APPARATUS FOR PERITONEAL DIALYSIS

• US 3,620,215 A
• Filed: 05/28/1970
• Issued: 11/16/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gambro Engstrom AB
• Original Assignee: Sven Olofsson
• Inventors: Olofsson, Sven
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalton L. Truluck
• Application Number:
  US05/041,312
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 128/1,213,214R,214B,214.2,348,350,230
• US Class Current: 604/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/28 Peritoneal dialysis ; Other peritoneal treatment, e.g. oxygenation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/282 Operational modes

Abstract

An apparatus for peritoneal dialysis treatment of a patient operating automatically in accordance with a predetermined program comprising a plurality of successive dialysis cycles each consisting of a fill-phase during which fresh dialysis fluid is introduced into the peritoneal cavity of the patient, a dialysisphase during which the dialysis fluid remains in the peritoneal cavity, and a drain-phase during which the used dialysis fluid is withdrawn from the peritoneal cavity of the patient. The apparatus comprises two identical measuring vessels having lower fluid connections, which through fluid valve means can be connected alternatively to a supply conduit for fresh dialysis fluid, a discharge conduit for used dialysis fluid and a patient conduit connected to the patient being treated, and upper air connections, which can be connected alternatively to the delivery side and the suction side of an air pump. During the fill-phase, when fresh dialysis fluid is introduced into the patient, fresh dialysis fluid is sucked under vacuum into one of the measuring vessels from the supply conduit at the same time as fresh dialysis fluid is discharged under pressure from the other measuring vessel into the patient conduit and this takes place alternatingly for the two measuring vessels. During the drainphase, when used dialysis fluid is withdrawn from the patient, used dialysis fluid is sucked under vacuum into one of the measuring vessels from the patient conduit at the same time as used dialysis fluid is discharged under pressure from the other measuring vessel into the discharge conduit and this takes place alternatingly for the two measuring vessels.

Claims

1. An apparatus for peritoneal dialysis comprising two identical measuring vessels (M1,M2) each vessel being provided with a lower fluid connection (1,3) at its lower end and an upper air connection (2,4) at its upper end each vessel further having a lower fluid level detector (E1,D1,E3,D3) adjacent said lower fluid connection and an upper fluid level detector (E2,D2,E4,D4) adjacent said upper air connection;

an air pump (16) having a delivery side and a suction side;

air valve means (V7,V8) alternatingly connecting the delivery side (15) of said air pump to said upper air connection of one of said measuring vessels and at the same time the suction side (17) of said air pump to said upper air connection of the other measuring vessel or vice versa respectively;

a patIent conduit (L3) provided for connection to a patient to be treated;

first fluid valve means (V5,V6) for connecting said patient conduit to said lower fluid connection (1,3) of alternatingly the one or the other measuring vessel respectively;

a supply conduit (L1) for fresh dialysis fluid and a discharge conduit (L2) for used dialysis fluid;

second fluid valve means (V1,V2,V3,V4) for connecting alternatingly said supply conduit or said discharge conduit to said lower fluid connection (1,3) of alternatingly the one or the other measuring vessel respectively; and

a programmed control unit (S) responsive to said fluid level detectors (D1 to D4) for operating said air valve means and said first and second fluid valve means in such a manner that to introduce fresh dialysis fluid to the patient being treated, fresh dialysis fluid is sucked into one of said measuring vessels from said supply conduit through said second fluid valve means until said upper fluid level detector of said measuring vessel indicates that the vessel is filled and at the same time dialysis fluid is discharged under pressure from the other measuring vessel to said patient conduit through said first fluid valve means until said lower fluid level detector of said other vessel indicates that said other vessel is emptied, whereafter fresh dialysis fluid is sucked into said emptied measuring vessel from said supply conduit through said second fluid valve means and at the same time dialysis fluid is discharged under pressure from the filled measuring vessel to said patient conduit through said first fluid valve means, and so on in alternating sequences, whereas to withdraw used dialysis fluid from the patient being treated used dialysis fluid is sucked into one of said measuring vessels from said patient conduit through said first fluid valve means until said upper fluid level detector of said vessel indicates that said vessel is filled and at the same time dialysis fluid is discharged under pressure from the other measuring vessel to said discharge conduit through said second fluid valve means until said lower fluid level detector of said other vessel indicates that said other vessel is emptied, whereafter used dialysis fluid is sucked into the emptied measuring vessel from said patient conduit through said first fluid valve means and at the same time dialysis fluid is discharged under pressure from the filled measuring vessel to said discharge conduit through said second fluid valve means, and so on in alternating sequences.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising a first reversible counter (R2) responsive to said fluid level detectors (D2,D4) for counting in its one direction, when fresh dialysis fluid is being introduced to the patient, the number of measuring vessels filled with fresh dialysis fluid being discharged under pressure into said patient conduit and for counting in its opposite direction, when used dialysis fluid is being withdrawn from the patient, the number of measuring vessels filled with used dialysis fluid being sucked out from said patient conduit.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, comprising storing means (ST) and gating means (G) controlled by said control unit (S) for transferring the count in said first counter (R2) to said storing means after used dialysis fluid has been withdrawn from the patient and before fresh dialysis fluid is once more introduced into the patient.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, comprising display means (I2) for displaying the count stored in said storing means (ST).

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, comprising display means for displaying the instantaneous count in said first counter (R2).

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising a second counter (R1) being presetable to a predetermined variable count and responsive to said fluid level detectors (D2,D4) when fresh dialysis fluid is being introduced into the patient to count the number of measuring vessels filled with dialysis Fluid being introduced into the patient and connected to said control unit (S) to cause said control unit to interrupt the introduction of fresh dialysis fluid into the patient when it reaches said predetermined count.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said second counter (R1) is responsive to said fluid level detectors (D2,D4) also when used dialysis fluid is being withdrawn from the patient to count the number of measuring vessels filled with used dialysis fluid being withdrawn from the patient and is provided to prevent said control unit (S) from interrupting the withdrawal of used dialysis fluid from the patient before it has counted a number of measuring vessels equal to said predetermined count.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said control unit (S) is provided to interrupt the introduction of fresh dialysis fluid to the patient at a stage when both measuring vessels (M1, M2) are empty.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising first presetable timing means (T1) connected to said control unit (S) for determining a time interval between an introduction of fresh dialysis fluid into the patient and a subsequent draining of said dialysis fluid from the patient.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising second presetable timing means (T2) connected to said control unit (S) for determining a minimum duration of the draining of used dialysis fluid from the patient.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said upper air connections (2,4) of said measuring vessels (M1,M2) are connected to said air valve means (V7,V8) through moisture traps (11,12) and germ filters (13,14).

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising a heating device for heating fresh dialysis fluid flowing through said supply conduit (L1) to a predetermined temperature, said heating device including a metal pipe (6) forming a portion of said supply conduit, a controlled electric current source (7) having its output terminals connected to opposite ends of said metal pipe, and a temperature transducer (10) for measuring the temperature of said metal pipe at a point adjacent the downstream end of the pipe and for controlling the output current of said current source.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said two measuring vessels (M1,M2), said patient conduit (L3), said supply conduit (L1), said discharge conduit (L2) and any connecting conduits (L4 to L8) between said conduits and said measuring vessels form a dispensable assembly intended only for one-time use, said dispensable assembly being removably mounted in a predetermined position on an apparatus panel (31) provided with a number of tube clamps operated by said control unit (S) for clamping said conduits mounted on said apparatus panels so as to form said first and second fluid valve means, said conduits consisting of flexibly compressible tubes at least opposite to said tube clamps.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said lower fluid connections (1,3) of said two measuring vessels (M1,M2) are connected to said patient conduit (L3) through a first branch conduit (L4,L5) each, said first branch conduits including each one stop valve (V6,V5) forming said first fluid valve means, and are connected to a junction (L8) through a second branch conduit (L6, L7) each, said second branch conduits including each one stop valve (V4,V3), and said supply conduit (L1) and said discharge conduit (L2) are connected through each one stop valve (V1,V2) to said junction (L8), said last mentioned stop valves together with said stop valves in said second branch conduits forming said second fluid valve means.