Methods and apparatuses using urea permselective diffusion through charged membranes
First Claim
1. A regenerative dialysis fluid system comprising:
- a dialysis unit configured to generate used dialysis fluid including urea;
a urea separation unit including a dialysis fluid chamber configured to receive the used dialysis fluid generated by the dialysis unit and a urea chamber, the urea separation unit configured to separate at least a portion of the urea from the used dialysis fluid into a secondary fluid located within the urea chamber and return the used dialysis fluid with the at least the portion of the urea separated out to the dialysis unit; and
a urea removal unit configured to receive the secondary fluid with the separated urea from the urea chamber and remove at least a portion of the urea from the secondary fluid and return at least some of the secondary fluid to the urea chamber of the urea separation unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatuses for regenerating used dialysis fluid are described herein. In an embodiment, a regenerative dialysis fluid system includes a dialysis unit configured to generate used dialysis fluid including urea, a urea separation unit configured to separate at least a portion of the urea from the used dialysis fluid into a secondary fluid, and a urea removal unit configured to remove at least a portion of the urea from the secondary fluid and return the secondary fluid to the urea separation unit. In an embodiment, the urea separation unit includes a membrane separating a dialysis fluid chamber from a urea chamber, the membrane including at least one of: (i) a positive charge to prevent positive ions from transporting across the membrane; and (ii) a negative charge to prevent negative ions from transporting across the membrane.
19 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A regenerative dialysis fluid system comprising:
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a dialysis unit configured to generate used dialysis fluid including urea; a urea separation unit including a dialysis fluid chamber configured to receive the used dialysis fluid generated by the dialysis unit and a urea chamber, the urea separation unit configured to separate at least a portion of the urea from the used dialysis fluid into a secondary fluid located within the urea chamber and return the used dialysis fluid with the at least the portion of the urea separated out to the dialysis unit; and a urea removal unit configured to receive the secondary fluid with the separated urea from the urea chamber and remove at least a portion of the urea from the secondary fluid and return at least some of the secondary fluid to the urea chamber of the urea separation unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A urea separation unit comprising:
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a dialysis fluid chamber configured to receive a continuous flow of used dialysis fluid; a urea chamber configured to receive a continuous flow of secondary fluid; and a membrane separating the dialysis fluid chamber from the urea chamber, the membrane including at least one of;
(i) a positive charge to prevent positive ions of at least one of the used dialysis fluid or the secondary fluid from transporting across the membrane between the dialysis fluid chamber and the urea chamber; and
(ii) a negative charge to prevent negative ions of at least one of the used dialysis fluid or the secondary fluid from transporting across the membrane between the dialysis fluid chamber and the urea chamber. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of regenerating used dialysis fluid comprising:
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providing a secondary fluid that contacts a first side of a charged membrane; pumping, under control of a control unit and a pump, used dialysis fluid including urea against a second side of the charged membrane such that at least a portion of the urea flows across the charged membrane into the secondary fluid to separate the at least a portion of the urea from the used dialysis fluid, the charged membrane configured to prevent positive and negative ions of the used dialysis fluid from flowing into the secondary fluid; and removing, under control of the control unit, at least a portion of the urea from the secondary fluid in a urea removal unit. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification