Dual flow sorbent cartridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9707330-B2
Application number	US-201214240129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2012
Priority date	Aug 22, 2011
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for the performance of kidney replacement therapy having or using a dialyzer, control components, a sorbent cartridge with at least two separate flow paths, and fluid reservoirs configured to be of a weight and size suitable to be worn or carried by an individual requiring treatment. The system for performing kidney replacement therapy has a controlled compliance dialysis circuit, where a control pump controls the bi-directional movement of fluid across a dialysis membrane. The dialysis circuit and an extracorporeal circuit for circulating blood are in fluid communication through the dialysis membrane. The flux of fluid moving between the extracorporeal circuit and the dialysis circuit is modified by the rate at which the control pump is operating such that a rate of ultrafiltration and convective clearance can be controlled. The system provides for the monitoring of an inlet and outlet conductivity of the sorbent cartridge to provide a facility to quantify or monitor the removal of urea by the sorbent cartridge.

First claim

We claim:

1. A sorbent cartridge, comprising:
at least one cartridge body having a first inlet port and a second inlet port,
a common conduit;
one or more valves to direct dialysate to travel from the common conduit to either the first inlet port that defines a first flow path or the second inlet port that defines a second flow path through the sorbent cartridge to an outlet port; and
the first flow path flowing through at least a urease containing material and a zirconium phosphate material in the cartridge that is not in fluid communication with the second flow path, the second flow path flowing through at least a mixed anion and cation de-ionization resin in the sorbent cartridge not in fluid communication with the first flow path; wherein the sorbent cartridge is capable of removing at least one impurity or waste species from a fluid.

2. The sorbent cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the first flow path can further pass a fluid through any one of a zirconium oxide material and an activated carbon material and combinations thereof, and the second flow path can further pass a fluid through an activated carbon material.

3. The sorbent cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the sorbent cartridge further comprises a second cartridge body, wherein the first inlet port allows a fluid to enter one cartridge body and the second inlet port allows a fluid to enter the second cartridge body.

4. The sorbent cartridge of claim 3 , wherein the second cartridge body has an outlet port attached to a conduit for passing fluid to a side port of another cartridge body.

5. The sorbent cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the sorbent cartridge comprises:
one cartridge body having a top portion and top portion sidewall and a bottom portion and bottom portion sidewall, the bottom portion having a larger mean diameter than the top portion, wherein a downstream opening and an upstream opening of the cartridge body are substantially parallel.

6. The sorbent cartridge of claim 5 , further comprising one or more molded housings present within the cartridge body, wherein a first interior space is formed between a downstream opening of one of the molded housings and the downstream opening of the cartridge body with the proviso that the first interior space is not interior to the one or more molded housings.

7. The sorbent cartridge of claim 6 , wherein the one or more molded housings include at least one selected from a first molded housing having a second interior space formed from one or more sidewalls and the one or more sidewalls forming a downstream opening and an upstream opening to the first molded housing; and a second molded housing having a third interior space formed from one or more sidewalls and the one or more sidewalls forming a downstream opening and an upstream opening to the second molded housing.

8. The sorbent cartridge of claim 7 , wherein the first molded housing has a plurality of standoffs projecting from the first molded housing in a direction substantially perpendicular to the downstream opening of the cartridge body.

9. The sorbent cartridge of claim 7 , wherein a first flow channel space is formed between the one or more sidewalls of the first molded housing and the sidewall of the cartridge body.

10. The sorbent cartridge of claim 6 , wherein the second molded housing has an annular peripheral portion having a plurality of openings formed therein.

11. The sorbent cartridge of claim 6 , where the downstream opening and upstream opening of the second molded housing are parallel to the downstream opening and upstream opening of the cartridge body, and a fourth interior space is formed between the one or more sidewalls of the second molded housing and the one or more sidewalls of the cartridge body.

12. The sorbent cartridge of claim 6 , wherein the one or more molded housings include a first molded housing having a second interior space formed from one or more sidewalls and the one or more sidewalls forming a downstream opening and an upstream opening to the first molded housing, and
wherein the one or more molded housings include a second molded housing having a third interior space formed from one or more sidewalls and the one or more sidewalls forming a downstream opening and an upstream opening to the second molded housing and a fourth interior space is formed between the one or more sidewalls of the second molded housing and the one or more sidewalls of the cartridge body.

13. The sorbent cartridge of claim 12 , wherein a first flow channel space is formed between the one or more sidewalls of the first molded housing and the sidewall of the cartridge body, wherein the fourth interior space is in fluid communication with the first flow channel space.

14. The sorbent cartridge of claim 13 , wherein the first molded housing has a plurality of standoffs projecting from the first molded housing in a direction substantially perpendicular to the downstream opening of the cartridge body and a second flow channel space is formed between a base of the plurality of standoffs and a sorbent material in the first interior space.

15. The sorbent cartridge of claim 12 , wherein the second molded housing has an annular peripheral portion having a plurality of openings formed therein and the annular peripheral portion contacts the one or more sidewalls of the cartridge body.

16. The sorbent cartridge of claim 12 , wherein a fluid introduced to the first inlet port passes through the third interior space but does not pass through the fourth interior space.

17. The sorbent cartridge of claim 12 , wherein a fluid introduced to the second inlet port passes through the fourth interior space but does not pass through the third interior space and/or the second interior space and/or the first interior space.

18. The sorbent cartridge of claim 12 , further comprising a bottom piece attached to the one cartridge body, wherein the first inlet port and the second inlet port are formed in the bottom piece.

19. The sorbent cartridge of claim 12 , wherein the first flow path comprises the first interior space, the second interior space and the third interior space.

20. The sorbent cartridge of claim 12 , wherein the second flow path comprises the fourth interior space, the first interior space and the first flow channel space.

21. The sorbent cartridge of claim 5 , wherein the one cartridge body can have any one of a tapered, cylindrical, conical, or mesa shape.

22. The sorbent cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the sorbent cartridge is docked in a cartridge holder, the cartridge holder comprising:
a central shaft;
a first arm attached to the central shaft having first and second access terminals;
a second arm attached to the central shaft having an access terminal, the second arm movable between at least a first position and a second position,
wherein the first access terminal of the first arm is engaged with the first inlet port, the second inlet access terminal of the first arm is engaged with the second inlet port and the access port of the second arm is engaged with the outlet port.

23. A method comprising:
measuring the conductivity of a fluid prior to entering a sorbent cartridge;
wherein the sorbent cartridge comprises at least one cartridge body; a common conduit; one or more valves to direct dialysate to travel from the common conduit to either a first inlet port that defines a first flow path or a second inlet port that defines a second flow path through the sorbent cartridge to an outlet port;

Assignees

• Kelly Thomas D
• Lyu Suping
• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Kelly Thomas D
• Lyu Suping

Classifications

• A61M1/3609

  Physical characteristics of the blood, e.g. haematocrit, urea · CPC title

• A61M2205/3317

  Electromagnetic, inductive or dielectric measuring means · CPC title

• B01J20/24

  Naturally occurring macromolecular compounds, e.g. humic acids or their derivatives · CPC title

• B01D15/02

  with moving adsorbents · CPC title

• A61M1/1696 Primary

  with dialysate regeneration · CPC title