Artificial kidney

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11925739-B2
Application number	US-202017076610-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2020
Priority date	Oct 23, 2019
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

An implantable or wearable kidney enclosure that is cylindrical, ovoid, or otherwise non-angular e.g., not rectangular or cuboid), having a circular or oval hemofilter that provides a blood flow pattern from an internal, central artery source radially outwards. Due to the efficient flow of the circular filter design, the enclosure can be made in a cylindrical low profile shape, resulting in a compact enclosure highly suitable for implantable and wearable dialysis applications.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An artificial kidney comprising:
an annular hemofilter having a circular or oval shape, the hemofilter having a central axis; and
an enclosure having a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the hemofilter taken orthogonal to the central axis, the enclosure further having:
an interior volume for receiving the annular hemofilter therein,
an inlet proximate the central axis fluidly connected to the interior volume to receive a flow of blood therein;
an outlet proximate the central axis and fluidly connected to the interior volume to receive a flow of blood therefrom; and
a second outlet fluidly connected to the interior volume to receive a flow of toxins therefrom,
wherein the inlet is fluidly connected to a first chamber in the enclosure and the outlet is fluidly connected to a second chamber in the enclosure, the first and second chambers separated by the annular hemofilter.

2. The artificial kidney of claim 1 , wherein both the first chamber and the second chamber have a tapering height from the central axis to a periphery of the enclosure.

3. The artificial kidney of claim 2 , wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are symmetrical to each other.

4. The artificial kidney of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is radially symmetrical about the central axis.

5. The artificial kidney of claim 1 further comprising a second inlet proximate the central axis fluidly connected to the interior volume to receive a flow of dialysate therein.

6. The artificial kidney of claim 5 , wherein the second outlet is proximate the central axis and fluidly connected to the second inlet.

7. The artificial kidney of claim 1 comprising a plurality of annular hemofilter pairs connected in series.

8. The artificial kidney of claim 1 comprising a plurality of annular hemofilter pairs connected in parallel.

9. An artificial kidney comprising:
an annular hemofilter having a circular or oval shape, the annular hemofilter having an inner diameter and an outer diameter; and
an enclosure having a shape corresponding to the hemofilter, the enclosure having a thickness, a diameter, and an interior volume for receiving and enclosing the hemofilter therein, with the enclosure thickness less than the enclosure diameter, the enclosure having a blood inlet, and a blood outlet proximate a central axis;
the artificial kidney having a radial blood flow path across the annular hemofilter from the inner diameter to the outer diameter.

10. The artificial kidney of claim 9 further comprising a blood inlet centrally located in the enclosure and fluidly connected to the interior volume.

11. The artificial kidney of claim 10 further comprising a dialysate inlet centrally located in the enclosure and fluidly connected to the interior volume.

12. The artificial kidney of claim 10 wherein the blood inlet is fluidly connected to a first chamber in the enclosure and a blood outlet is fluidly connected to a second chamber in the enclosure, the first and second chambers separated by the annular hemofilter.

13. The artificial kidney of claim 12 , wherein both the first chamber and the second chamber have a tapering height from the inner diameter to the outer diameter.

14. The artificial kidney of claim 12 comprising a plurality of annular hemofilter pairs connected in series.

15. The artificial kidney of claim 12 comprising a plurality of annular hemofilter pairs connected in parallel.

Assignees

• Seagate Technology Llc

Inventors

• Chang Thomas Y

Classifications

• B01D2313/205

  characterised by the shape · CPC title

• A61M1/34 Primary

  Filtering material out of the blood by passing it through a membrane, i.e. hemofiltration or diafiltration · CPC title

• A61M1/1631

  having non-tubular membranes, e.g. sheets · CPC title

• A61M1/1633

  with more than one dialyser unit · CPC title

• A61M1/1654

  Dialysates therefor · CPC title