PERITONEAL DIALYSIS SYSTEMS AND METHODS THAT REGENERATE DIALYSATE

• US 20100010430A1
• Filed: 09/18/2009
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baxter Healthcare SA (Baxter International Inc.), Baxter International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Baxter Healthcare SA (Baxter International Inc.), Baxter International Inc.
• Inventors: Micheli, Brian R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,815,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/166 Heating for sterilisation A61M1/1686
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1696 with dialysate regeneration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/28 Peritoneal dialysis ; Other peritoneal treatment, e.g. oxygenation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/284 Continuous flow peritoneal dialysis [CFPD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0021 removed from and reintroduced into the body, e.g. after treatment

Abstract

An artificial kidney that regenerates dialysate includes: a catheter having an inflow lumen and an outflow lumen for communication with a peritoneal cavity of a patient; a fluid circuit in fluid communication with the catheter for circulating dialysate into, through and out of the peritoneal cavity; a pump configured to circulate the dialysate; a cleaning cartridge coupled to the fluid circuit for removing solutes from the dialysate, including a therapeutically effective amount of urea from the dialysate as the dialysate circulates along the fluid circuit; and wherein the fluid circuit is configured to receive a volume of ultrafilterate removed from the patient, such that the pump can mix the ultrafiltrate volume with the dialysate to an increase an overall therapy fluid volume.

Claims

1. A system for providing peritoneal dialysis that regenerates therapy fluid, the system comprising:

a catheter having an inflow lumen and an outflow lumen for communication with a peritoneal cavity of a patient;

a single fluid circuit in fluid communication with the catheter for circulating fluid into, through and out of the peritoneal cavity;

a single supply of therapy fluid coupled to the fluid circuit, the therapy fluid configured to remove a plurality of solutes from the peritoneal cavity of the patient;

a single supply of an osmotic agent solution coupled to the fluid circuit for replenishing the therapy fluid;

a disposable cleaning cartridge coupled to the fluid circuit, wherein the cleaning cartridge removes an amount of solutes from the therapy fluid returning from the patient; and

a controller programmed to provide an effective peritoneal dialysis therapy via the single fluid circuit using a combination of (i) the single supply of therapy fluid, (ii) the single supply of the osmotic agent solution replenishing the therapy fluid, and (iii) the disposable cleaning cartridge removing solutes from the therapy fluid.

2. The system of claim 1, which is configured to circulate dialysate at a flow rate of less than 100 ml/minute.

3. The system of claim 1, which is configured to circulate dialysate into, through, and out of a peritoneal cavity of a patient, the cartridge removing a therapeutically effective amount of solutes from the dialysate exiting the patient.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a flow volume sensing device operably coupled to the single fluid circuit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the cleaning cartridge includes at least one of:

a sorbent material;

a filter to retain at least one of proteins and particulates and a source of electrolytes to replenish the dialysate as it is circulated.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the cleaning cartridge includes at least one sorbent material, including at least one of:

carbon, activated charcoal and urease.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the osmotic agent solution includes dextrose.

8. The system of claim 1, which includes a pump configured to circulate the therapy fluid.

9. An artificial kidney that regenerates dialysate, the artificial kidney comprising:

a supply of dialysate;

a catheter having an inflow lumen and an outflow lumen for communication with a peritoneal cavity of a patient;

a fluid circuit in fluid communication with the catheter for circulating dialysate from the supply, into, through and out of the peritoneal cavity;

a pump configured to circulate the dialysate;

a cleaning cartridge coupled to the fluid circuit for removing solutes from the dialysate as the dialysate circulates within the fluid circuit; and

wherein the fluid circuit is configured to receive a volume of ultrafiltrate removed from the patient, such that the pump can mix the ultrafiltrate volume with the dialysate from the supply to increase an overall therapy fluid volume, such that the supply can hold less than six liters of dialysate and a therapeutically effective amount of solutes can be removed from the patient.

10. The artificial kidney of claim 9, wherein the cleaning cartridge is disposable and includes at least one of:

a sorbent material and a filter for removing particles at least 0.22 microns in size.

11. The artificial kidney of claim 9, wherein the pump is configured to circulate the dialysate continuously or intermittently.

12. The artificial kidney of claim 9, further comprising at least one heater for warming the dialysate.

13. The artificial kidney of claim 9, wherein the cleaning cartridge includes at least one of carbon, activated charcoal and urease.

14. The artificial kidney of claim 9, wherein the cleaning cartridge is configured for selectively or non-selectively removing solutes from the dialysate.

15. The system according to claim 9, which includes a supply of an osmotic agent solution coupled to the fluid circuit for replenishing the dialysate, such that the supply can hold less than six liters of dialysate and the therapeutically effective amount of solutes can be removed from the patient.

16. The system according to claim 9, wherein the cleaning cartridge includes at least one organic polymer for binding at least one solute from the dialysate.

17. A method for providing peritoneal dialysis that regenerates dialysate, the method comprising:

providing a supply of dialysate along a fluid circuit;

circulating less than six liters of dialysate from the supply through the fluid circuit into, through, and out of a peritoneal cavity of a patient via a catheter having an inflow lumen and an outflow lumen in communication with the fluid circuit to provide continuous flow peritoneal dialysis to the patient;

removing a therapeutically effective amount of solutes and ultrafiltrate from the patient; and

removing at least most of the solutes from the dialysate via a cartridge coupled to the fluid circuit such that the less than six liters of dialysate is sufficient for removing the therapeutically effective amount of solutes and ultrafiltrate from the patient.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of removing the at least most of the solutes includes (i) removing at least a portion of the urea from the dialysate, and (ii) removing at least most of one of the solutes using at least one of carbon, and activated charcoal.

19. The method according to claim 18, which includes adding an osmotic agent solution to the dialysate to replenish the dialysate.

20. The method according to claim 18, which includes mixing an ultrafiltrate volume removed from the patient with the dialysate to increase an overall therapy fluid volume.