COMPACT DIALYZER
First Claim
1. An apparatus for the transfer or retention of substances in a first fluid to or from a second fluid through a tube or membrane wall comprising:
- a plurality of tubes arranged in layers, each such layer consisting of a single row of parallel tubes, the axes of the parallel tubes of one layer being angularly disposed to the axes of the tubes in each adjacent layer and the axes of the tubes in alternate layers being parallel, said tubes being composed of a semipermeable material chosen in accordance with the substances in the first fluid which are desired to be transferred or retained;
means for passing one of the two fluids through said tubes;
means for passing the other of said fluids between each adjacent pair of said layers over the tubes of each said layer parallel to the plane of the layer; and
means for sealing the passages for one fluid from the passages for the other fluid at the tube extremities to prevent intermingling of the two fluids.
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Abstract
A compact dialyzer has capillary tubes orderly arranged in layers to provide a large surface area for dialysis in a small volume. Each layer of capillary tubes consists of a single row of parallel tubes whose axes are angularly disposed to the axes of the tubes in each of the two adjacent layers. The axes of the tubes of alternate layers are parallel. The dialyzer is manifolded such that a first-fluid passes through all the capillary tubes while a second-fluid passes over the capillary tubes between the layers. The capillary tubes can be channels defined between the peaks of a top pleated sheet of a semipermeable membrane and a bottom flat sheet of the semipermeable membrane to which the pleated sheet has been bonded.
98 Citations
17 Claims
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1. An apparatus for the transfer or retention of substances in a first fluid to or from a second fluid through a tube or membrane wall comprising:
- a plurality of tubes arranged in layers, each such layer consisting of a single row of parallel tubes, the axes of the parallel tubes of one layer being angularly disposed to the axes of the tubes in each adjacent layer and the axes of the tubes in alternate layers being parallel, said tubes being composed of a semipermeable material chosen in accordance with the substances in the first fluid which are desired to be transferred or retained;
means for passing one of the two fluids through said tubes;
means for passing the other of said fluids between each adjacent pair of said layers over the tubes of each said layer parallel to the plane of the layer; and
means for sealing the passages for one fluid from the passages for the other fluid at the tube extremities to prevent intermingling of the two fluids.
- a plurality of tubes arranged in layers, each such layer consisting of a single row of parallel tubes, the axes of the parallel tubes of one layer being angularly disposed to the axes of the tubes in each adjacent layer and the axes of the tubes in alternate layers being parallel, said tubes being composed of a semipermeable material chosen in accordance with the substances in the first fluid which are desired to be transferred or retained;
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2. A dialyzer according to claim 1 wherein the axes of the parallel tubes of one layer are perpendicular to the axes of the tubes in each of the two adjacent layers.
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3. A dialyzer according to claim 1 wherein the tubes consist of channels defined between the peaks of a top pleated sheet of a semipermeable membrane and a bottom flat sheet of said semipermeable membrane which has been bonded to said top pleated sheets.
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4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 for the dialysis of blood wherein said plurality of tubes are contained within a housing and said tubes pass through a dialysis chamber defined within said housing;
- said means for passing one fluid between the layers over the tubes comprise a first-fluid inlet leading to a first-fluid distribution manifold and a first-fluid outlet leading from a first-fluid collection manifold, said dialYsis chamber lying between and connecting said first-fluid distribution and collection manifolds;
said means for passing one fluid through said tubes comprise a second-fluid inlet leading to a second-fluid distribution manifold and a second-fluid outlet leading from a second-fluid collection manifold, said second-fluid manifolds being disjunct and sealed from said first-fluid manifolds and said dialysis chamber, and said tubes sealingly connect said second-fluid distribution manifold to said second-fluid collection manifold.
- said means for passing one fluid between the layers over the tubes comprise a first-fluid inlet leading to a first-fluid distribution manifold and a first-fluid outlet leading from a first-fluid collection manifold, said dialYsis chamber lying between and connecting said first-fluid distribution and collection manifolds;
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5. The dialyzer of claim 4 wherein the capillary tubes are round capillary fibers, the first fluid is blood, and the second fluid which passes through the dialysis chamber within the tubes is dialysate.
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6. The dialyzer of claim 4 wherein the capillary tubes consist of the channels defined between the peaks of a top pleated sheet of a semipermeable membrane and a bottom flat sheet of said semipermeable membrane which has been bonded to said top pleated sheet.
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7. The dialyzer of claim 6 wherein the pleats of the top pleated sheet of semipermeable membrane are triangular, the first fluid is dialysate, and the second fluid which passes through the dialysis chamber within the tubes is blood.
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8. The dialyzer of claim 6 wherein the two fluids are blood and dialysate, the semipermeable membrane is regenerated cellulose, and the sheets are bonded with an epoxy resin adhesive.
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9. A dialyzer comprising:
- a housing, a plurality of semipermeable membranes in the form of capillary tubes enclosed within said housing, said capillary tubes being arranged in layers, each such layer consisting of a single row of parallel tubes arranged in the form of a parallelogram having sides of unequal length with the axes of the tubes parallel to the longer sides thereof;
said layers being stacked such that the planes of all the parallelograms are parallel, alternate parallelograms being identical in size and shape, even layer parallelograms being the mirror image of odd layer parallelograms, the axes of the parallel tubes of one layer being angularly disposed to the axes of the tubes in each adjacent layer and the axes of the tubes in alternate layers being parallel;
said layers further being stacked such that straight lines will connect the corresponding vertices of alternate parallelograms;
the tubes of even layers being sealed together at the ends thereof to form effectively tube sheets for these capillary tubes, the tubes of odd layers likewise being sealed together at the ends thereof to form effectively tube sheets for these capillary tubes;
one edge of a first even layer tube sheet being sealed at an obtuse angle to an edge of a first odd layer tube sheet, the opposite edges of the two tube sheets being sealed to the housing;
the second even layer tube sheet being likewise sealed at an obtuse angle to the second odd layer tube sheet, the opposite edges of said tube sheets likewise being sealed to the housing;
a dialysis chamber within the housing wherein the tubes of adjacent layers overlap, all tubes passing through said dialysis chamber;
a first-fluid inlet leading to a first-fluid distribution manifold, said first-fluid distribution manifold being defined between the housing, the interior face of said first even layer tube sheet, the interior face of said second odd layer tube sheet, and fronting on two sides of the dialysis chamber;
a first-fluid outlet leading from a first-fluid collection manifold, said first-fluid collection manifold being defined between the housing, the interior face of said second even layer tube sheet, the interior face of said first odd layer tube sheet, and fronting on the opposite two sides of the dialysis chamber from said first-fluid distribution manifold;
said first-fluid distribution and collection manifolds being separated and sealed from each other except as communicating through said dialysis chamber;
a second-fluid inlet leading to a second-fluid distribution manifold, said second-fluid distribution manifold being defined between said housing and the exterior faces of said first odd and said first even layer tube sheets;
a second-fluid outlet leading from a second-fluid collection manifold, said second-fluid collection manifold being defined between the housing and the exterior faces of said second odd and second even layer tube sheets;
said second-fluid manifolds being sealed from said first-fluid manifolds and said dialysis chamber, and communicating with each other through said tubes.
- a housing, a plurality of semipermeable membranes in the form of capillary tubes enclosed within said housing, said capillary tubes being arranged in layers, each such layer consisting of a single row of parallel tubes arranged in the form of a parallelogram having sides of unequal length with the axes of the tubes parallel to the longer sides thereof;
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10. The dialyzer of claim 9 wherein the layers are further stacked such that a first straight line will connect one of the vertices of all the parallelograms and a second straight line will connect the opposite vertices of all the parallelograms;
- the inlet tube sheet is formed by those sides of the parallelograms which meet said first straight line; and
the outlet tube sheet is formed by those sides of the parallelograms which meet said second straight line.
- the inlet tube sheet is formed by those sides of the parallelograms which meet said first straight line; and
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11. The dialyzer of claim 9 wherein the semipermeable membranes are regenerated cellulose and wherein the tubes are sealed together at the ends thereof with an epoxy resin and wherein the seals between the various elements are effected with an epoxy resin.
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12. The dialyzer of claim 11 wherein the capillary tubes are round capillary fibers, the first fluid is blood, and the second fluid which passes through the dialysis chamber within the tubes is dialysate.
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13. The dialyzer of claim 9 wherein the capillary tubes consist of the channels defined between the peaks of a top pleated sheet of a semipermeable membrane and a bottom flat sheet of said semipermeable membrane which has been bonded to said top pleated sheet.
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14. The dialyzer of claim 11 wherein the capillary tubes consist of the channels defined between the peaks Of a top pleated sheet of regenerated cellulose and a bottom flat sheet of regenerated cellulose which has been bonded to said top pleated sheet with an epoxy resin adhesive and wherein the two fluids are blood and dialysate.
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15. The hemodialyzer of claim 14 wherein the pleats of the top pleated sheet are triangular, the first fluid is the dialysate, and the second fluid which passes through the dialysis chamber within the tubes is the blood.
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16. The hemodialyzer of claim 15 wherein the sheets of regenerated cellulose are about 0.001 inch thick and the pleats of the top pleated sheet are from 0.030 inch to 0.005 inch high.
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17. The dialyzer of claim 9 wherein the housing is a rectangular parallelepiped which is square in cross section;
- the first-fluid inlet is at one corner of one square end of said housing;
the first-fluid distribution manifold is located along the rectangular edge of the housing originating at the first-fluid inlet corner;
the first-fluid outlet is at the opposite corner and on the opposite end of the housing from said first-fluid inlet;
the first-fluid collection manifold is located along the rectangular edge of said housing opposite said first-fluid distribution manifold;
the second-fluid inlet is located on the square end of said housing at a corner adjacent said first-fluid inlet;
the second-fluid distribution manifold is located along two adjacent rectangular sides of said housing which meet at the second-fluid inlet corner and between said first-fluid distribution and collection manifolds;
the second-fluid collection manifold is located along the opposite two adjacent sides of said housing and between said first-fluid distribution and collection manifolds;
the second-fluid outlet is located at the opposite corner and on the opposite end of the housing from said second-fluid inlet.
- the first-fluid inlet is at one corner of one square end of said housing;
Specification