LOW HYDRAULIC RESISTANCE CARTRIDGE

• US 20080006570A1
• Filed: 07/16/2007
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Incorporated (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Original Assignee: National Quality Care Inc.
• Inventors: Gura, Victor, Polaschegg, Hans-Dietrich
• Granted Patent: US 7,850,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/266
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3679 by absorption A61M1/3675 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/00 Processes of separation using semi-permeable membranes, e.g. dialysis, osmosis or ultrafiltration; Apparatus, accessories or auxiliary operations specially adapted therefor separation of gases or vapours by diffusion B01D53/22
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/2805 Sorbents inside a permeable or porous casing, e.g. inside a container, bag or membrane

Abstract

A cartridge for treating medical or biological fluid includes a first cap having an inlet for the fluid, a container including a plurality of compartments and a second cap including an outlet for the fluid, wherein each compartment contains a plurality of particles, wherein the fluid is adapted to flow through the compartments and react with the plurality of particles.

Claims

1. A filtration device for treating medical or biological fluid comprising:

a container housing defining an inner chamber having an inner chamber wall and an input end and an outlet end, the container housing having an inner chamber length from the input end to the outlet end such that the inner chamber width is at least two times larger than the inner chamber length, the inner chamber length measured in the general direction of fluid flow through the filtration device from the input end to the outlet end;

a plurality of fluid permeable separators extending inwardly beginning proximate to the inner chamber wall and into the inner chamber, the separators defining a plurality of open ended compartments inside the container housing wherein fluid can flow through the separators and between the compartments, the compartments each having a compartment length in the general direction of fluid flow though the filter from input end to the outlet end, each compartment having a first open inlet end proximate to the input end and a first open outlet end proximate the outlet end; and

particles retained in each of the open ended compartments.

2. The filtration device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of open ended compartments are aligned in parallel.

3. The filtration device of claim 1, wherein the particles comprise zirconium phosphate and physiological ions.

4. The filtration device of claim 1, wherein the particles are coated with urease.

5. The filtration device of claim 1, wherein the particles comprise an antibiotic.

6. The filtration device of claim 1, wherein the particle comprise adsorbent properties.

7. The filtration device of claim 1, wherein the particles comprise urease and produce carbon dioxide gas when a urea containing liquid is present in said filtration device, said carbon dioxide gas lowers a pH of said urea containing liquid.

8. The filtration device of claim 1, further comprising a first screen between the input end and the plurality of compartments such that the first screen is adjacent to the plurality of compartments, the first screen for retaining the particles in the plurality of compartments.

9. The filtration device of claim 1, further comprising a second screen between the plurality of compartments and the outlet end such that the second screen is adjacent to the compartments, the second screen for retaining the particles in the plurality of compartments.

10. A filtering apparatus for medical or biological fluid comprising:

a container housing defining a inner chamber having an inner chamber wall and an input end and an outlet end, the container housing having an inner chamber length from the input end to the outlet end such that the inner chamber width is at least two times larger than the inner chamber length, the inner chamber length is measured in the general direction of fluid flow through the filtering apparatus between the input end and the outlet end;

a first cap attached to the input end of the container housing, the first cap having an outer wall and an inner wall, the inner wall defining an inwardly opening conical fluid distribution chamber having a fluid inlet near the apex of the conical fluid distribution chamber;

a second cap attached to the outlet end of the container housing, the second cap having an outer wall and an inner wall, the inner wall defining an inwardly opening conical fluid collection chamber having a fluid outlet near the apex of the conical fluid collection chamber; and

a plurality of fluid permeable separators extending inwardly from the inner chamber wall into the inner chamber and defining a plurality of open ended compartments inside the container housing wherein particles are retained by the fluid permeable separators in the compartments, the compartments each having a compartment length from the input end of the container housing to the outlet end of the container housing, each compartment having a first open inlet end proximate to the conical fluid distribution chamber and a first open outlet end proximate the conical fluid collection chamber, each first open inlet end and first outlet end of the compartments having a dimension across the open end that is equal to or shorter than the inner chamber length.

11. The filtering apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a first screen disposed between the conical fluid distribution chamber and the first open inlet ends of the compartments; and

a second screen disposed between the conical fluid collection chamber and the first open outlet ends of the compartments, the second screen retaining particles in the compartments and preventing particles in the compartments from entering the conical fluid collection chamber.

12. The filtering apparatus of claim 10, wherein the particles comprise zirconium phosphate and physiological ions, said physiological ions being exchanged for other ions when a medical or biological fluid is present in said inner chamber.

13. The filtering apparatus of claim 10, wherein the particles are coated with urease.

14. The filtering apparatus of claim 10, wherein the particles comprise an antibiotic that is reactive with a medical or biological fluid present in said inner chamber.

15. The filtering apparatus of claim 10, wherein the particles adsorb impurities from a fluid by exchanging an ion with a compound in said fluid.

16. The filtering apparatus of claim 10, wherein the particles comprise urease and produces carbon dioxide when a fluid containing urea is present in said inner chamber, said carbon dioxide being used to lower and stabilize a pH value of said fluid flowing through said filtering apparatus.

17. A filtering apparatus for dialysate fluid:

a container housing defining a inner chamber having an inner chamber wall and an input end and an outlet end, the container housing having an inner chamber length from the input end to the outlet end such that the inner chamber width is at least two times larger than the inner chamber length, the inner chamber length measured in the general direction of fluid flow through the filtering apparatus between the input end and the outlet end;

a plurality of fluid permeable separators defining a plurality of open ended compartments inside the container housing wherein dialysate fluid can flow through the separators and between the compartments and wherein particles are retained by the separators in the compartments, the compartments each having a compartment length from the input end of the container housing to the outlet end of the container housing, each compartment having a first open inlet end proximate to the input end and a first open outlet end proximate the outlet end, each first open inlet end and first open outlet end of the compartments having a dimension across the open end that is equal to or shorter than the compartment length;

said particles comprising zirconium phosphate, said zirconium phosphate exchanges an ion with a substance in dialysate fluid that can flow through the filtering apparatus.

18. A filtering apparatus for dialysate fluid:

a container housing defining a inner chamber having an inner chamber wall and an input end and an outlet end, the container housing having an inner chamber length from the input end to the outlet end such that the inner chamber width is at least two times larger than the inner chamber length, the inner chamber length measured in the general direction of fluid flow through the filtering apparatus between the input end and the outlet end;

a plurality of fluid permeable separators defining a plurality of open ended compartments inside the container housing wherein dialysate fluid can flow through the separators and between the compartments and wherein particles are retained by the separators in the compartments, the compartments each having a compartment length from the input end of the container housing to the outlet end of the container housing, each compartment having a first open inlet end proximate to the input end and a first open outlet end proximate the outlet end, each first open inlet end and first open outlet end of the compartments having a dimension across the open end that is equal to or shorter than the compartment length;

said particles comprising urease and produce carbon dioxide when urea is present in the dialysate fluid that can flow through the filtering apparatus.

19. The filtering apparatus of claim 18, wherein said carbon dioxide lowers a pH of the dialysate and aids in stabilizing the pH of said dialysate at a value of about 7 or 8.