circuit

Abstract

Embodiments provide an extra corporeal membrane oxygenation circuit, wherein a pump communicates blood from a patient to an oxygenator and thence back to the patient, comprising: a medium diameter venous line configured to accept blood from the patient and communicate the blood to the pump; a medium diameter arterial line configured to accept blood from the oxygenator and communicate the blood to the patient; one or more shunts connected in a series; wherein a first of such shunts is connected to accept blood from the venous line in parallel with the pump and wherein a last of such shunts is connected to communicate blood to the arterial line.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a patient circuit comprising a venous line configured to accept blood from a patient and an arterial line configured to communicate blood to a patient, said venous line comprising tubing having a maximum diameter and said arterial line comprising tubing having a maximum diameter;   an adjustable shunt comprising one or more shunt modules, and having a shunt input port and a shunt output port, said adjustable shunt comprising tubing having a maximum diameter;   a common circuit comprising tubing having a maximum diameter and having a common circuit input port and a common circuit output port, wherein the common circuit input port is connected to the shunt output port and to the patient circuit venous line, and the common circuit output port is connected to the shunt input port and to the patient circuit arterial line, wherein the maximum tubing diameter in the common circuit exceeds the maximum tubing diameter in the adjustable shunt.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the common circuit comprises a pump and an oxygenator connected in series between the common circuit input port and the common circuit output port. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the adjustable shunt is configured for adjustment of one or more shunt modules without interrupting blood flow to the patient circuit. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein adjustment of the adjustable shunt comprises one or more of: adding or removing shunt modules to the adjustable shunt, connecting devices to the adjustable shunt, disconnecting devices from the adjustable shunt, or diverting blood flow through one or more shunt modules. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the adjustable shunt is configured for transfer to a second common circuit without adjustment. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the patient circuit does not include a bridge. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the maximum tubing diameter in the common circuit is 1.5 times the maximum tubing diameter in the adjustable shunt. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the maximum tubing diameter in the adjustable shunt is equal to the maximum tubing diameter in the venous line. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the maximum tubing diameter in the adjustable shunt is ¼ inch and the maximum tubing diameter in the common circuit is ⅜ inch. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a common circuit having a common circuit input port and a common circuit output port;   a patient circuit comprising a venous line configured to accept blood from a patient and an arterial line configured to communicate blood to a patient, said venous line comprising tubing having a maximum diameter and said arterial line comprising tubing having a maximum diameter; and   an adjustable shunt comprising one or more shunt modules, having a shunt input port connected to the common circuit output port and a shunt output port connected to the common circuit input port, wherein each shunt module has an external connection point, and wherein the number of shunt modules exceeds the total number of external connection points in a patient blood path between the common circuit input port and the common circuit output port.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the adjustable shunt is configured for adjustment of one or more shunt modules without interrupting blood flow to the patient circuit. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein adjustment of the adjustable shunt comprises adding or removing shunt modules to the adjustable shunt, connecting devices to the adjustable shunt, disconnecting devices from the adjustable shunt, or diverting blood flow through one or more shunt modules. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the adjustable shunt is configured for transfer to a second common circuit without adjustment. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the adjustable shunt is configured such that a blood flow rate through the adjustable shunt exceeds a blood flow rate through the patient circuit. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the patient circuit does not include a bridge. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the maximum tubing diameter in the common circuit is 1.5 times the maximum tubing diameter in the adjustable shunt. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the maximum tubing diameter in the adjustable shunt is equal to the maximum tubing diameter in the venous line. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the maximum tubing diameter in the adjustable shunt is ¼ inch and the maximum tubing diameter in the common circuit is ⅜ inch. 
     
     
         19 . A method of assembling an extra corporeal membrane oxygenation circuit, comprising:
 connecting a pump and an oxygenator to form a common circuit comprising tubing having a maximum diameter;   connecting one or more shunt modules to form an adjustable shunt comprising tubing having a maximum diameter, wherein the maximum tubing diameter in the common circuit exceeds the maximum tubing diameter in the adjustable shunt; and   connecting the adjustable shunt to the common circuit.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising connecting a patient circuit to the common circuit and the adjustable shunt. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising adjusting the adjustable shunt without interrupting blood flow to the patient circuit. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising transferring the adjustable shunt to a second common circuit without adjustment. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the maximum tubing diameter in the common circuit is 1.5 times the maximum tubing diameter in the adjustable shunt.