Patent ID: 7172570
Filing Date: 2007-02-06
Classification: A61M

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for monitoring a vascular access associated with an extracorporeal blood circuit, comprising: at least a first pump predisposed for circulation of a fluid in at least one of the extracorporeal blood circuit and at least one fluid transport line cooperating with the extracorporeal blood circuit; at least a second pump predisposed for circulation of a fluid in another of either the extracorporeal blood circuit or the fluid transport line cooperating with the extracorporeal blood circuit; a memory, containing a mathematical model of the vascular access comprising: at least a first parameter relating to at least one characteristic (R at least a second parameter relating to at least one characteristic (P) of the blood; and at least a third parameter relating to a flow rate (q at least a fourth parameter relative to the flow rate (q a control and calculation unit connected to the memory and to the first pump and programmed to perform a monitoring procedure which comprises the following operating stages: varying the flow rate of the first pump; receiving the signals corresponding to the values (P storing in memory the values of the characteristic of the blood and the corresponding values of the flow rate of the first pump; and processing the values stored in memory by means of the mathematical model, in order to determine at least one value of a characteristic of the vascular access.