FILTER MODULE

• US 20130020250A1
• Filed: 07/17/2012
• Published: 01/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Original Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Inventors: Wehmeyer, Wolfgang, KELLER, Torsten, Kugelmann, Franz
• Granted Patent: US 9,254,464 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/321.87
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3413 Diafiltration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/362264 the filter being a blood filter
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/04 Specific sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/21 Specific headers, end caps
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/58 Parts of membrane modules specifically adapted for single use
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2319/025 Permeate series
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/145 Ultrafiltration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/243 Dialysis
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/58 Multistep processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/04 comprising multiple hollow fibre assemblies

Abstract

The present invention relates to a filter module and to a method of manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane bundle having at least two concentrically arranged filter stages. The present invention furthermore relates to a method of manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane bundle, to a disposable and to a blood treatment apparatus.

Claims

1. A filter module (10, 110, 210, 310) having at least one first and at least one second filter stage (20, 30) comprising and/or consisting of hollow fiber membranes (22, 32) which are substantially concentrically arranged, wherein the fiber ends (26, 28, 36, 38) of the hollow fiber membranes (22, 32) are embedded at least partly and/or at least unilaterally in a casting compound, wherein the first filter stage (20) is a filter stage for the filtration of a first medical fluid and the second filter stage (30) is a filter stage for the filtration of a second medical fluid, wherein the first filter stage (20) has unilaterally closed fiber ends (28), wherein a boundary means (40) is provided which surrounds the first filter module (20) and which separates the first filter stage (20) and the second filter stage (30) at least partly from one another and has at least one opening (44) which establishes a fluid communication between the first filter stage (20) and the second filter stage (30).

2. A filter module (10, 110, 210, 310) in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the first medical fluid is a dialyzing fluid and/or substitution fluid, and/or in that the second medical fluid is blood;

and/or in that the first filter stage (20) is surrounded by the second filter stage (30).

3. A filter module (10, 110, 210, 310) in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the boundary means (40) has and/or forms a boundary wall;

and in that the opening (44) in the boundary means (40) in the boundary wall is arranged in the region adjacent to the casting compound; and

/or in that the boundary means (40) has at least one venting opening (42).

4. A filter module (10, 110, 210, 310) in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the boundary means (40) is or includes a film and/or a tube.

5. A filter module (10, 110, 210, 310) in accordance with claim 4, characterized in that the opening (44) in the boundary means (40) is formed from one or from a plurality of openings (44) arranged peripherally at the boundary means (40), with the openings (44) preferably being peripherally arranged slits, perforations, holes, labyrinth slits or the like.

6. A filter module (10, 110, 210, 310) in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the filter module (10, 110, 210, 310) has a first end cap (50) in which a connection (52) to the first filter stage (20) and a connection (54) to the second filter stage (300) is arranged, with the fiber ends (26) of the first filter stage (20) being unclosed on the side of the first end cap (50) and with at least one sealing element (70) being provided by means of which the unclosed fiber ends (26) of the first filter stage (20) can be and/or are sealed from the connection to the second filter stage (30) and from the second filter stage (30).

7. A filter module (10, 110, 210, 310) in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that the filter module (10, 310) has a second end cap (60) in which a connection (62) to the second filter stage (30) is arranged;

and/or in that the fiber ends (28) of the second filter stage (20) are closed on the side of the second end cap (60).

8. A filter module (10, 110, 210, 310) in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the filter module (10, 110, 210, 310) has a housing (80) in which the filter stages (20. 30, 330) are arranged, with at least one connection (82) to the first filter stage (20) being arranged in the housing (80),

9. A filter module (110, 210) in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that at least one passage element (90) is provided concentrically and coaxially to the longitudinal axis of the filter module (110, 210) and/or to the filter stages (20, 30, 330) and is connected to the second filter stage (20);

and/or in that at least one passage element which is connected to the second filter stage (30) is provided on the outer side of the filter module (110, 210).

10. A filter module (210, 310) in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the filter module (210, 310) has at least one pump element (220, 320) and/or can be connected to at least one pump element (220, 320) by means of which the first medical fluid and/or the second medical fluid can be pumped.

11. A filter module (210, 310) in accordance with claim 10, characterized in that the pump element (220, 3210) is a pump element (220, 320) integrated into the filter module (210, 310);

and/or in that the _pump element (220, 320) is an impeller pump.

12. A filter module (310) in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that a third filter stage (330) is provided, with the first and the third filter stages (20, 330) being arranged with respect to one another such that the first medical fluid can be introduced from the first filter stage (20) via and/or through the hollow fiber membranes (22, 332) of the first and third filter stages (20, 330) into the third filter stage (330).

13. A filter module (310) in accordance with claim 12, characterized in that the first, second and third filter stages (209, 30, 330) are arranged concentrically and coaxially, with the first filter stage (20) surrounding the third filter stage (330) and the second filter stage (30) surrounding the first filter stage (20).

14. A filter module (310) in accordance with claim 12, characterized in that the filter module (310) has a first end cap (50) in which a connection (54) to the first filter stage (20) and a connection (52) to the second filter stage (30) is arranged, with the fiber ends (26) of the first filter stage (20) being unclosed on the side of the first end cap (50) and with at least one sealing element (70) being provided by means of which the unclosed fiber ends (26) of the first filter stage (20) can be and/or are sealed from the inflow to the first filter stage (20) and from the second filter stage (30), with the fiber ends (336) of the third filter stage (330) being closed on the side of the first end cap (50), with a second end cap (60) being provided in which a connection to the third filter stage (330) is arranged and with the fiber ends (338) of the third filter stage (330) being unclosed on the side of the second end cap (60).

15. A filter module (310) in accordance with claim 13, characterized in that at least one pump element (320) can be and/or is connected to the connection (60) to the third filter stage (330), with the pump element (320) preferably being an integrated pump element (320) and/or with the connection (66) to the third filter stage (330) being connectable and/or connected to a connection (62) to the second filter stage (30).

16. A method manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane bundle having at least two concentrically arranged filter stages (20, 30) which includes at least the following steps:

surrounding a first hollow fiber membrane bundle for a first filter stage in a film, tube film and/or a tube;

embedding the first filtration stage (20) in hollow fibers of the second filtration stage (30);

molding the first and second filtration stages (20, 30) by a casting compound in a molding process;

cutting off an end region of the casting compound, including closed fiber ends, for exposing and laying open all fiber ends; and

closing a fiber end side of the first filtration Stage (20) by thermal influence and melting the fiber end side and the casting compound.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16, characterized in that the closing of the fiber end side takes place by means of laser and/or hot stamp.

18. A method in accordance with claim 16, characterized in that a third filtration stage (330) is formed in the first filtration stage (20), with a first region (D1) being closed on one fiber end side and with a second region being closed on the other fiber end side and with hollow fibers being closed in the first region (D1) and these hollow fibers being surrounded by the second region and being at least partly unclosed on the other fiber end side.

19. A method in accordance with claim 18, characterized in that the first region (131) is circular;

and in that the second region is annular, with the inner diameter of the second region preferably being selected to be smaller than the outer diameter of the first region (D1).

20. A method in accordance with claim 16, characterized in that a filter module (10, 110, 210, 310) having at least one first and at least one second filter stage (20, 30) including hollow fiber membranes (22, 32) are embedded at least partly and/or at least unilaterally in a casting compound, wherein the first filter tae (20) is a filter stage for the filtration of a first medical fluid and the second filter stage (30) is a filter stage for the filtration of second medical fluid, wherein the first filter stage (20) has unilaterally closed fiber ends (28), wherein a boundary means (40) is provided which surrounds the first filter module (20) and which separates the first filter stage (20) and the second filter stage (30) at least partly from one another and has at least one opening (44) which establishes a fluid communication between the first filter stage (20) and the second filter stage (30), is manufactured from the hollow fiber membrane bundle in at least one further step.

21. A disposable comprising at least one filter module (10, 110, 210, 310), wherein the disposable preferably is and/or comprises a disposable cassette.

22. A blood treatment apparatus having at least one filter module (10, 110, 210, 310) which includes at least one first and at least one second filter stage (20, 30) including hollow fiber membranes (22, 32) are embedded at least partly and/or at least unilaterally in a casting compound, wherein the first filter stage (20) is a filter stage for the filtration of a first medical fluid and the second filter stage (30) is a filter stage for the filtration of a second medical fluid, wherein the first filter stage (20) has unilaterally closed fiber ends (28), wherein a boundary means (40) is provided which surrounds the first filter module (20) and which separates the first filter stage (20) and the second filter stage (30) at least partly from one another and has at least one opening (44) which establishes a fluid communication between the first filter stage (20) and the second filter stage (30), and/or having at least one disposable in accordance with claim 21.