Modular assembly for a portable hemodialysis system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12005169-B2
Application number	US-202217718533-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2022
Priority date	Feb 27, 2007
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

A modular assembly for a portable hemodialysis system may include a dialysis unit, e.g., that contains suitable components for performing hemodialysis, such as a dialyzer, one or more pumps to circulate blood through the dialyzer, a source of dialysate, and one or more pumps to circulate the dialysate through the dialyzer, and a power unit having a housing that contains suitable components for providing operating power to the pumps of the dialysis unit. The power unit may be selectively connected to the dialysis unit and provide power (e.g., pneumatic power in the form of pressure and/or to vacuum) to the dialysis unit for the pumps when connected to the dialysis unit, but may be incapable of providing power to the dialysis unit when disconnected from the dialysis unit. The dialysis unit and the power unit are sized and weighted to each be carried by hand by a human.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus to perform dialysis comprising:
a dialyzer with a blood inlet, a fresh dialysate inlet and a used dialysate outlet;
a balance pod with a used dialysate port connected to a used dialysate chamber, a fresh dialysate port connected to a fresh dialysate chamber and to the fresh dialysate inlet on the dialyzer, and a diaphragm separating the used dialysate chamber from the fresh dialysate chamber;
a blood pump actuated by a blood pneumatic pressure and configured to deliver blood to the blood inlet on the dialyzer;
a first dialysate pump actuated by a dialysate delivery pneumatic pressure and configured to deliver used dialysate to the used dialysate port of the balance pod;
a second dialysate pump actuated by a dialysate fill pneumatic pressure and configured to draw used dialysate from the used dialysate outlet on the dialyzer; and
a pneumatic control system configured to measure and control the blood pneumatic pressure, the dialysate delivery pneumatic pressure and the dialysate fill pneumatic pressure, and configured to provide the blood pneumatic pressure, the dialysate delivery pneumatic pressure and the dialysate fill pneumatic pressure to the blood pump, the first dialysate pump and the second dialysate pump, respectively, wherein the blood pneumatic pressure and dialysate delivery pneumatic pressure are controlled to be greater than atmospheric and the dialysate fill pneumatic pressure is controlled to be not less than atmospheric,
wherein the pneumatic control system controls the dialysate delivery pneumatic pressure or dialysate fill pneumatic pressure based on the blood pneumatic pressure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic control system is configured to control the dialysate delivery pneumatic pressure to be a pressure higher than the blood pneumatic pressure.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic control system is configured to control the dialysate fill pneumatic pressure to be a pressure less than the blood pneumatic pressure.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic control system is configured to control the blood pneumatic pressure, the dialysate delivery pneumatic pressure and the dialysate fill pneumatic pressure such that a pressure across the dialyzer is a difference between the blood pneumatic pressure and an average of the dialysate delivery pneumatic pressure and the dialysate fill pneumatic pressure and wherein the pressure across the dialyzer is approximately balanced to produce no net flow across the dialyzer.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a heater fluidly connected to supply fresh dialysate to the fresh dialysate port on the balance pod.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic control system controls the dialysate delivery pneumatic pressure to match the blood pneumatic pressure.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic control system controls the dialysate delivery pneumatic pressure to synchronize the first dialysate pump with the blood pump.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic control system controls the dialysate fill pneumatic pressure to synchronize the second dialysate pump with the blood pump.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the balance pod, first dialysate pump and second dialysate pump are part of a disposable dialysate cassette assembly.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the blood pump is part of a disposable blood cassette assembly.

11. An apparatus to perform dialysis comprising:
a dialyzer with a blood inlet, a fresh dialysate inlet and a used dialysate outlet;
a balance pod with a used dialysate port connected to a used dialysate chamber, a fresh dialysate port fluidly connected to a fresh dialysate chamber, the fresh dialysate port connected via a first pneumatically actuated valve to the fresh dialysate inlet on the dialyzer, and a diaphragm separating the used dialysate chamber from the fresh dialysate chamber;
a blood pump actuated by a blood pneumatic pressure and configured to deliver blood to the blood inlet on the dialyzer;
a first dialysate pump actuated by a dialysate delivery pneumatic pressure, fluidly connected to the used dialysate port via a pneumatically actuated second valve and configured to deliver used dialysate to the used dialysate chamber of the balance pod;
a second dialysate pump actuated by a dialysate fill pneumatic pressure, fluidly connected via a pneumatically actuated third valve to the used dialysate outlet and configured to draw used dialysate from the dialyzer;
a dialysate supply;
a heater;
a third dialysate pump actuated by a variable outside dialysate pneumatic pressure, the third dialysate pump configured to draw fresh dialysate from the dialysate supply and deliver the fresh dialysate through the heater to the fresh dialysate chamber in the balance pod; and
a pneumatic control system configured to measure and control the blood pneumatic pressure, the dialysate delivery pneumatic pressure, the dialysate fill pneumatic pressure and the variable outside dialysate pneumatic pressure, and configured to provide the blood pneumatic pressure, the dialysate delivery pneumatic pressure, the dialysate fill pneumatic pressure and the variable outside dialysate pneumatic pressure to the blood pump, the first dialysate pump, the second dialysate pump and the third dialysate pump, respectively, the pneumatic control system configured to provide a valve actuation pneumatic pressure to actuate one more of the first, second and third pneumatically actuated valves, wherein the pneumatic control system is configured to control the dialysate delivery pneumatic pressure, the dialysate fill pneumatic pressure and the valve actuation pneumatic pressure to be greater than atmospheric in order to avoid outgassing in the fresh or used dialysate, and wherein the pneumatic control system is configured to control the variable outside dialysate pressure to vary from a negative to positive gauge pressure.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the heater is fluidly connected to the fresh dialysate port on the balance pod.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first and third pneumatically actuated valves are ganged together and actuated by a single pressure control.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the pneumatic control system is configured to close the first, second and third pneumatically actuated valves when the blood pump is not delivering blood to the dialyzer.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first dialysate pump and second dialysate pump are frozen when the blood pump is not delivering blood to the dialyzer.

16. An apparatus to perform dialysis comprising:
a dialyzer with a blood inlet, a fresh dialysate inlet and a used dialysate outlet;
a disposable cassette assembly comprising:
a balance pod with a used dialysate port connected to a used dialysate chamber, a fresh dialysate port connected to a fresh dialysate chamber and to the fresh dialysate inlet on the dialyzer, and a diaphragm separating the used dialysate chamber from the fresh dialysate chamber;
a blood pump actuated by a blood pneumatic pressure and configured to deliver blood to the blood inlet on the dialyzer;
a first dialysate pump actuated by a dialysate delivery pneumatic pressure and configured to deliver used dialysate to the used dialysate port of the balance pod;
a second dialysate pump actuated by a dialysate fill pneumatic pressure and configured to draw used dialysate from the used dialysate outlet on the dialyzer; and
a pneumatic control system configured to measure and control the bloo

Assignees

• Deka Products Lp

Inventors

• Kamen Dean
• Demers Jason A
• Wilt Michael J
• Grant Kevin L
• Prescott Shannon
• Collins David E

Classifications

• B01D61/32

  Controlling or regulating · CPC title

• B01D61/30

  Accessories; Auxiliary operation · CPC title

• A61M2205/58

  Means for facilitating use, e.g. by people with impaired vision · CPC title

• A61M1/16

  with membranes · CPC title

• A61M1/1633

  with more than one dialyser unit · CPC title