DEVICE AND METHOD FOR TREATING A MEDICAL FLUID AND MEDICAL CASSETTE

• US 20100200486A1
• Filed: 05/16/2008
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Günther, Götz, Häcker, Jürgen, Han-Peter Schneider, Köhler, Markus, Manfred Weis, Martin Lauer, Müller, Ralf, Tobias Weber
• Original Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Inventors: Müller, Ralf, Weis, Manfred, Weber, Tobias, Lauer, Martin, Schneider, Han-Peter, Köhler, Markus, Günther, Götz, Häcker, Jürgen
• Granted Patent: US 8,470,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/188
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/14 Dialysis systems; Artificial kidneys; Blood oxygenators semi-permeable membranes characterised by the material, manufacturing processes therefor B01D71/00 ; Reciprocating systems for treatment of body fluids, e.g. single needle systems for hemofiltration or pheresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1522 the interface being evacuated interfaces to enhance contact
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1524 the interface providing means for actuating on functional elements of the cassette, e.g. plungers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/154 with sensing means or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1561 at least one cassette surface or portion thereof being flexible, e.g. the cassette having a rigid base portion with preformed channels and being covered with a foil
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1563 Details of incorporated filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1565 Details of valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/16 with membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1601 Control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/28 Peritoneal dialysis ; Other peritoneal treatment, e.g. oxygenation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/34 Filtering material out of the blood by passing it through a membrane, i.e. hemofiltration or diafiltration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/122 using evacuated interfaces to enhance contact
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for treating a medical liquid which includes a treatment machine having a coupling surface, with a cassette made of a hard part having liquid-conducting passages which are covered by a flexible film being able to be coupled to the coupling surface of the treatment machine. The invention furthermore relates to a corresponding medical cassette. In accordance with the invention, an air-free coupling of the flexible film of the cassette to the treatment machine is ensured in that air can be sucked out areally along a plane between the flexible film and the coupling surface during the coupling process and/or with a coupled cassette. The invention equally includes a method for coupling the cassette and a method for checking the leaktightness of the cassette via the vacuum control of the air suction.

Claims

1-60. -60. (canceled)

61. An apparatus for treating a medical liquid which includes a treatment machine having a coupling surface and a flexible mat arranged on the coupling surface, with a cassette made of a hard part having liquid-conducting passages which are covered by a flexible film being able to be coupled to the coupling surface of the treatment machine via the flexible mat,

characterized in that

the flexible mat comprises an air-permeable material and is configured such that air is sucked out in a region of the flexible mat without interruptions during the coupling process and/or with a coupled cassette, and indeed along the plane of the flexible mat and/or through the flexible mat.

72. An apparatus in accordance with claim 61 comprising at least one suction device.

73. An apparatus in accordance with claim 72, wherein the air-conducting layer is in communication with a vacuum device at one or more points outside the region of the liquid-conducting passages.

74. An apparatus in accordance with claim 61, wherein the suction takes place via at least one valve arranged in the coupling surface of the treatment machine.

75. An apparatus in accordance with claim 61, wherein the suction takes place via one or more suction openings arranged in the hard part of the cassette.

76. An apparatus in accordance with claim 61, comprising an optical sensor for the recognition of leaks, in particular by scattered light wetting detection.

77. An apparatus in accordance with claim 61, comprising a control which carries out an automatic suction of the air.

78. An apparatus in accordance with claim 77, wherein the control carries out an automatic check of the leaktightness of the medical cassette.

79. An apparatus in accordance with claim 61, comprising a medical cassette in accordance with one of the following claims.

62. An apparatus for treating a medical liquid which includes a treatment machine having a coupling surface and a flexible mat arranged on the coupling surface, with a cassette made of a hard part having liquid-conducting passages which are covered by a flexible film being able to be coupled to the coupling surface of the treatment machine via the flexible mat,

characterized in that

the surface of the flexible mat facing the flexible film has a structuring through which air can be sucked out along the structuring of the flexible mat during the coupling process and/or with a coupled cassette.

63. An apparatus in accordance with claim 62, wherein the structuring has a net structure and/or a meander-like and/or linear structure.

64. An apparatus in accordance with claim 62, wherein the structuring is made anisotropoic and/or inhomogeneous.

65. An apparatus in accordance with either claim 62, wherein the structuring extends along the liquid-conducting passages.

66. An apparatus in accordance with claim 65, wherein the structuring converges in one or more regions outside the liquid-conducting passages which form suction points.

67. An apparatus in accordance with claim 62, wherein the structuring extends substantially perpendicular to the passage web edge on the transition from the region with liquid-conducting passages to the region outside the liquid-conducting passages.

68. An apparatus in accordance with claim 65, wherein the structuring has a spacing from the passage web edges in the regions in which it does not traverse the passage web edges.

69. An apparatus in accordance with claim 65, wherein the structuring is made such that there is no direct connection between regions of the film with different liquid-conducting passages.

70. An apparatus in accordance with claim 62, wherein the cassette is pressed with the coupling surface in the coupled state, with the film being pressed in a fluid-tight manner with the liquid-conducting passages of the hard part of the cassette, but with the structuring along its plane allowing air transport.

71. An apparatus for treating a medical liquid which includes a treatment machine having a coupling surface and a flexible mat, in particular a silicone mat, arranged on the coupling surface, with a cassette made of a hard part having liquid-conducting passages which are covered by a flexible film being able to be coupled to the coupling surface of the treatment machine via the flexible mat,

characterized in that

air can be sucked out along a plane between the flexible film and the surface of the flexible mat facing the flexible film during the coupling procedure and/or with a coupled cassette.

80. A medical cassette made of a hard part having liquid-conducting passages which are covered by a flexible film, with the cassette being able to be coupled to the coupling surface of the treatment machine,

the medical cassette comprising at least one suction opening arranged in the hard part of the cassette.

81. A medical cassette in accordance with claim 80, wherein the hard part has containment webs which connect the passage rim sealing webs and form areas sealing pressed closed.

82. A medical cassette in accordance with claim 80, wherein the suction opening is arranged outside the region of the liquid-conducting passages.

83. A medical cassette in accordance with claim 80, wherein the flexible film is welded to the hard part of the cassette around the suction opening.

84. A medical cassette in accordance with claim 83, wherein the annular weld seam has a structuring around the suction opening.

85. A medical cassette in accordance with claim 83, wherein the region of the weld seam is lowered with respect to the pressing plane of the cassette.

86. A medical cassette in accordance with claim 80, wherein a hydrophobic filter is arranged at the suction opening.

87. A method for coupling a cassette made of a hard part having liquid-conducting passages which are covered by a flexible film to the coupling surface of a treatment machine for treating a medical fluid comprising the steps:

coupling the medical cassette to the coupling surface of the treatment machine via a flexible mat arranged on the coupling surface;

suction of air between the flexible film and the flexible mat during the coupling process and/or with a coupled cassette,

characterized in that

the suction takes place in regions of the flexible mat without interruptions, and indeed along the plane of the flexible mat and/or through the flexible mat, for which purpose the mat comprises an air-permeable material.

90. A method in accordance with claim 87, comprising a medical cassette and/or an apparatus for treating a medical liquid in accordance with one of the claims.

88. A method for coupling a cassette made of a hard part having liquid-conducting passages which are covered by a flexible film to the coupling surface of a treatment machine for treating a medical fluid comprising the steps:

coupling the medical cassette to the coupling surface of the treatment machine;

suction of air between the flexible film and the coupling surface of the treatment machine during the coupling process and/or with a coupled cassette,

characterized in that

the suction takes place along a structuring of the surface of the flexible film and/or along a structuring of a surface of a flexible mat facing the flexible film via which the cassette is coupled to the coupling surface.

89. A method for coupling a cassette made of a hard part having liquid-conducting passages which are covered by a flexible film to the coupling surface of a treatment machine for treating a medical fluid comprising the steps:

coupling the medical cassette to the coupling surface of the treatment machine via a flexible mat arranged on the coupling surface;

suction of air between the flexible film and the flexible mat during the coupling process and/or with a coupled cassette,

characterized in that

the suction takes place along the plane between the flexible film and the surface of the flexible mat facing the flexible film.

91. A method for checking the leaktightness of a medical cassette made of a hard part having liquid-conducting passages which are covered by a flexible film, in particular before the filling of the medical cassette, comprising the steps:

coupling the medical cassette to a coupling surface of a treatment machine;

suction of air between the flexible film and the coupling surface of the treatment machine, in particular areal suction during the coupling process and/or with a coupled cassette;

checking the leaktightness of the medical cassette with reference to the created vacuum,

wherein the check of the leaktightness takes place during and/or after the coupling of the cassette.