Blood processing apparatus for treating blood disease

Abstract: Provided are a method and an apparatus which can make effective chemical treatment of a blood disease by applying a drug of a wider range with a smaller dose or lower concentration. Blood which is collected from a patient is fed from a tube (2a) into a chamber (4) by a pump (3). A drug is injected into the chamber (4) from a container (5), while ultrasonic waves are applied to the blood contained in the chamber (4) from an actuator (7). The blood treated with the drug and the ultrasonic waves is returned into the body of the patient through a tube (2c), while the same is monitored by sensors (10) and (11).

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to blood processing, and more particularly, it relates to a blood processing apparatus for chemically treating a blood disease such as leukemia. Description of the Background Art In order to chemically treat a blood disease such as leukemia, a remedy is directly administered into the body of the patient in general. For example, a patient who receives chemical treatment often gets an intravenous injection of a carcinostatic substance. When he suffers from leukemia, he receives administration of a toxic drug for attacking rapidly propagating leukocytic cells, or such a drug is administered in relatively high intravascular concentration for attaining a good effect. This often leads to various side reactions. On the other hand, there has been developed a new chemical treatment method employing an apparatus called a photophoresis apparatus in treatment of a cutis T cell lymphadenoma (CTCL) ("Science" Japan Edition, October 1988, pp. 65 - 73). As shown in Fig. 1, such a photophoresis apparatus 20 comprises a centrifugal separator 21 for separating blood into components, and is controlled by a microprocessor. In this apparatus, blood components contained in a bag 22a are fed through a transparent passage 23 of plastic, to be stored in another bag 22a. High-power ultraviolet lamps 24 are provided on both sides of the passage 23. The blood of a patient is separated into components by the centrifugal separator 21, so that blood plasma and leukocytes are contained in the bag 22a. The components thus contained in the bag 22a are mixed with a physiological salt solution which is contained in a bag 22c, and fed into the passage 23. The ultraviolet lamps 24 apply intense ultraviolet radiation A (UVA) to the liquid which is passed through the passage 23. The UV-irradiated components are mixed with other centrifugally separated components, and returned into the body of the patient. The photophoresis apparatus has brought means for optically processing the blood or the blood components of a patient with a drug in the exterior. This has conceivably developed a way to chemical treatment for optically activating a drug and selectively applying the same to a target. US-A-4 820 260 discloses an apparatus for extravacular treatment of red blood cells said apparatus comprising an ultrasonic chamber having an inlet and an outlet, a blood pump and one ore more ultrasonic transducers. The known apparatus is used to desactivate a specific enzyme contained in the red blood cells and thereby reduce the oxygen affinity to cells. WO-A-9 103 264 discloses an apparatus for blood processing also using ultrasonic to render an infectious agent contained in the blood inactive. The ultrasonic treatment can be combined with other agents to improve the results. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The inventors have considered that it is necessary to study not only optical activation of a drug but also improvement of its action in a wider range. When a drug is optically activated, it may conceivably be necessary to take light transmittance of an object such as blood into consideration in order to attain sufficient activation, and hence treatment conditions may be restricted. Particularly in treatment of a blood disease, there has been required means which can make effective treatment even if various drugs to be administered are suppressed in concentration. In order to satisfy such requirements, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which can make effective treatment by applying a wider range of a drug with a smaller dose or lower concentration, particularly in chemical treatment of a blood disease. According to the present invention, provided is a blood processing apparatus having the features of claim 1. In the blood processing apparatus according to the present invention, the blood of a patient is supplied into the passage from the inlet, so that the same can be fed toward the outlet by the pump. In the passage, the blood is mixed with a drug by the drug injection means. The ultrasonic wave application means applies ultrasonic waves to the blood which is mixed with the drug. Thus, the blood of the patient is ultrasonic-treated with the drug, and then discharged from the outlet of the passage. In a processing blood method the blood of a patient is fed through a tubular structure, for example, at a prescribed flow rate. An effective dose of a drug is added to the blood in this structure. The drug can be maintained in constant concentration in the blood. Simultaneously with or following such addition of the drug, ultrasonic waves are applied to the blood. The blood treated with the ultrasonic waves is discharged from the structure, so that the same is introduced into the body of the patient. According to the present invention, the ultrasonic-treated blood is preferably regularly monitored. Various sensors can be employed for this purpose. After the ultrasonic treatment, the drug which is left in the blood can be preferably removed in order to suppress a side reaction caused on the patient. In this case, the blood is supplied to the patient after such removal of the drug. In a method of treating a blood disease blood is first collected from a patient. Then, an effective dose of a drug is added to the blood. Simultaneously with or following such addition of the drug, ultrasonic waves are applied to the blood. The ultrasonic-treated blood is returned into the body of the patient. This treatment method can be applied to leukemia, for example. In this case, a carcinostatic substance, for example, can be added to the collected blood, in order to attack malignant lymphocytic cells. This treatment method can be carried out while the blood of the patient is circulated in the exterior by an external circulation system. In this case, the drug is continuously or intermittently added to the externally circulated blood. The blood containing the drug is treated with ultrasonic waves. Also in this treatment method, the ultrasonic-treated blood is preferably monitored. Further, the drug which is added to the blood is preferably removed before the blood is returned into the body of the patient. The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional blood processing apparatus; Fig. 2 is a typical diagram showing a concrete example of a blood processing apparatus according to the present invention; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing an assembled state of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Fig. 2 is a typical diagram showing a concrete example of an apparatus 1 which is applied to blood processing according to the present invention. In this blood processing apparatus 1, a tube 2a for introducing the blood of a patient 10 into the apparatus 1 is connected to a chamber 4. The tube 2a, which is made of vinyl chloride resin, polyethylene, silicone resin or the like, for example, is wound on a rotary head of a separately provided roller pump 3. Thus, the asintroduced blood is fed to the chamber 4 at a constant flow rate. On the other hand, the chamber 4, which is adapted to mix the blood with a drug and treat the same with ultrasonic waves, is provided with a container 5 for containing the drug through a tube 2b. The drug is introduced into the chamber 4 at a constant flow rate by a separately provided pump (not shown). The chamber 4 can be kept warm by a heater 6 which is provided on its outer periphery. The chamber 4 is provided therein with an ultrasonic actuator 7, which is connected with a transmission circuit 8 provided in the exterior of the chamber 4. The ultrasonic actuator 7, which is capable of generating ultrasonic waves in a frequency range of 10 KHz to 10 MHz, for example, can be formed by an electrostrictive element or a magnetostrictive element. The chamber 4 is further provided therein with an ultrasonic power monitor sensor 9a for controlling the ultrasonic waves, which is electrically connected with an ultrasonic power monitor circuit 9b provided in the exterior of the chamber 4. The transmission circuit 8 is controlled by a signal which is detected by the sensor 9a and processed by the monitor circuit 9b, thereby controlling the output of the ultrasonic waves. A tube 2c is provided in the chamber 4 in a position opposite to the tube 2a, in order to discharge the fluid from the chamber 4. The tube 2c, which can be made of vinyl chloride resin, polyethylene or silicone resin similarly to the tube 2a, can be provided with a hemolysis sensor 10 and a bubble sensor 11. The hemolysis sensor 10 can be prepared from a member for detecting hemolysis by change of light transmittance, or the like. The state of the blood discharged from the tube 2c can be monitored by the sensors 10 and 11. If necessary, still another sensor can also be provided. The tube 2c can be used for returning the blood into the body of the patient 10. In the apparatus 1 having the aforementioned structure, the blood of the patient 10 is mixed with a proper dose of a drug and treated with ultrasonic waves in the chamber 4, and thereafter returned into the body of the patient 10. Thus, the apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 2 can be employed as an external circulation system, while the same can also be employed as an apparatus for processing separately collected blood. The apparatus 1 typically illustrated in the aforementioned manner can be assembled as shown in Fig. 3, for example. In the apparatus shown in Fig. 3, a display 12 displays feed rates of the pump 3 and the pump (not shown) for supplying the drug into the container 5, the output of an ultrasonic unit 17, the temperature of the chamber 4, and data from the hemolysis sensor 10 and the bubble sensor 11. The feed rates, the output of the ultrasonic unit 17, the temperature of the chamber 4 and the like can be controlled by an operation panel 13. In relation to this apparatus, it is possible to provide another system for supplying another drug, thereby supplying a plurality of drugs into the chamber 4. Further, when the tube 2c for discharging the blood which has been processed in the chamber 4 is provided with means, such as a filter, for example, for removing the drug, it is possible to remove only the drug from the blood, thereby effectively suppressing a side reaction. In addition, portions for passing the blood therethrough, such as the tubes 2a to 2c and the chamber 4, for example, can be formed by throw-away members. Further, outlets for taking the blood before and after processing can be formed on the tubes 2a and 2c connected to the chamber 4. According to the inventive apparatus, as hereinabove described, the ultrasonic waves act on the blood components to improve the same in sensitivity to the drug. When the blood of a leukemic patient is processed, for example, the ultrasonic waves act on malignant lymphocytic cells to improve sensitivity to a carcinostatic substance. Consequently, it is possible to attain a preferable chemical treatment effect with a smaller dose of a drug. Since the drug is locally administered into the blood within the chamber, it is possible to attack the target with no waste. When the blood is returned into the body of the patient, the drug, which has been in effective concentration within the chamber, is so diluted that its toxicity is reduced. When the drug is removed from the blood by some means as hereinabove described, it is possible to maintain intravascular concentration of the drug at a lower value all over the body of the patient. Thus, it is possible to remarkably reduce a side reaction of the drug. As hereinabove described, the present invention is adapted to mix blood with a drug and treat the same with ultrasonic waves, thereby improving the effect of the drug, particularly that for a blood disease, over an extremely wide range. According to the present invention, it is possible to bring a synergistic chemical treatment effect by the ultrasonic waves and the drug. According to the present invention, further, it is possible to effectively apply the drug with a small dose or small intravascular concentration, thereby reducing a side reaction. Thus, the present invention is extremely effectively applied to chemical treatment of a blood disease such as leukemia, autoimmune disease such as AIDS, sepsis and collagen disease, in particular.

Claims: An apparatus for blood processing, comprising: a passage (2a,2c) having an inlet and an outlet for passing blood therethrough; a pump (3) for feeding said blood from said inlet toward said outlet in said passage; and ultrasonic wave application means (7,8) for applying ultrasonic waves to said blood; characterized in that drug injection means (2b,5) are provided for injecting a drug into said passage, in that an ultrasonic power monitor circuit (9a,9b) is provided for controlling the output of the ultrasonic wave application means and in that the ultrasonic wave application means (7,8) apply ultrasonic waves to said blood being mixed with said drug in said passage. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a sensor (10) for monitoring said blood being discharged from said passage (2a,2c). An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising removal means for removing said drug from said blood flowing in said passage (2a,2c) after injection of said drug. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said passage comprises: a tube (2, 2c) for introducing said blood, and a chamber (4) being connected with said tube (2,2c) for mixing said blood with said drug while applying ultrasonic waves therein. An apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein an ultrasonic transmission element (7) is provided in said chamber (4), said ultrasonic transmission element (7) being connected with a transmission circuit (8) provided in the exterior of said chamber. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, being applied to an external circulation system for treating a patient.

Inventors: SOGAWA ICHIRO, TACHIBANA KATSURO, TACHIBANA SHUNRO, SOGAWA, ICHIRO, TACHIBANA, KATSURO, TACHIBANA, SHUNRO, SOGAWA, ICHIRO, C/O OSAKA WORKS OF SUMITOMO
Applicants: TACHIBANA SHUNRO, TACHIBANA, SHUNRO
Application year: 1992
Main classification: A61M1
IPC codes: H04R17, A61M1