Importance

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Abstract

The instant invention teaches an apparatus and a method for using an apparatus for extracorporeal therapeutic treatment of a changing volume of up to at least about half of the circulating blood of a living patient at one time. The apparatus includes first structure defining a cooling process loop for providing a cooling mode for lowering a patient's body to a hypothermic state; second structure defining a draining process loop for providing a draining mode for draining up to at least about half of the patient's circulating blood supply from the patient while the body of the patient is at about a hypothermic state; third structure defining an extracorporeal therapeutic treatment process loop for providing a extracorporeal therapeutic treatment mode for extracorporeally therapeutically treating the up to at least about half of the patient's entire circulating blood supply; fourth structure defining a re-transfusion process loop for providing a re-transfusion mode for re-transfusing the up to at least about half of the patient's entire circulating blood supply which has been extracorporeally therapeutically treated; fifth structure defining an energy addition process loop for adding energy to raise the temperature of the patient's blood sufficient to stabilize the life signs of the patient; and, sixth structure for sequencing the operation of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth structure, sufficient to cause substantially only the first structure to operate at a first period of predetermined time; then after the first period, to cause substantially only the second structure to operate for a second period of predetermined time; then after the second period, to cause substantially only the third structure to operate for a third period of predetermined time; then after the third period, to cause substantially only the fourth structure to operate for a fourth period of predetermined time; then after the fourth period, to cause substantially only the fifth structure to operate for a fifth period of predetermined time; and, then after the fifth period, to cause substantially only the fifth structure to operate for a fifth period of predetermined time.

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First Claim