LIQUID CONCENTRATION DETECTOR FOR A BLOOD PURIFICATION APPARATUS

• US 20110144459A1
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikkiso Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nikkiso Company Limited
• Inventors: Akita, Kunihiko, Murakami, Tomoya, Hirano, Takayuki, Takakuwa, Yasushi
• Granted Patent: US 9,212,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/310
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/16 with membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1609 after use, i.e. downstream of dialyser
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/15 Detection of leaks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3306 Optical measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3313 used specific wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/05 Flow-through cuvettes G01N21/09 takes precedence; handling fluid samples G01N1/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/274 Calibration, base line adjustment, drift correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/59 Transmissivity G01N21/25 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0621 Supply
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0626 Use of several LED's for spatial resolution

Abstract

A blood purification apparatus includes a blood purification instrument for extracorporeally circulating blood of a patient and a concentration detector detecting a concentration of liquid flowing during blood purification. The concentration detector has a light emitter irradiating light onto said liquid, a light receiver receiving light from the light emitter transmitted through said liquid, and a detector detecting the received light intensity received by the light receiver. The concentration detector detects the concentration of the liquid based on the received light intensity and can be calibrated by adjusting an amount of irradiation by the light emitter so that the received light intensity has a predetermined value.

Claims

1. A blood purification apparatus comprising a blood purification instrument for extracorporeally circulating blood of a patient and a concentration detector detecting a concentration of liquid flowing during blood purification wherein

the concentration detector comprises:

a light emitter irradiating light onto said liquid,

a light receiver receiving light from the light emitter transmitted through said liquid,

a detector detecting the received light intensity received by the light receiver, and

wherein the concentration detector can detect the concentration of the liquid based on the received light intensity detected by the detector and is calibrated by adjusting an amount of irradiation by the light emitter so that the received light intensity received by the light receiver has a predetermined value.

2. The blood purification apparatus of claim 1 wherein the concentration detector comprises:

a light emission controller controlling an amount of light emitted by the emitter,

a deciding device deciding whether the received light intensity detected by the detector is substantially same as the predetermined value, and

an adjusting device for making the light emission controller control the amount of light so that the received light intensity has the predetermined value based on the decision of the deciding device.

3. The blood purification apparatus of claim 1 wherein the light emitter comprises LED(s) and the light receiver comprises a light receiving element(s) generating a voltage corresponding to the received light intensity, and wherein the concentration detector is calibrated by adjusting a light emitting current of the light emitter so that a voltage generated by the light receiver has a predetermined value.

4. The blood purification apparatus of claim 1 wherein the concentration detector is a discharged liquid concentration sensor that can monitor the blood purification efficiency by detecting the concentration of the liquid discharged from the blood purification instrument.

5. The blood purification apparatus of claim 1 wherein the concentration detector is a blood leakage detector that can detect blood leakage from the concentration of discharged liquid from the blood purification instrument.

6. The blood purification apparatus of claim 1 wherein the concentration detector is arranged on a blood circuit and comprises a blood concentration sensor which can detect the concentration of blood flowing through the blood circuit.