Importance

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Abstract

An automatic control system and methods of automatic control for reducing the blood/air interface for suction from the left ventricle and/or operating field are provided by the present invention. A system in accord with the present invention will have a pressure sensor or monitor, a pump, and a bubble or air sensor to detect the ratio of air-to-blood in the sucker lines. The system will also have a processing means connected to the pressure sensor, pump, and air sensor for automatically adjusting the pump speed in response to the sensed pressure and/or the sensed air-to-blood ratio, and may have a display and the appropriate manual controls to manually adjust the pump speed also connected to the processing means. A method in accord with the present invention will provide for the sensing of the pressure and the air-to-blood to blood ratio and adjusting the pump speed in accord therewith so as to continuously maintain a suction level that will be adequate to remove the necessary and desired amount of blood without damage to surrounding tissue. In particular, the system will used sensed air-to-blood ratios to adjust the pump speed to desired levels so as to maintain a continuous suction at low pressure levels, varying the pump speed as needed to do so, as opposed to the single speed, high pressure provided by present day blood collection systems.

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First Claim