Dialysis machine, method of controlling the dialysis machine, and computer program for implementing the control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016325035-A1
Application number	US-201415108907-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2014
Priority date	Dec 30, 2013
Publication date	Nov 10, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A dialysis machine comprising a fluid circuit for providing a dialysis fluid to a dialyser is disclosed. The fluid circuit comprises a tube with a first valve for providing a disinfectant fluid for disinfecting at least a part of the fluid circuit at disinfection of the dialysis machine. The tube with the first valve is arranged to provide the disinfectant fluid upstream the dialyser and at a position in the fluid circuit where pressure is, during treatment, such that a pressure gradient between ports of the first valve is provided, the ports comprising at least a disinfectant fluid port and a fluid circuit port, such that the disinfectant fluid port of the first valve is enabled to be safely connected to a source of disinfectant also during treatment. A method of controlling such a dialysis machine and a computer program for controlling are also disclosed.

First claim

1 . A dialysis machine comprising:
a fluid circuit for providing a dialysis fluid to a dialyser; and a tube with a first valve for providing a disinfectant fluid for disinfecting at least a part of the fluid circuit during disinfection of the dialysis machine, wherein the tube with the first valve is arranged to provide the disinfectant fluid upstream of the dialyser at a position in the fluid circuit where pressure is during treatment, such that a pressure gradient between ports of the first valve is provided, the ports comprising at least a disinfectant fluid port and a fluid circuit port, such that the disinfectant fluid port of the first valve is enabled to be safely connected to a source of disinfectant during treatment.

2 . The dialysis machine of claim 1 , wherein the position for inserting the disinfectant is downstream of a pump for concentrate distribution.

3 . The dialysis machine of claim 2 , wherein the first valve is a three-way valve with a first connection towards the source of disinfectant, a second connection towards the pump for concentrate distribution, and a third connection towards the fluid circuit leading to the dialyser, and the first valve is arranged to either connect the first and second connections, or the second and third connections for fluid flow.

4 . The dialysis machine of claim 1 , wherein the first valve is a three-way valve with a first connection towards the source of disinfectant, a second connection towards the fluid circuit, and a third connection towards atmospheric pressure surroundings, and the first valve is arranged to either connect the first and second connections, or the first and third connections for fluid flow.

5 . The dialysis machine of claim 1 , wherein the fluid circuit comprises an inlet for pure water, and the position for inserting the disinfectant is downstream of the inlet such that the pressure is always positive during treatment due to pressure of the pure water.

6 . The dialysis machine of claim 5 , further comprising a second valve arranged upstream of a point of the fluid circuit where the pure water is arranged to mix with distributed concentrate such that, when the second valve is closed during at least a part of a disinfection operation, a pump for concentrate distribution is enabled to suck up the disinfectant and distribute the disinfectant into the fluid circuit.

7 . The dialysis machine of claim 6 , wherein the second valve is a one-way valve.

8 . The dialysis machine of claim 1 , further comprising a bypass coupling arranged to receive dialyser fluid connection lines such that, during a disinfection operation, the bypass coupling connects a dialysis machine upstream dialyser fluid path with a dialysis machine downstream dialyser fluid path and establishes a connection to a pure water inlet, wherein the first valve is a three-way valve with a first connection towards the source of disinfectant, a second connection towards a tube in connection with the pure water inlet, and a third connection towards the bypass coupling, and the valve is arranged to either connect the first and second connections, or the second and third connections for fluid flow.

9 . The dialysis machine of claim 8 , further comprising a third valve being a three-way valve with a first connection towards the second connection of the first valve, a second connection towards a tube in connection with the pure water inlet, and a third connection towards a concentrate connector ( 507 , 509 ) of the machine, and the third valve is arranged to either connect the second and third connections, or the first and third connections for fluid flow.

10 . The dialysis machine of claim 1 , further comprising
a disinfection fluid tank arranged to intermediately store disinfection fluid, the disinfection fluid tank connected to the second connection of the first valve; and a coupling arrangement comprising a dialyser downstream connector and a dialyser upstream connector, and the coupling arrangement arranged to receive dialyser fluid connection lines such that, during a disinfection operation, the coupling arrangement connects a dialysis machine upstream dialyser fluid path with the disinfection fluid tank to establish a connection to a pure water inlet, and a dialysis machine downstream dialyser fluid path to a drain line of the dialysis machine via a fourth valve, wherein a first path and a second path are formed at disinfection, wherein the first path comprises a loop of the disinfection fluid tank via the first valve and a path from the pure water inlet line to the dialyser upstream connector to the disinfection fluid tank, and the second path comprises a loop of the dialyser downstream connector and a drainage pump via the fourth valve to the dialyser downstream connector, and when not performing disinfection, the first and fourth valves are closed.

11 . The dialysis machine of claim 10 , comprising a bypass valve, wherein the bypass valve is arranged to provide disinfectant from the first path to the second path.

12 . The dialysis machine of claim 1 , comprising a disinfectant selection valve arranged to enable selection of one of several disinfectant sources as the source of disinfectant.

13 . A method of controlling a fluid circuit for providing a dialysis fluid to a dialyser and disinfection operation of a dialysis machine according to claim 1 , the method comprising
controlling the first valve to prevent connection of the disinfectant source to the fluid circuit during treatment; and controlling the first valve to connect the disinfectant source to the fluid circuit during a disinfection operation.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the position is downstream of a pump for concentrate distribution and the first valve is a three-way valve with a first connection towards the source of disinfectant, a second connection towards the pump for concentrate distribution, and a third connection towards the fluid circuit leading to the dialyser, and the first valve is arranged to either connect the first and second connections in a first state, or the second and third connections for fluid flow in a second state, the method further comprising:
controlling the first valve to be in the first state and controlling the pump for concentrate distribution to provide fluid flow in a first direction during the disinfection operation; and controlling the first valve to be in the second state and controlling the pump for concentrate distribution to provide fluid flow in a second direction opposite to the first direction during treatment.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the fluid circuit comprises a bypass coupling arranged to receive dialyser fluid connection lines such that, during a disinfection operation, the bypass coupling connects a dialysis machine upstream dialyser fluid path with a dialysis machine downstream dialyser fluid path and establishes a connection to a pure water inlet, and wherein the first valve is a three-way valve with a first connection towards the source of disinfectant, a second connection towards a tube in connection with the pure water inlet, and a third connection towards the bypass coupling, the method further comprising:
during treatment, connecting the dialysis machine upstream dialyser fluid path and the dialysis machine downstream dialyser fluid path, respectively, with the dialyser and controlling the valve to connect the second and third connections for fluid flow; and during the disinfection operation, connecting the dialysis machine upstream dialyser fluid path and the dialysis machine downstream dialyser fluid path to the bypass coupling and control

Assignees

• Gambro Lundia Ab

Inventors

• Hobro Sture
• Jansson Olof
• Lunsjo Jan

Classifications

• A61L2103/15

  Laboratory, medical or dentistry appliances, e.g. catheters or sharps · CPC title

• A61L2202/24

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A61M39/223

  Multiway valves · CPC title

• A61M2205/3331

  Pressure; Flow · CPC title

• A61L2202/14

  Means for controlling sterilisation processes, data processing, presentation and storage means, e.g. sensors, controllers, programs · CPC title