DIALYSIS SYSTEMS HAVING SPIRALING FLUID AIR SEPARATION CHAMBERS

• US 20110092895A1
• Filed: 12/28/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2007
• 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: Yardimci, Atif M., Laird, James C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,988,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/29
• 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 1/153 the cassette being adapted for heating or cooling the treating fluid, e.g. the dialysate or the treating gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/154 with sensing means or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/155 with treatment-fluid pumping 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 1/1565 Details of valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1658 Degasification
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/28 Peritoneal dialysis ; Other peritoneal treatment, e.g. oxygenation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3627 Degassing devices; Buffer reservoirs; Drip chambers; Blood filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/12 with interchangeable cassettes forming partially or totally the fluid circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 19/0042 modifying the liquid flow B01D19/0021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/28 Apparatus therefor

Abstract

A dialysis fluid cassette includes a rigid portion defining at least one valve chamber, the rigid portion further defining an air separation chamber, the air separation chamber when in an operating position including an inner surface, a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and configured to cause a dialysis fluid to spiral around the inner surface toward the fluid outlet, such that air is removed from the dialysis fluid.

Claims

1. A dialysis system comprising:

a fluid pump; and

an air separation chamber in fluid communication with the fluid pump and including an inner surface, a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the air separation chamber configured to cause the fluid to spiral around the inner surface toward the fluid outlet to remove air from the fluid.

2. The dialysis system of claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the air separation chamber is curved.

3. The dialysis system of claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the air separation chamber is configured to promote the spiraling of the fluid.

4. The dialysis system of claim 1, wherein the fluid inlet is located near a top of the air separation chamber and the fluid outlet is located near a bottom of the air separation chamber when in operation.

5. The dialysis system of claim 1, wherein the air separation chamber further includes a vent outlet located near a top of the air separation chamber when in operation.

6. The dialysis system of claim 1, wherein the fluid inlet is disposed so as to direct the fluid in a direction promoting the spiraling of the fluid.

7. The dialysis system of claim 1, wherein the air separation chamber in operation is disposed so that the fluid spirals in an overall downward vertical direction, and wherein the fluid inlet is disposed to direct the fluid horizontally into the air separation chamber.

8. The dialysis system of claim 1, wherein the inner surface is smooth.

9. A dialysis system of claim 1, wherein the air separation chamber includes at least one internal structure configured and arranged to promote the spiraling of the fluid.

10. The dialysis system of claim 1, wherein a fluid carrying portion of the fluid pump and the air separation chamber are formed as an integrated disposable item.

11. The dialysis system of claim 10, wherein the disposable item includes a disposable cassette having at least one rigid wall and at least one flexible sheet.

12. The dialysis system of claim 1, wherein the fluid is of a type selected from the group consisting of:

(i) disalysate, (ii) infusate, (iii) replacement fluid, (iv) a concentrated component of (i), (ii) or (iii), and (v) blood.

13. The dialysis system of claim 1, which is of a type selected from the group consisting of:

(i) peritoneal dialysis, (ii) hemodialysis, (iii) hemofiltration, (iv) hemodiafiltration, and (v) continuous renal replacement therapy.

14. A dialysis system comprising:

a fluid valve; and

an air separation chamber in fluid communication with the fluid valve, the air separation chamber including a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet communicating fluidly with an inner surface of the air separation chamber, the inner surface configured to promote the spiraling of a fluid to remove air from the fluid.

15. The dialysis system of claim 14, wherein the fluid valve is in fluid communication with one of the fluid inlet, the fluid outlet or a vent of the air separation chamber.

16. The dialysis system of claim 14, wherein the fluid inlet is disposed so as to direct the fluid in a direction promoting the spiraling of the fluid along the inner surface.

17. The dialysis system of claim 14, which includes at least one internal structure operating with the inner surface to promote the spiraling of the fluid.

18. A dialysis system employing an air removal method, the method comprising:

introducing fluid potentially containing air horizontally into an upper portion of a chamber;

forcing the fluid potentially containing air to spiral around the chamber from the upper portion to a lower portion of the chamber; and

allowing the fluid to exit from the lower portion of the chamber and air to migrate towards the upper portion of the chamber.

19. The dialysis system of claim 18, wherein the method further includes allowing the air to migrate towards the upper portion of the chamber centrally through the spiraling fluid.

20. The dialysis system of claim 18, wherein the method further includes allowing air to be removed from the upper portion of the chamber.