Monitoring a reverse-osmosis device used with dialysis devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10913031-B2
Application number	US-201816169688-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2018
Priority date	Nov 13, 2017
Publication date	Feb 9, 2021
Grant date	Feb 9, 2021

Abstract

The present invention concerns an electronic safety system for an RO device which is configured to be used with at least one dialysis device (e.g., a hemodialysis or a peritoneal dialysis device). The system comprises the RO device, which is configured for the production of ultrapure water and which includes a sensor unit for collecting sensor data and whereby the RO device comprises an electronic data interface in order to send the sensor data collected by the sensor unit; and it also comprises an analysis unit which is configured to analyze a water sample with regards to safety requirements and for example with regard to contamination and to generate result data whereby the analysis unit also includes an analysis interface in order to send the generated result data in electronic form; and a network for the data exchange between the medical entities, for example between the RO device and the analysis unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a reverse-osmosis (RO) device connected to one or more dialysis machines, wherein the RO device is configured to produce ultrapure water and to provide the ultrapure water to the one or more dialysis machines, wherein the RO device comprises one or more sensors configured to collect sensor data, wherein the sensor data comprises a feed water conductivity value, a permeate conductivity value, and/or a retention value;
a server configured to:
receive the sensor data from the RO device;
determine, based on evaluating the sensor data, a preliminary result indicating whether water quality for the RO device is sufficient; and
in response to the preliminary result indicating that water quality is insufficient, issue a warning message; and

a laboratory system, comprising an analysis device configured to:
analyze a water sample corresponding to the RO device; and
generate result data regarding contamination based on analyzing the water sample of the RO device;

wherein the laboratory system is configured to transmit the result data to the RO device via a network;
wherein the RO device is further configured to turn off the one or more dialysis machines in response to receiving result data which indicates contamination.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the
server is further configured to receive the result data from the laboratory system and send the result data to the RO device and/or the one or more dialysis machines.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the server is further configured to validate or invalidate the preliminary result based on the result data.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises
a water supply device configured to:
supply the RO device with water;
collect water consumption data; and
transmit the water consumption data.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein determining the preliminary result is further based on evaluating the water consumption data.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the server is further configured to aggregate data from a plurality of RO devices.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the server is further configured to analyze the aggregated data to evaluate result data corresponding to RO devices from a particular geographic region.

8. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the server is further configured to analyze the aggregated data to evaluate result data corresponding to RO devices from a particular time period.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the RO device is further configured to determine the retention value R based on the feed water conductivity value cSP and the permeate conductivity value cP according to R [%]=(cSp−cP)/cSp*100.

10. A method comprising:
collecting, by one or more sensors of a reverse-osmosis (RO) device, sensor data during the operation of the RO device, wherein the sensor data comprises a feed water conductivity value, a permeate conductivity value, and/or a retention value, and wherein the RO device is connected to one or more dialysis machines and is configured to produce ultrapure water and to provide the ultrapure water to the one or more dialysis machines;
determining, by the RO device or by a server, based on evaluating the sensor data, a preliminary result indicating whether water quality for the RO device is sufficient;
in response to the preliminary result indicating that water quality is insufficient, issuing, by the RO device or by the server, a warning message;
receiving, by the RO device, result data corresponding to a laboratory analysis performed on a water sample from the RO device; and
in response to the received result data indicating contamination, turning off, by the RO device, the one or more dialysis machines.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising;
aggregating, by the server, data from a plurality of RO devices; and
performing, by the server, statistical evaluations corresponding to the plurality of RO devices.

12. One or more non-transitory memories having processor-executable instructions stored thereon, wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, facilitate performance of the following:
collecting, by one or more sensors of a reverse-osmosis (RO) device, sensor data during the operation of the RO device, wherein the sensor data comprises a feed water conductivity value, a permeate conductivity value, and/or a retention value, and wherein the RO device is connected to one or more dialysis machines and is configured to produce ultrapure water and to provide the ultrapure water to the one or more dialysis machines;
determining, by the RO device or by a server, based on evaluating the sensor data, a preliminary result indicating whether water quality for the RO device is sufficient;
in response to the preliminary result indicating that water quality is insufficient, issuing, by the RO device or by the server, a warning message;
receiving, by the RO device, result data corresponding to a laboratory analysis performed on a water sample from the RO device; and
in response to the received result data indicating contamination, turning off, by the RO device, machines.

Assignees

• Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland Gmbh

Inventors

• Ruff Christian
• Pohl Thomas
• Wild Michael

Classifications

• B01D61/243

  Dialysis · CPC title

• A61M1/1656

  Apparatus for preparing dialysates · CPC title

• B01D61/025 Primary

  Reverse osmosis; Hyperfiltration · CPC title

• G16H40/63

  for local operation · CPC title

• A61M1/1601 Primary

  Control or regulation · CPC title