Dialysis Systems and Methods

• US 20130018301A1
• Filed: 01/07/2011
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Incorporated (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Original Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Incorporated (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Inventors: Weaver, Colin, Crnkovich, Martin Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 9,220,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/28
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/152 Details related to the interface between cassette and machine
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/16 with membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1601 Control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/36222 Details related to the interface between cassette and machine
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/36224 with sensing means or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/36225 with blood pumping means or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/362266 Means for adding solutions or substances to the blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3627 Degassing devices; Buffer reservoirs; Drip chambers; Blood filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3641 Pressure isolators
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3375 Acoustical, e.g. ultrasonic, measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3379 Masses, volumes, levels of fluids in reservoirs, flow rates
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/505 Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/702 automatically during use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/707 Testing of filters for clogging
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/7536 allowing gas passage, but preventing liquid passage, e.g. liquophobic, hydrophobic, water-repellent membranes

Abstract

This invention relates to dialysis systems and methods. In some implementations, a method includes applying vacuum pressure to a device of a dialysis system, and then determining, based on a detected fluid level or measured pressure, whether the device is functioning properly.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

applying vacuum pressure to an air release device of a dialysis system, the air release device comprising a vent;

after applying the vacuum pressure to the air release device, detecting a fluid level within the air release device; and

determining, based on the fluid level within the air release device, whether the air release device is functioning properly.

2-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A method, comprising:

applying vacuum pressure to a device of a dialysis system, the device comprising a vent;

after applying the vacuum pressure to the device, measuring a pressure within a fluid line that is fluidly connected to the device; and

determining, based on the measured pressure, whether the device is functioning properly.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the measured pressure is transmitted in the form of a signal to a control unit of the dialysis system.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the control unit is a microprocessor.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the pressure is measured by a pressure sensor of the dialysis system.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the pressure sensor comprises a pressure transducer.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the pressure sensor is attached to a dialysis machine of the dialysis system and is aligned with the fluid line.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the vacuum pressure is applied to the air release device by activating a pump.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the line is in fluid communication with a dialyzer, a dialysate line is in fluid communication with the dialyzer, and the pump is an ultrafiltrate pump that is fluidly connected to the dialysate line.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the pump is a drug pump that is configured to introduce fluid into the fluid line when operated in a first direction and is configured to draw fluid out of the fluid line when operated in a second direction.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein applying the vacuum pressure comprises operating the drug pump in the second direction.

32. The method of claim 22, wherein applying vacuum pressure to the device comprises closing off lines upstream and downstream of the device and activating a first pump in fluid communication with a portion of the lines between locations where the lines are closed off.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein closing off the line upstream of the device comprises turning off a second pump configured to circulate fluid through the lines, and closing off the line downstream of the air release device comprises clamping the line downstream of the device.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the first pump is an ultrafiltration pump.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising misbalancing a balancing chamber that is in fluid communication with the device to apply vacuum pressure to the device.

36. The method of claim 22, wherein the dialysis system comprises first and second lines connected to the device and a pump configured to circulate fluid from the first line to the device to the second line during dialysis treatment, and wherein applying vacuum pressure to the device comprises closing off the second line and operating the pump in a manner to circulate fluid from the second line to the device to the first line.

37. The method of claim 22, wherein the device is determined to be functioning improperly if the measured pressure is less than a desired pressure.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising indicating to a user that the device is not functioning properly if the measured pressure is less than the desired pressure.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein indicating to the user that the device is not functioning properly comprises emitting a visual signal.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein indicating to the user that the device is not functioning properly comprises emitting an audio signal.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein indicating to the user that the device is not functioning properly comprises disabling one or more functions of the dialysis system.

42. The method of claim 22, further comprising applying positive pressure to the device after applying the vacuum pressure such that air drawn into the device by the vacuum pressure is forced out of the device by the positive pressure.

43. The method of claim 22, wherein the device comprises an air release device.

44. The method of claim 22, wherein the device comprises a pressure transducer protector.

45. The method of claim 22, wherein the dialysis system is a hemodialysis system.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the method is performed during hemodialysis treatment.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the method is performed before hemodialysis treatment.

48. The method of claim 22, wherein the fluid line contains saline.

49. The method of claim 22, wherein the fluid line contains blood.

50. A method, comprising:

applying vacuum pressure to an air release device of a dialysis system, the air release device comprising a vent;

after applying the vacuum pressure to the air release device, detecting a fluid level within the air release device; and

if the fluid level within the air release device exceeds a given level after applying the vacuum pressure to the air release device, indicating to a user that the air release device is not functioning properly.

51. A method, comprising:

applying vacuum pressure to a device of a dialysis system, the device comprising a vent;

after applying the vacuum pressure to the device, measuring a pressure within a fluid line that is fluidly connected to the device; and

if the measured pressure is less than a certain pressure, indicating to a user that the device is not functioning properly.

52. A dialysis system, comprising:

an air release device comprising a vent;

a level detector configured to detect a level of fluid within the air release device; and

a control unit connected to the level detector, wherein the control unit is configured to determine whether the air release device is functioning properly based on a detected fluid level within the air release device when vacuum pressure is applied to the air release device.

53. A dialysis system, comprising:

a device comprising a vent;

a fluid line fluidly connected to the device;

a pressure sensor configured to measure pressure of fluid within the fluid line; and

a control unit connected to the pressure sensor, wherein the control unit is configured to determine whether the device is functioning properly based on a measured pressure of fluid within the fluid line when vacuum pressure is applied to the device.