Device and method for monitoring the connection of a blood treatment unit to the fluid system of an extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus

• US 20130026098A1
• Filed: 04/14/2011
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2010
• 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: Haecker, Juergen, Gronau, Soeren
• Granted Patent: US 9,757,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/646
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/16 with membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1601 Control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/15 Detection of leaks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/276 preventing unwanted use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers

Abstract

A device and method for monitoring the connection of a blood treatment unit to a fluid system of an extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus are described, in which the blood treatment unit includes an inlet and an outlet for connection to the fluid system and the fluid system includes a line system with a first line segment connected to the inlet and a second line segment connected to the outlet. An extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus includes a device for monitoring the connection of the blood treatment unit to the fluid system. The device and method for monitoring the connection of the blood treatment unit to the fluid system is based on measurement of pressure in the fluid system of the blood treatment apparatus. Solely on the basis of the pressure measurement, it is ascertained whether the connection of the blood treatment unit to the fluid system is correct or incorrect.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A device for monitoring a connection of a blood treatment unit to a fluid system of an extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus, wherein the blood treatment unit comprises an inlet and an outlet for the connection to the fluid system and the fluid system comprises a line system with a first line segment which is connected to the inlet and a second line segment which is connected to the outlet of the blood treatment unit, the monitoring device comprising:

a device configured for measuring a pressure in at least one of the first line segment and the second line segment of the line system; and

an evaluation unit configured for evaluating measured values of the device configured for measuring the pressure in at least one of the first line segment and the second line segment, said evaluation unit being constituted such that, on a basis of the measured pressure in at least one of the first line segment and the second line segment, a correct or incorrect connection of the blood treatment unit to the fluid system is determined.

22. The device according to claim 21, wherein the device configured for measuring the pressure in at least one of the first line segment and the second line segment of the line system comprises:

a first unit configured for measuring a first pressure in the first line segment of the line system; and

a second unit configured for measuring a second pressure in the second line segment of the line system; and

wherein the evaluation unit is constituted such that a difference between the first measured pressure and the second measured pressure is compared with a preset threshold value, the evaluation unit determining a correct or incorrect connection of the blood treatment unit to the fluid system on a basis of the comparison of the difference between the first and second measured pressures.

23. The device according to claim 22, wherein the evaluation unit is constituted such that the evaluation unit determines an incorrect connection of the blood treatment unit to the fluid system if the difference between the first and second measured pressures is less than the preset threshold value.

24. The device according to claim 21, further comprising:

an alarm unit which emits at least one of an optical, acoustic and tactile alarm when the evaluation unit determines an incorrect connection of the blood treatment unit to the fluid system.

25. The device according to claim 22, wherein the evaluation unit is constituted such that an amount of the difference is calculated from the first measured pressure and the second measured pressure, the amount of the difference being compared with the preset threshold value.

26. The device according to claim 21, wherein the evaluation unit is constituted such that the evaluation unit generates a control signal for intervention into machine control of the blood treatment apparatus when the evaluation unit determines an incorrect connection of the blood treatment unit to the fluid system.

27. An extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus, comprising:

a central control unit;

a fluid system, which comprises a line system with a first line segment which is connected to an inlet of a blood treatment unit and a second line segment which is connected to an outlet of the blood treatment unit; and

the device for monitoring a connection of the blood treatment unit to the fluid system of the blood treatment apparatus according to claim 21.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the fluid system of the blood treatment apparatus comprises a first shut-off element for shutting off the first line segment and a second shut-off element for shutting off the second line segment of the fluid system, the first and second shut-off elements being controlled for opening and closing by the central control unit of the blood treatment apparatus.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein a first unit configured for measuring a first pressure in the first line segment is upstream of the first shut-off element and a second unit configured for measuring a second pressure in the second line segment is downstream of the second shut-off element.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the central control unit of the blood treatment apparatus cooperates with the evaluation unit of the monitoring device such that, after the opening of the first and second shut-off elements, the first and second measured pressures of the first and second units configured for measuring the pressures in the first and second line segments are evaluated.

31. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the line system comprises a device configured for reversing a flow direction, which is constituted such that, in a first position, the first line segment leads to the inlet of the blood treatment unit and the second line segment leads to the outlet of the blood treatment unit and that, in a second position, the first line segment leads to the outlet of the blood treatment unit and the second line segment leads to the inlet of the blood treatment unit when the blood treatment unit is connected to the fluid system.

32. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the evaluation unit cooperates with the device configured for reversing the flow direction such that the evaluation unit activates the device configured for reversing the flow direction when the evaluation unit determines an incorrect connection at the blood treatment unit to the fluid system.

33. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the central control unit of the blood treatment apparatus is constituted such that the central control unit prevents performance of blood treatment when the evaluation unit of the monitoring device generates a control signal for intervention into machine control.

34. A method for monitoring a connection of a blood treatment unit to a fluid system of an extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus, wherein the blood treatment unit comprises an inlet and an outlet for connection to the fluid system and the fluid system comprises a line system with a first line segment which is connected to the inlet and a second line segment which is connected to the outlet, the method comprising:

measuring pressure in at least one of the first line segment and the second line segment of the line system; and

determining that there is a correct or incorrect connection of the blood treatment unit to the fluid system on a basis of the measured pressure in at least one of the first line segment and the second line segment.

35. The method according to claim 34, further comprising:

measuring a first pressure in the first line segment of the line system and a second pressure in the second line segment of the line system; and

comparing a difference between the first measured pressure and the second measured pressure with a preset threshold value;

wherein a correct or incorrect connection of the blood treatment unit to the fluid system is determined on a basis of the comparison of the difference between the first and second measured pressures with the threshold value.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein an incorrect connection of the blood treatment unit to the fluid system is determined if the difference between the first and second measured pressures is less than the preset threshold value.

37. The method according to claim 35, further comprising:

calculating an amount of the difference between the first measured pressure and the second measured pressure, the amount of the difference being compared with the preset threshold value.

38. The method according to claim 34, further comprising:

emitting at least one of an optical, acoustic and tactile alarm when an incorrect connection of the blood treatment unit to the fluid system is determined.

39. The method according to claim 34, further comprising:

carrying out an intervention into machine control of the blood treatment apparatus by preventing performance of blood treatment, when an incorrect connection of the blood treatment unit to the fluid system is determined.

40. The method according to claim 34, further comprising:

reversing a flow direction to the blood treatment unit when an incorrect connection of the blood treatment unit to the fluid system is determined.