US 12,296,083 B2
System and method for detecting venous needle dislodgement
Robert Schaefer, Bay Shore, NY (US); Gareth T. Schaefer, Bay Shore, NY (US); Scott Macintosh, Bay Shore, NY (US); Dipen N. Sinha, Bay Shore, NY (US); Peter G. Espina, Bay Shore, NY (US); and Martin J. Crnkovich, Waltham, MA (US)
Assigned to AWE Technologies LLC, Bay Shore, NY (US); and Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc., Waltham, MA (US)
Filed by AWE Technologies LLC, Bay Shore, NY (US); and Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc., Waltham, MA (US)
Filed on Jun. 30, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/364,156.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/047,727, filed on Jul. 2, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0001090 A1, Jan. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. A61M 1/36 (2006.01); A61M 1/16 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 1/3656 (2014.02) [A61M 1/1605 (2014.02); A61M 1/3626 (2013.01); A61M 2205/13 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3334 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3344 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3375 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
15. A dialysis system, comprising:
a dialyzer;
an arterial line for providing a path for blood flow from a patient's circulatory system to an inlet port of the dialyzer;
a venous blood line for providing a path for flow of blood exiting the dialyzer to the patient's circulatory system; and
an acoustic sensor coupled to said venous blood line,
wherein said acoustic sensor is configured to:
establish an acoustic standing wave in a portion of the venous blood line substantially perpendicular to blood flow,
detect at least a portion of the acoustic standing wave after passage of the acoustic wave through the flow of blood, and
monitor a phase signal associated with said acoustic wave, said phase signal corresponding to a difference between a phase of said transmitted acoustic wave and a phase of said detected acoustic wave, and
wherein a deviation of said monitored phase signal relative to an expected phase signature indicates at least a partial dislodgement of the venous blood line.