ANALOGUE FLUID FLOW PROGRAMMING STRUCTURES

• US 3,774,762 A
• Filed: 01/20/1971
• Issued: 11/27/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eric S. Lichtenstein
• Original Assignee: Eric S. Lichtenstein
• Inventors: Lichtenstein, Eric S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spear, Jr., Frank A.
• Application Number:
  US05/108,118
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 23/258.5 210/22,94,96,321,143
• US Class Current: 210/94
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1524 the interface providing means for actuating on functional elements of the cassette, e.g. plungers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1561 at least one cassette surface or portion thereof being flexible, e.g. the cassette having a rigid base portion with preformed channels and being covered with a foil
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1562 Details of incorporated reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/15632 the filter being a dialyser
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1565 Details of valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/16 with membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1656 Apparatus for preparing dialysates
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1668 Details of containers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1696 with dialysate regeneration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/123 with incorporated reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/125 with incorporated filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/126 with incorporated membrane filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 210/929 Hemoultrafiltrate volume measurement or control processes

Abstract

A semi-automatic device for peroforming complex fluid processing procedures adapted to hemodialysis. The structure includes a disposable component formed by layers of transparent, flexible plastic sheets, sealed to each other according to a predetermined pattern defining between each pair flow paths and pockets which respectively form fluid passages and reservoirs. The structure also includes a permanent installation which is to receive the disposable component in order to form therewith a complete apparatus for automatically processing fluids, such as treating or determining the characteristics of a fluid such as human blood, according to predetermined sequences which may be controlled by internal and/or external information processing devices.

Claims

1. For use in the processing of fluids, at least a pair of flexible plastic sheets sealed to each other according to a predetermined pattern defining between said sheets fluid passages and pockets situated inwardly of and spaced from the peripheries of said sheets and forming predetermined flow paths and reservoirs, respectively, for the fluid which is to be processed and for containing necessary active principles of the processing, said sheets having inlet and discharge connecting portions to be connected with fluid supply and discharge lines, respectively.

2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein the pattern of sealing of said sheets to each other defines also valve and pumping mechanisms adapted for pumping fluid along said passages and into and out of said reservoirs.

3. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said sheets are transparent so that fluid between the sheets is visible and can have characteristics thereof detected by light-signal systems.

4. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said sheets include a mounting portion for adapting the sheets to be mounted on an apparatus which coacts with the sheets.

5. In an apparatus for processing fluids, a permanent installation and a disposable component to be used therewith, said permanent installation including a control wall having a front surface formed with recesses and grooves according to a predetermined pattern and an access wall with similar recesses and grooves located adjacent said front surface of said control wall for holding a disposable component in engagement with said front surface of said control wall, said disposable component including flexible plastic sheets sealed to each other according to a pattern providing passages and pockets which are situated inwardly of and Spaced from the peripheries of said plastic sheets and which respectively register with said grooves and recesses, said passages and pockets providing predetermined flow paths and reservoirs, respectively, for fluid to be processed, and for containing necessary active principles, and said permanent installation including at said control wall thereof control means communicating with or coacting with said passages and recesses for controlling the flow of fluid in the passages and pockets of the disposable component.

6. The combination of claim 5 and wherein the control means carried by said control wall includes valve plungers for pressing the sheets of said disposable component together at the passage defined therebetween and for releasing the sheets from each other at the passages so as to close and open, respectively, predetermined fluid passages defined between the sheets.

7. The combination of claim 5 and wherein said sheets are transparent, and said control means including light-responsive devices responding to the passage of light through said sheets for receiving signals indicative of the characteristics of the fluids, said front wall being transparent so that light can pass through the sheets to provide visibility of the ongoing processes.

8. The combination of claim 5 and wherein said sheets of said disposable unit include inlet and outlet connections.

9. The combination of claim 5 and wherein a mounting means forms part of said permanent installation and coacts with said disposable component for mounting the latter removably on the permanent installation.

10. The combination of claim 5 and wherein said disposable component includes sheets, the area of which is greater than that of said rear wall, said sheets having portions extending beyond said walls of said permanent installation and defining additional pockets and passages for the processed fluid.

11. The combination of claim 5 and wherein said permanent installation and disposable component form a hemodialysis and analytic monitoring system, said pockets and passages forming a flow path for blood and a flow path for dialysate, and all structures and participant materials necessary for the procedure.

12. The combination of claim 5 and wherein said control wall carries pumping means communicating with said recesses, said sheets defining between themselves pumping chambers communicating with the latter recess, said pumping means coacting with the disposable component at said pumping chamber thereof for pumping fluid therethrough.

13. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said sheets form portions of active controls and pumping mechanisms by interactions such as transfer of heat, or pressure relationships between fluid in adjacent layer flow paths, or via volumetric sizing of the flow paths and reservoirs.

14. For use in the processing of fluids, at least a pair of flexible plastic sheets sealed to each other according to a predetermined pattern defining between said sheets fluid passages and pockets situated inwardly of and spaced from the peripheries of said sheets and forming predetermined flow paths and reservoirs, respectively, for the fluid which is to be processed and for containing necessary active principles of the processing, said sheets having inlet and discharge connecting portions to be connected with fluid supply and discharge lines, respectively, said sheets defining non-parallel intersections of control paths with procedural paths functioning as valves by the action of higher pressure in the control paths to occlude the flow path lumen.

15. The combination of claim 14 and wherein said sheets have series of pressure activated intersections to function as pumping mechanism.

16. The combination of claim 13 and wherein said sheets have proportional resistances within the flow patterns to proportion the volumes of fluids passing through them.

17. For use in the processing of fluids, at least a pair of flexible plastic sheets sealed to each other according to a predeterMined pattern defining between said sheets fluid passages and pockets situated inwardly of and spaced from the peripheries of said sheets and forming predetermined flow paths and reservoirs, respectively, for the fluid which is to be processed and for containing necessary active principles of the processing, said sheets having inlet and discharge connecting portions to be connected with fluid supply and discharge lines, respectively, said sheets defining intersecting control paths with procedural paths functioning as pressure sensors in procedural path to proportionally alter resistance characteristics of control path circuits operating in conjunction with fluidic logic circuits or other pressure or flow sensing mechanisms to react to significant changes in the procedural flow paths functions.