ARTIFICIAL KIDNEY SYSTEM

• US 3,667,612 A
• Filed: 09/04/1969
• Issued: 06/06/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joe H. Leonard
• Original Assignee: Joe H. Leonard
• Inventors: Leonard, Joe H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spear, Jr., Frank A.
• Application Number:
  US04/855,191
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 210/22,23,321,500,541
• US Class Current: 210/321.73
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/16 with membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/20 Specific housing
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/2031 Frame or cage-like structures
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/28 Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/06 Tubular membrane modules

Abstract

An open-topped, elongated, rectangular tank is mounted on a framework that is fitted with casters, enabling the unit to be moved from place to place in a hospital, clinic, or in the residence of a patient. The framework supports a motor driven recirculating pump for causing a continuous flow of a dialyzing fluid out of and back into the tank. A pair of clear, colorless elongated plates are clamped together with one or more lengths of clear colorless tubes of semipermeable material confined between them, and this assembly is immersed in the dialyzing fluid in the tank. The ends of the tube or tubes have connection to an artery and a vein of a patient, so that the patient'"'"''"'"'s heart will produce a flow of his blood through the tubes, where toxic substances are removed from the blood by the dialytic action.

Claims

1. Apparatus for subjecting a fluid to dialytic treatment which comprises:

an elongated conduit for a fluid to be subjected to dialytic treatment comprised of transparent semipermeable membraneous material and free of solid objects internally;

a pair of members at least one of which is transparent for mounting the conduit in outstretched longitudinal condition whereby the entire length of the conduit may be observed and for confining the conduit to a predetermined maximum volumetric accommodation;

means for inhibiting substantial surface contact between the conduit and its mounting members;

means for connecting the ends of the conduit to supply and return facilities of a source of fluid to be treated; and

means for subjecting the external surface of the conduit to contactual engagement with a dialyzing fluid.

2. Apparatus for subjecting a fluid to dialytic treatment which comprises:

an elongated conduit for a fluid to be subjected to dialytic treatment comprised of transparent semi-permeable membraneous material and free of solid objects internally;

a pair of members at least one of which is transparent for mounting the conduit in outstretched longitudinal condition whereby the entire length of the conduit may be observed and for confining the conduit to a predetermined maximum volumetric accommodation;

a layer of perforate material interposed between the conduit and each of its mounting members for enhancing access of the dialyzing fluid to the surface of the conduit and exposing the conduit to view through the transparent conduit mounting member;

means for connecting the ends of the conduit to supply and return facilities of a source of fluid to be treated; and

means for subjecting the external surface of the conduit to contactual engagement with a dialyzing fluid.

3. Apparatus for subjecting a fluid to dialytic treatment which comprises:

an elongated conduit for a fluid to be subjected to dialytic treatment comprised of transparent semipermeable membraneous material and free of solid objects internally;

a pair of members at least one of which is transparent for mounting the conduit in outstretched longitudinal condition whereby the entire length of the conduit may be observed and for confining the conduit to a predetermined maximum volumetric accommodation and a flattened cross-sectional configuration;

means for connecting the ends of the conduit to supply and return facilities of a source of fluid to be treated; and

means for subjecting the external surface of the conduit to contactual engagement with a dialyzing fluid.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 including spacer means interposed between the conduit mounting members for providing predeterminedly limited space for expansion of the conduit in the direction of its minor dimension to accomodate the flow therethrough of the fluid to be subjected to a dialytic treatment.

5. Apparatus for subjecting a fluid to dialytic treatment which comprises:

an elongated conduit for a fluid to be subjected to dialytic treatment comprised of transparent semipermeable membraneous material and free of solid objects internally;

a pair of members at least one of which is transparent for mounting the conduit in outstretched longitudinal condition whereby the entire length of the conduit may be observed and for confining the conduit to a predetermined maximum volumetric accommodation;

terminating means for the conduit which comprises a length of tubing inserted into the conduit so as to provide an overlap between the conduit and the tubing and having the conduit circumferentially contacting the tubing at at least one point in their coextensive length of overlap and means for providing a fluid tight seal between the length of tubing and the conduit at said one point of circumferential contact;

means for connecting the terminating means for the conduit to supply and return facilities of the source fluid to be treated; and

means for subjecting the external surface of the conduit to contactual engagement with a dialyzing fluid.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 in which the circumferential contact of the conduit with the tubing and the sealing means are at the inner end of the tubing relative to the overlapping relation between the conduit and the tubing.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 in which the circumferential contact of the conduit with the tubing and the sealing means are at the end of the conduit.

8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 in which one of two circumferential contacts of the conduit with the tubing and first sealing means are at the inner end of the tubing relative to the overlapping relation between the conduit and the tubing and the other circumferential contact of the conduit with the tubing and a second sealing means are at the end of the conduit.

9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 having means for connecting terminating means at either end of the conduit to an artery of a patient whose blood is to be subjected to dialytic treatment and means for connecting the other terminating means to a vein of the patient.

10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 in which the conduit emerges from the dialyzing fluid and has at least one end disposed abovE the surface of the dialyzing fluid.

11. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 in which the sealing means surrounds the conduit at the point of circumferential contact of the conduit with the tubing and applies pressure to the circumferential contact.

12. Apparatus for subjecting a fluid to dialytic treatment which comprises:

an elongated, open-topped tank adapted to contain a dialyzing fluid at a predetermined minimum depth;

an elongated conduit for a fluid to be subjected to dialytic treatment comprised of semipermeable membraneous material;

means comprising a plate immersed in the dialyzing fluid in the tank for supporting the conduit in outstretched condition, the plate having a slot extending longitudinally thereof beneath the conduit;

an elongated trough sealed to the underside of the plate below and in communication with the slot and having a drain orifice;

a fluid pump for the dialyzing fluid having its intake connected to the drain orifice in the trough to draw dialyzing fluid from below said conduit downwardly through the slot and through the trough; and

a fluid return duct connected between the outlet of the pump and the interior of the tank to return to the tank dialyzing fluid drawn off through the slot and the trough.

13. Apparatus in accordance with claim 12 in which the means for supporting the conduit comprises, in addition to the supporting plate:

a cover plate for the conduit;

spacer means interposed between the plates on opposite sides of the conduit to provide a tunnel confining the conduit to a flattened transverse configuration and having ports for admitting dialyzing fluid to the tunnel to contact the surface of the conduit and be drawn off through the slot; and

clamping means for clamping together the plates and the interposed spacer means.

14. Apparatus in accordance with claim 13 including a layer of perforate material between the conduit and each of the plates for enhancing access of the dialyzing fluid to the surface of the conduit.

15. Apparatus for supporting in a dialyzing fluid a conduit for a fluid to be dialyzed in the form of a flattened elongated tube of thin semipermeable membraneous material which comprises:

a first elongated flat plate for receiving and supporting the conduit and having at each end thereof a transversely extending slot;

a pair of spaced flanges depending from and extending longitudinally of the plate and each having apertures at intervals along its length in alignment with those of the other flange;

a second elongated flap plate adapted to be superimposed upon the first elongated flap plate and having at each end thereof a transversely extending slot;

rail means attached to one of the plates on the surface thereof that faces the other plate for spacing them apart to accommodate the conduit;

a pair of spaced flanges extending longitudinally of the second plate and upwardly therefrom when the plate is superimposed on the first plate, and having apertures matching in location and spacing the apertures in the flanges of the first plate;

members contained in the apertures and projecting laterally from the flanges in aligned pairs above and below the plates along both edges thereof;

means for exerting a tension between the upper and lower members of a pair to develop pressure between the plates; and

a strip of perforate material carried by each plate on the face presented toward the other plate at least coextensive with the conduit and with the ends of each of the perforate strips inserted into and retained in the slots in its associated plate, said strips precluding surface contact between the conduit and plates and thereby enhancing access of the dialyzing fluid to the surface of the conduit.