CASSETTE WITH A SENSOR FOR DETERMINING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FIRST AND A SECOND FLUID STREAM

• US 20130075314A1
• Filed: 03/15/2011
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA)
• Original Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA)
• Inventors: Nikolic, Dejan, Heide, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 9,399,089 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/143
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/14 Dialysis systems; Artificial kidneys; Blood oxygenators semi-permeable membranes characterised by the material, manufacturing processes therefor B01D71/00; Reciprocating systems for treatment of body fluids, e.g. single needle systems for hemofiltration or pheresis
• 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 1/156 Constructional details of the cassette, e.g. specific details on material or shape
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/15632 the filter being a dialyser
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/16 with membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1605 Physical characteristics of the dialysate fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1647 with flow rate measurement of the dialysis fluid, upstream and downstream of the dialyser
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/34 Filtering material out of the blood by passing it through a membrane, i.e. hemofiltration or diafiltration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3403 Regulation parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/341 by measuring the filtrate rate or volume
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/36 Other treatment of blood in a by-pass of the natural circulatory system, e.g. temperature adaptation, irradiation ; Extra-corporeal blood circuits
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3607 Regulation parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/36224 with sensing means or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/36226 Constructional details of cassettes, e.g. specific details on material or shape
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/057 with magnetotherapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/12 with interchangeable cassettes forming partially or totally the fluid circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3317 Electromagnetic, inductive or dielectric measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3334 Measuring or controlling the flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3379 : Masses, volumes, levels of fluids in reservoirs, flow rates
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/00 : Methods of manufacture, assembly or production
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 1/00 : Pipe-line systems conveying articles or materials through a pipe- line by means of a fluid carrier B65G51/00, B65G53/00; liquids B67D; special devices for transferring liquids from bulk storage containers into vehicles or boats or vice versa, e.g. loading or unloading vehicles or portable containers B67D7/00; conveying material which has been excavated by a dredger or soil shifter through a pipe-line E02F7/10; sewer pipe-line systems E03F3/00; thermal insulation of pipe-lines F16L59/00; central heating systems F24D
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/58 : by electromagnetic flowmeters

Abstract

The invention relates to the balancing of fluid streams in a dialysis system. In particular the invention relates to a cassette for conveying a first and a second fluid stream in a dialysis system, wherein the first and the second fluid streams can be medical fluid streams such as for example dialysate streams or blood streams, wherein the cassette has a sensor as a device for balancing the first and the second fluid stream, and wherein the sensor has a first channel for the first fluid stream and a second channel for the second fluid stream. The invention further relates to a dialysis system, which is configured to accommodate at least one cassette which is configured as described above. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an arrangement by which two channels for the first and the second fluid streams are formed. In addition, the invention relates to a method for construction of the two channels or the arrangement.

Claims

1. Cassette with a first and a second fluid stream in a dialysis system, wherein the cassette has a sensor as a device for determining a difference between the first and the second fluid stream and wherein the sensor has a first channel for the first fluid stream and a second channel for the second fluid stream.

2. Cassette according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second fluid streams are dialysate streams or blood streams.

3. Cassette according to claim 1, wherein:

the first and the second channel are disposed substantially parallel to each other; and

the sensor is configured to expose the first and the second channel to a magnetic field for determining the difference between the first and the second fluid streams, wherein the magnetic field is aligned substantially perpendicular to the first and to the second channel.

4. Cassette according to claim 3, wherein:

due to the magnetic field a separation of positive and negative charge carriers occurs in the first fluid stream of the first channel and in the second fluid stream of the second channel; and

the sensor is configured to measure a first voltage which is produced by the separation of positive and negative charge carriers in the first fluid stream and arises due to the flow of the first fluid stream in the first channel, and to measure a second voltage which is produced by the separation of positive and negative charge carriers in the second fluid stream and arises due to the flow of the second fluid stream in the second channel, wherein the first and the second voltages are used for determining the difference between the first and the second fluid stream.

5. Cassette according to claim 4, wherein the sensor is configured to transmit to a device for dialysis treatment at least one signal, containing the measured first and the measured second voltage or a value derived from the first and second measured voltages.

6. Cassette according to claim 4, wherein:

at least one voltage metering unit for the first channel is disposed on the first channel, which is configured to measure the first voltage; and

at least one voltage metering unit for the second channel is disposed on the second channel, which is configured to measure the second voltage.

7. Cassette according to claim 1, wherein:

the first and the second channels are formed from at least three parts which have the same shape and dimensions; and

in each of the at least three parts a fluid passageway is formed on at least one of two surfaces located opposite each other; and

the at least three parts are assembled to form the first and the second channel by stacking or lining up the at least three parts on the sides of the at least three parts that are formed with fluid passageways, in such a manner that the first channel is formed between a first and a second part of the at least three parts, and the second channel is formed between the second and a third part of the at least three parts, wherein the first and the second channel have the same shape, are parallel to each other, and are disposed side by side or one above the other.

8. Cassette according to claim 7, wherein the at least three parts have fastening devices, by means of which the at least three parts are fitted together.

9. Cassette according to claim 7, wherein:

the first channel has an additional voltage metering unit for the first channel, which is configured to measure a voltage produced by the separation in the first fluid stream that arises as a result of flow of the first fluid steam;

the at least one voltage metering unit for the first channel is disposed on a side of the first channel which is opposite another side of the first channel on which the other voltage metering unit for the first channel is disposed, wherein the magnetic field is oriented parallel to the first and to the other side of the first channel;

the second channel has a further voltage metering unit for the second channel, which is configured to measure a voltage produced by separation in the second fluid stream that arises as a result of flow of the second fluid steam; and

the at least one voltage metering unit for the second channel is disposed on a side of the second channel which is opposite another side of the second channel on which the other voltage metering unit for the second channel is disposed, wherein the magnetic field is oriented parallel to the first and to the other side of the second channel.

10. Cassette according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second channels are formed by the construction of a dividing wall in a channel which comprises both the first and the second channel, such that the first and the second channels have the same form, wherein the magnetic field is oriented parallel to the dividing wall.

11. Cassette according to claim 10, wherein:

the at least one voltage metering unit for the first channel is disposed on a side of the first channel which is opposite the dividing wall;

the at least one voltage metering unit for the second channel is disposed on a side of the second channel which is opposite the dividing wall; and

a common voltage metering unit is disposed on the dividing wall, and is configured to measure a voltage produced by separation in the first and in the second fluid streams that arises as a result of flow of the first and second fluid steams, wherein the at least one voltage metering unit for the first channel, the at least one voltage metering unit for the second channel, and the common voltage metering unit are disposed at substantially the same height in the first and second channels.

12. Cassette according to claim 10, wherein:

the at least one voltage metering unit for the first channel is disposed on a side of the first channel which is opposite the dividing wall;

the at least one voltage metering unit for the second channel is disposed on a side of the second channel which is opposite the dividing wall; and

the at least one voltage metering unit for the first channel and the at least one voltage metering unit for the second channel are disposed at substantially the same height in the first and second channels.

13. Device for dialysis treatment, wherein the device for dialysis treatment has at least one accommodation means, which is configured to accommodate a cassette according to claim 1.

14. Device for dialysis treatment according to claim 13, wherein the device for dialysis treatment is configured to capture a signal which contains a difference between a first voltage and a second voltage, wherein the first voltage corresponds to a first fluid stream and the second voltage corresponds to a second fluid stream and wherein the first and second voltages of the sensor in the cassette are measured.

15. Device for dialysis treatment according to claim 14, wherein the device has a control unit, which is configured to control the delivery rates of at least one pump using the signal.

16. Device for dialysis treatment according to claim 15, wherein the at least one pump is one of the following:

a blood pump;

a dialysate pump;

an ultrafiltration pump.

17. Arrangement which has at least three parts with the same shape and dimensions, wherein in each of the at least three parts a fluid passageway is formed on at least one of two surfaces located opposite each other, and wherein the at least three parts are assembled to form a first and a second channel by stacking or lining up the at least three parts on the sides of the at least three parts that are formed with fluid passageways, in such a manner that the first channel is formed between a first and a second part of the at least three parts, and the second channel is formed between the second and a third part of the at least three parts, wherein the first and the second channel have the same shape, are parallel to each other, and are disposed side by side or one above the other.

18. Arrangement according to claim 17, wherein the arrangement is configured for insertion in a device for balancing a first and a second fluid stream, wherein the first channel is configured for a first fluid stream and the second channel is configured for a second fluid stream.

19. Arrangement according to claim 17, wherein the at least three parts have fastening devices, by means of which the at least three parts are fitted together.

20. Method for the construction of a first channel for a first fluid stream and for the construction of a second channel for a second fluid stream, wherein the first and the second channels are constructed by means of at least three parts which have the same shape and dimensions, wherein in each of the at least three parts a fluid passageway is formed on at least one of two surfaces located opposite each other, and wherein the method comprises:

assembly of the at least three parts for forming the first and the second channels by stacking or lining up the at least three parts on the sides of the at least three parts that are formed with fluid passageways, in such a manner that the first channel is formed between a first and a second part of the at least three parts, and the second channel is formed between the second and a third part of the at least three parts, wherein the first and the second channel have the same shape, are parallel to each other, and are disposed side by side or one above the other.

21. Method according to claim 20, wherein the at least three parts have fastening devices, and wherein the assembly comprises a fitting together of the at least three parts by means of the fastening devices.