Patents by Inventor Francesco Paolini

Francesco Paolini has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8684959
    Abstract: An extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus comprises a sensor (10) for emitting a signal indicating a change of hematic volume of an individual (7) subjected to a treatment and a weight loss system for actuating the individual's weight loss. A control unit (20) receives an effective weight value of the individual and a desired weight loss value and from these values determines a desired value of a change in hematic volume at end of treatment. The weight loss system is controlled on a basis of the hematic volume change signal and the desired value of the hematic volume change. The apparatus enables automatic control of a dialysis operation while preventing some complications arising from hypotension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Gambro Lundia AB
    Inventors: Francesco Paolini, Francesco Fontanazzi, Fabio Grandi
  • Publication number: 20140088483
    Abstract: An apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment is described, including a treatment unit, an extracorporeal blood circuit, an infusion line of a replacement fluid, a dialysis line connected in inlet to the second chamber, and a fluid evacuation line; sensors for determining a first parameter relating to a patient's blood volume (BV %) a second parameter relating to an ultrafiltration flow rate (UFR) or to a patient's weight loss rate (WLR), a third parameter (Cd, Na) relating to a conductivity or concentration of a liquid crossing the dialysis line and/or the infusion line, and a fourth parameter relating to an infusion flow rate (QINF), and a control unit for performing a control procedure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: GAMBRO LUNDIA AB
    Inventors: Francesco Fontanazzi, Alessandro Surace, Francesco Paolini
  • Publication number: 20140074008
    Abstract: An apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment including a treatment unit; an extracorporeal blood circuit; an infusion line of a replacement fluid; a dialysis line connected in inlet to the second chamber; a fluid evacuation line; sensors for determining a first parameter relating to a patient's blood volume (BV %), a second parameter relating to an ultrafiltration flow rate (UFR) or to a patient's weight loss rate (WLR), a third parameter (Cd, Na) relating to a conductivity or concentration of a liquid crossing the dialysis line and/or the infusion line, and a fourth parameter relating to an infusion flow rate (QINF), and a control unit performing a control procedure to determine a variation in blood volume (BV %) and perform a setting sequence, wherein the control unit regulates a transmembrane pressure (TMP) to values which enable maximising the convective exchanges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: Gambro Lundia AB
    Inventors: Francesco Fontanazzi, Alessandro Surace, Francesco Paolini
  • Publication number: 20140048460
    Abstract: A method to determine a type of blood circuit attached to an extracorporeal blood treatment console including: pumping a liquid through a blood passage of the blood circuit, sensing a first pressure in: the blood passage while the passage is closed and pumping stopped, pumping an additional amount of the liquid into the blood passage while the blood passage is and remains closed and thereafter sensing a second pressure, and determine a dimensional characteristic of a fluid passage in the blood passage based on the additional amount of the liquid and the second pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Inventors: Francesco Paolini, Paolo Rovatti
  • Publication number: 20110118647
    Abstract: An extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus comprises a sensor (10) for emitting a signal indicating a change of hematic volume of an individual (7) subjected to a treatment and a weight loss system for actuating the individual's weight loss. A control unit (20) receives an effective weight value of the individual and a desired weight loss value and from these values determines a desired value of a change in hematic volume at end of treatment. The weight loss system is controlled on a basis of the hematic volume change signal and the desired value of the hematic volume change. The apparatus enables automatic control of a dialysis operation while preventing some complications arising from hypotension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2009
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: GAMBRO LUNDIA AB
    Inventors: Francesco Paolini, Francesco Fontanazzi, Fabio Grandi
  • Patent number: 7794419
    Abstract: The apparatus for blood flow control in an extracorporeal circuit comprises: a user interface for setting a desired blood flow value (qbREAL) and a datum relating to the vascular access, a memory for recording a plurality of mathematical relations having mathematical expressions relating to the vascular access organ to be used, and a control unit. The control unit identifies the vascular access, selects, from among the plurality of mathematical relations present in the memory, a relation which corresponds to the vascular access identified, and calculates, as a mathematical function of the set value for the desired flow (qbREAL), a value at which to set the angular velocity of the pump associated to the extracorporeal circuit and/or a theoretical value of the arterial pressure upstream of the pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Gambro Lundia AB
    Inventors: Francesco Paolini, Carlo Alberto Lodi, Francesco Fontanazzi
  • Patent number: 7648474
    Abstract: A method of detecting the detachment of the venous needle from a patient during an extracorporeal blood treatment in a dialysis machine having an extracorporeal blood circuit provided with an arterial branch and a venous branch. The arterial pressure (Pa) is measured in the arterial branch and the venous pressure (Pv) is measured in the venous branch, and the determination is made of whether or not decreases of the arterial pressures (Pa) and venous pressures (Pv) are occurring during the dialysis treatment in normal conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Gambro Lundia AB
    Inventors: Francesco Paolini, Carlo Alberto Lodi, Massimo Fava
  • Patent number: 7648475
    Abstract: A non-invasive device for measuring blood temperature in a circuit for the extracorporeal circulation of blood includes a line in which blood taken from a patient flows. The device also includes a temperature sensor connected to the line and provided with a device for measuring the intensity of an electromagnetic radiation. The measuring device faces a connecting portion or window of the line that is permeable by electromagnetic radiation in a first wave band, and generates a first signal, correlated with the electromagnetic radiation in the first band and therefore with the temperature of the blood flowing in the line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Gambro Lundia AB
    Inventors: Giorgio De Cicco, Francesco Fontanazzi, Annalisa Delnevo, Massimo Zaccarelli, Francesco Paolini
  • Publication number: 20100000944
    Abstract: Control equipment for an extracorporeal blood circuit (2), in which the extracorporeal circuit (2) has an access branch (8) and a return branch (10) connected to a blood treatment element (4; 4, 11a; 4, 11v; 25; 25, 11a, 25, 11v), is provided with a sensor for measuring a first temperature (TP) of the blood leaving a patient (P) along the access branch (8), with a heat exchanger formed by a portion (19) of the return branch (10) and by a device for regulating the temperature (T) of the blood coupled to the portion (19) of the return branch (10), and with a control unit (15) for operating the regulating device (18) as a function of the first temperature (TP) and of a reference temperature (Tset).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Inventors: Francesco Paolini, Francesco Fontanazzi, Massimo Zaccarelli
  • Publication number: 20080275377
    Abstract: The apparatus for blood flow control in an extracorporeal circuit comprises: a user interface for setting a desired blood flow value (qbREAL) and a datum relating to the vascular access, a memory for recording a plurality of mathematical relations having mathematical expressions relating to the vascular access organ to be used, and a control unit. The control unit identifies the vascular access, selects, from among the plurality of mathematical relations present in the memory, a relation which corresponds to the vascular access identified, and calculates, as a mathematical function of the set value for the desired flow (qbREAL), a value at which to set the angular velocity of the pump associated to the extracorporeal circuit and/or a theoretical value of the arterial pressure upstream of the pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2005
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Applicant: GAMBRO LUNDIA AB
    Inventors: Francesco Paolini, Carlo Alberto Lodi, Francesco Fontanazzi
  • Publication number: 20070265594
    Abstract: The invention concerns a fluid bag that contains either dialysis fluid for hemodialysis or a replacement fluid for replacing ultra-filtrate that is withdrawn from a patient or a fluid that is a rest product from a process of hemodialysis or the like. The fluid bag has a first main sheet and a second main sheet located opposite to the first main sheet. The fluid bag is sized to contain at least a certain quantity (q) of fluid, measured in ml, when it is completely filled with fluid. The fluid bag is configured so that the distance between the first and second sheets never exceeds a certain value (v), measured in mm, wherein: q?2000, and v?2q/100. The invention also concerns a fluid bag assembly including one or more such fluid bags as well as a system including one or more such fluid bags.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2005
    Publication date: November 15, 2007
    Inventors: Michaela Hagermark, Francesco Paolini
  • Patent number: 7131956
    Abstract: A dialysis machine comprises: means for calculating (60) a filtration factor (FF) as a function of the ultrafiltration rate (UFR) and of a plasma flow rate (Qp); first comparison means (65) for comparing the filtration factor (FF) with a limit value of admissibility; and signaling means (70) for generating a signal (A) indicating the result of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Gambro Hospal Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Paolo Pirazzoli, Antonio Bosetto, Francesco Paolini
  • Publication number: 20060191850
    Abstract: A method for preparing a medical liquid from a liquid, such as water, and two concentrated solutions comprises the following steps: circulating the liquid in a conduit (15), at a flowrate Q0; injecting into the conduit (15), at a flowrate Q1, a first concentrated solution containing a first ionic substance A and a second ionic substance B, the ionic substances A and B having, respectively, in the first concentrated solution, a concentration [Asol] and a first concentration [B1sol]; injecting into the conduit (15), at a flowrate Q2, a second concentrated solution containing the first ionic substance A and the second ionic substance B, the first ionic substance A having, in the second concentrated solution, the same concentration [Asol] as in the first concentrated solution, and the second ionic substance B having, in the second concentrated solution, a second concentration [B2sol] different than the first concentration [B1sol] in the first concentrated solution; regulating the injection flowrate Q1 and t
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2006
    Publication date: August 31, 2006
    Inventors: Antonio Bosetto, Francesco Paolini
  • Patent number: 7067061
    Abstract: A method for preparing a medical liquid from a liquid, such as water, and two concentrated solutions comprises the following steps: circulating the liquid in a conduit (15), at a flowrate Q0; injecting into the conduit (15), at a flowrate Q1, a first concentrated solution containing a first ionic substance A and a second ionic substance B, the ionic substances A and B having, respectively, in the first concentrated solution, a concentration [Asol] and a first concentration [B1sol]; injecting into the conduit (15), at a flowrate Q2, a second concentrated solution containing the first ionic substance A and the second ionic substance B, the first ionic substance A having, in the second concentrated solution, the same concentration [Asol] as in the first concentrated solution, and the second ionic substance B having, in the second concentrated solution, a second concentration [B2sol] different than the first concentration [B1sol] in the first concentrated solution; regulating the injection flowrate Q1 and the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Gambro Hospal (Schweiz) AG
    Inventors: Antonio Bosetto, Francesco Paolini
  • Patent number: 7060047
    Abstract: A method of sensing the detachment of the venous needle (13) from a patient (P) during an extracorporeal blood treatment in a dialysis machine (1) having an extracorporeal blood circuit (2), in which an electric current is made to flow along a closed-loop path (P1) of an electrical circuit (37) formed by an electrical line (21, 22, 23) external to the extracorporeal circuit (2), a portion of extracorporeal circuit (2) directly connected to the venous needle (13), and the patient (P); a signal correlated with the electric current along the electrical line (21, 22, 23) is detected; and the signal is compared with a threshold value by means of a control unit (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Gambro Lundia AB
    Inventors: Carlo Alberto Lodi, Francesco Paolini, Enrico Canini
  • Patent number: 7001353
    Abstract: A method is described for determining recirculation of blood in a vascular access of a patient undergoing dialysis treatment using a dialysis machine with an arterial line for withdrawing blood from the patient's body, a dialysis filter, and a venous line for returning blood to the patient's body. The method induces a disturbance in the blood flowing in the venous line. The disturbance is of a magnitude capable of bringing the system into a transient state and determining blood recirculation in the vascular access during the transient state as a function of the magnitude of the disturbance induced in the arterial line. In particular, the disturbance relates to the variation of the hemoglobin concentration in the blood flowing in the venous line. The variation is caused by controlling a change in the ultrafiltration flow in the dialysis filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Gambro Hospal (Scweiz) AG
    Inventors: Antonio Bosetto, Francesco Paolini
  • Publication number: 20050020958
    Abstract: Control equipment for an extracorporeal blood circuit (2), in which the extracorporeal circuit (2) has an access branch (8) and a return branch (10) connected to a blood treatment element (4; 4, 11a; 4, 11v; 25; 25, 11a; 25, 11v), is provided with a sensor for measuring a first temperature (TP) of the blood leaving a patient (P) along the access branch (8), with a heat exchanger formed by a portion (19) of the return branch (10) and by a device for regulating the temperature (T) of the blood coupled to the portion (19) of the return branch (10), and with a control unit (15) for operating the regulating device (18) as a function of the first temperature (TP) and of a reference temperature (Tset).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Publication date: January 27, 2005
    Inventors: Francesco Paolini, Francesco Fontanazzi, Massimo Zaccarelli
  • Publication number: 20040206703
    Abstract: A method for preparing a medical liquid from a liquid, such as water, and two concentrated solutions comprises the following steps:
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Publication date: October 21, 2004
    Applicant: Gambro Hospal (Schweiz) AG
    Inventors: Antonio Bosetto, Francesco Paolini
  • Patent number: 6793827
    Abstract: A method for extracorporeal treatment of blood includes preparing a treatment liquid from a liquid and two concentrated solutions by circulating the liquid in a preparation conduit at a flowrate Q0; injecting a first concentrated solution containing at least a first ionic substance A and a second ionic substance B into the preparation conduit at a flowrate Q1; and injecting a second concentrated solution containing at least the first ionic substance A into the preparation conduit at a flowrate Q2. The ionic substance B may have a first concentration in the first concentrated solution and a second concentration, different from the first concentration, in the second concentrated solution. The method may also include regulating the injection flowrates Q1 and Q2 in such a way that at any given time the diluted solution resulting from the mixing of the liquid and the concentrated solutions has a desired concentration of the first ionic substance A and a desired concentration of the second ionic substance B.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Gambro Hospal AG
    Inventors: Antonio Bosetto, Francesco Paolini
  • Patent number: 6794194
    Abstract: A method for measuring the hemoglobin concentration in the blood in a circuit of a dialysis machine includes directing electromagnetic waves against one section of the circuit, measuring values of the electromagnetic waves transmitted through the section, and determining values of absorption of electromagnetic waves by the blood along the section from the measured values of transmitted electromagnetic waves. The values of absorption are correlated with the values of the hemoglobin concentration. The method also includes measuring the values of at least one physical quantity of the blood, wherein the at least one physical quantity is selected from blood pressure and blood temperature, and calculating the values of hemoglobin concentration as a function of the values of absorption and the at least one physical quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Gambro Dasco SpA
    Inventors: Massimo Fava, Annalisa Delnevo, Francesco Paolini