Total chlorine water detection system for medical fluid treatments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9943631-B2
Application number	US-201514819033-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2015
Priority date	Oct 22, 2012
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A system and method for determining a concentration of total chlorine in dialysis water are provided. The system comprises a main unit housing a KI/water sample chamber and a sodium sulfate chamber. A first electrode pair bridges the two chambers and generates tri-iodide proportional to the amount of total chlorine in the water sample. A second electrode pair in contact with fluid in the KI/water sample detects an amount of tri-iodide generated by the first electrode pair. The system is suitable for use in connection with, or for incorporation into, a water purification system for generating dialysis fluid, and may include a display that alerts the user to stop or prevent a hemodialysis treatment if the total chlorine level exceeds a predetermined level.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dialysis system comprising:
a water treatment machine producing at least partially purified water;
a dialysis machine for providing dialysis therapy to a patient using the at least partially purified water from the water treatment machine; and
a chlorine detection testing unit configured to determine an amount of total chlorine in an at least partially purified water sample from the water treatment machine, the chlorine detection testing unit including
first and second chambers, at least one of the first and second chambers configured to receive the at least partially purified water sample from the water purification machine,
at least one voltage source configured to apply a voltage within the first and second chambers, and
a control unit configured to (i) cause the at least one voltage source to apply the voltage within the first and second chambers to generate an amount of tri-iodide within the first or second chamber containing the at least partially purified water sample, and (ii) monitor a current associated with the amount of tri-iodide generated within the first or second chamber.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the chlorine detection testing unit is configured to monitor a background current associated with an amount of tri-iodide in the system before introduction of the at least partially purified water sample.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first chamber is configured to receive the at least partially purified water sample from the water purification machine, and the second chamber is in fluid communication with a reducing agent reservoir configured to store a reducing agent that promotes generating tri-iodide from the at least partially purified water sample.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the chlorine detection testing unit includes:
an iodide reservoir configured to store iodide fluid, and
a reducing agent reservoir configured to store a reducing agent,
wherein the first chamber is in fluid communication with the iodide reservoir and the water treatment machine, the second chamber is in fluid communication with the reducing agent reservoir, and the first and second chambers are separated by a membrane that allows an electrical charge but not fluid to pass between the chambers,
wherein the at least one voltage source includes a first electrode pair and a second electrode pair, wherein one electrode of the first electrode pair is in electrical contact with an interior of the first chamber and the other electrode of the first electrode pair is in electrical contact with an interior of the second chamber, and wherein both electrodes of the second electrode pair are in electrical contact with an interior of the first chamber.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the electrodes includes carbon and/or a conductive metal.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the first and second chambers includes a tube.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first and second chambers both include tubes, and wherein the first chamber is disposed within a lumen of the second tube.

8. The system of claim 4 , wherein the membrane is a semipermeable membrane.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the membrane includes a plurality of perforations.

10. The system of claim 4 , wherein each electrode of the first electrode pair comprises a resistor.

11. The system of claim 4 , wherein at least one electrode of the second electrode pair comprises a resistor.

12. The system of claim 4 comprising an agitator, baffle, stirrer, or vibration mechanism in contact with at least one of the first and second chambers to mix fluid in the first and/or second chamber.

13. The system of claim 4 which is configured to determine an amount of total chlorine in the at least partially purified water sample via a signal obtained from the second electrode pair.

14. The system of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the first chamber, the iodide reservoir, or the reducing agent reservoir is in a replaceable cartridge or cassette form.

15. The system of claim 4 comprising a plurality of pumps and valves configured to meter preset amounts of the at least partially purified water sample and the iodide into the first chamber and the reducing agent into the second chamber.

16. The system of claim 4 comprising at least one pump and valve configured to pump deionized water into at least one of the first and second chambers.

17. The system of claim 4 comprising at least one pump and valve configured to pull fluid from at least one of the first and second chambers to drain.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the chlorine detection testing unit is incorporated within the water treatment machine and configured to evaluate at least one filter of the water treatment machine.

19. The system of claim 1 comprising a user interface configured to indicate at least one of (i) an alarm to a user if a level of total chlorine in the at least partially purified water sample exceeds a predetermined value and (ii) a safe status to a user if the level of total chlorine in the at least partially purified water sample falls below a predetermined value.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the predetermined value is a value within a range between and including 0.01 ppm to 0.5 ppm.

Assignees

• Baxter Int
• Baxter Healthcare Sa
• Baxter Healthcare Sa

Inventors

• White Jeff
• Chen Ye
• Ding Yuanpang Samuel
• Titus Joel
• Rohde Justin
• Maliekkal Shincy
• Cooper Kevin

Classifications

• G01N27/4168 Primary

  Oxidation-reduction potential, e.g. for chlorination of water (water analysis G01N33/18) · CPC title

• A61M1/1668

  Details of containers · CPC title

• A61M1/1605

  Physical characteristics of the dialysate fluid · CPC title

• Y02W10/33

  using wind energy · CPC title

• G01N33/182

  Specific anions in water · CPC title