Blood loss and leakage are examples of serious complications that can arise during dialysis. These events can result in mortality and are challenging for medical staff and nephrology nurses. A blood leak detector, used to monitor the transmission of liquids, proves helpful in such scenarios.
Image Credit: Introtek International
How Does a Haemodialysis Machine Identify Blood Leaks?
Blood leak detectors detect unwanted blood leaks in the filter’s blood compartment. Haemodialysis machines have a blood leak alarm, which can identify even minor quantities of blood in any clear fluid.
In the hemodialysis process, a patient’s blood passes through a filter known as a dialyzer. The dialysis machine pumps the blood and removes fluids and unwanted materials before returning it to the body. This process filters waste such as water and salt from the blood.
Cleaning and filtering blood is critical, as blood exposed to non-sterile dialysate may endanger a patient’s life. Due to the reuse of dialyzers, membrane rupture linked to bleach and heat disinfection has become a common occurrence.
Some clinical research suggests that blood loss may lead to a patient falling unconscious, hypotension, and cardiac arrest. Insertion of a dialysis catheter can lead to chest, neck, shoulder, groin, or lower abdominal pain. It can also result in hemoptysis.
A detector’s optical sensor utilizes a light source to identify red blood cells. When a threshold is reached, an alarm is triggered. This sensor can then be adjusted to a different wavelength for another device.
The Advantages of a Non-Invasive Blood Detector
The American Nephrology Nurses’ Association VND survey reports that close to half of dialysis patients worry about significant blood loss. This explains why many non-invasive blood detector systems, including pad, optical, and wetness sensors, are built for dialysis therapy.
In the same way, Introtek’s BC1 mini blood component detector is equipped with advanced sensing abilities to identify fluids within clear tubing. It comprises:
- Non-invasive optical technology
- Low-power consumption
- Free entry and compact design
- Field calibratable
- A broad range of tubing sizes
- Options for remote electronics
- Integrable electronics
The devices are equipped with highly sensitive technology to prevent false blood leak alarms. These typically occur due to air bubbles in the tube or detector system malfunctions caused by grease deposits.
The Introtek detector is helpful in specific medical use cases and prevents blood loss and fluid contamination in hemodialysis. Should customers need tailored solutions, design modifications can also be carried out.
About Introtek International
Introtek has produced non-invasive ultrasonic air bubble detectors, continuous liquid level sensors, optical blood component detectors, and now pressure occlusion detectors. Introtek sensors utilize a patented pulse-type ultrasonic technology that detects air bubbles, air-in-line, and liquid levels with the highest degree of accuracy and reliability, thereby maintaining an extremely high MTBF. Introtek sensors are not susceptible to the limitations exhibited by continuous wave, capacitive, or load-cell sensors.