Dialysis apparatus

• US 3,878,095 A
• Filed: 05/02/1974
• Issued: 04/15/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Albert Stevens, Jordan D. Frasier
• Original Assignee: Albert Stevens, Jordan D. Frasier
• Inventors: Frasier, Jordan D., Stevens, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Spear, Jr., Frank A.
• Application Number:
  US05/466,397
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 210/87,88,90,96,180,321
• US Class Current: 210/87
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1656 Apparatus for preparing dialysates
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1658 Degasification
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1662 with heat exchange between fresh and used dialysate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1664 with temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1668 Details of containers
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/28 Apparatus therefor

Abstract

A hemo dialysis apparatus adapted to establish a heat tempered de-aerated dialysate solution from supplies of water and dialysate concentrate and to controllably conduct the solution through a dialyzer at fixed predetermined rate, pressure, temperature and salinity, said apparatus comprising novel interrelated means to heat, de-aerate and to establish operational head pressure on a replenishing supply of tap water, wherein the water is partially heat tempered by heat exchange between inflowing tap water and used solution prior to its being discharged as waste and is further and subsequently heated by a temperature controlled resistance heater means and wherein a pump is utilized to establish air fractionating pressure on the water and delivers the air and water into a combination air-water separation and pressure accumulator tank and causes a portion of the de-aerated and heated water to be recirculated through the heating means and the pump and/or de-aerating portion of the apparatus to partially pretemper inflowing water and reduce the air content of the water acted upon by said pump.

Claims

1. An apparatus of the character referred to comprising an elongate sectional flow passage with upstream and downstream ends, an input tank at and connecting with the upstream end portion of the passage, and vented to atmosphere, water supply means communicating with the input tank to maintain a substantially uniform predetermined volume of water therein, an elongate vertical holding tank interposed in the passage downstream of the holding tank, an air and water return line between the upper portion of the holding tank and the input tank, a pump interposed in the passage between said tanks with its suction side directed upstream and operable to move a greater volume of water than flows through the apparatus, a first pressure relief valve interposed in the passage between the pump and the input tank and maintaining a predetermined air fractionating negative pressure on the water between said valve and pump, a second pressure relief valve interposed in the return line and maintaining a predetermined positive head pressure on the water in the holding tank, dialysate concentrate supply means communicating with the passage downstream of the holding tank to introduce concentrate into the water and establish a dialysate solution in the passage, a discharge pump with its suction side connected with the downstream end of the passage, a flow restricting variable valve interposed in the passage between the concentrate supply means and the discharge pump and maintaining a positive back pressure on the solution and water in the passage upstream thereof and in the holding tank and a negative pressure on The solution in the passage downstream thereof and upstream of the discharge pump, a hemo dialyzer with solution inlet and outlet ends, connecting means to connect the inlet and outlet ends of the dialyzer with upstream and downstream sections of the passage between the variable valve and the discharge pump and a waste line communicating with the discharge side of the discharge pump.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 which further includes heater means to heat the water and comprising, an elongate water conducting chamber with upstream and downstream end portions and interposed in the passage between the input tank and said first pressure relief valve, a solution conducting heat exchange member interposed in the flow passage between the discharge pump and the connecting means and extending into the downstream portion of the chamber, an electric resistance heater in the downstream portion of the chamber, a power supply for the heater, a first temperature sensing control device responsive to the temperature of the water in the chamber upstream of the heater, a second temperature sensing control device responsive to the temperature of the water downstream of the heater and switching means in the power supply connected and controlled by said control devices to energize and de-energize the heater.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said connecting means includes an inlet duct communicating with the flow passage downstream of the variable valve and with the inlet of the dialyzer, an outlet duct communicating with the passage downstream of the inlet duct and with the outlet end of the dialyzer and valving means in and related to the passage and said ducts to selectively direct the flow of solution through the passage between the ducts or through the ducts and said dialyzer.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said valving means comprises a normally open shutoff valve in the passage between the ducts, a normally closed shutoff valve in the inlet duct, a normally closed shutoff valve in the outlet duct and actuating means to simultaneously actuate the said shutoff valves from and to their normal positions.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said concentrate supply means comprises a vessel with a supply of dialysate concentrate, a mixing chamber interposed in the passage between the holding tank and the variable valve, a concentrate delivery duct between the mixing chamber and the vessel and a concentrate pump in the delivery duct and operable to draw concentrate from the vessel and deliver it into the mixing chamber.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said concentrate supply comprises a vessel with a supply of dialysate concentrate, a mixing chamber interposed in the passage between the holding tank and the variable valve, a concentrate delivery duct between the mixing chamber and the vessel and a variable delivery concentrate pump in the delivery duct and operable to draw concentrate from the vessel and deliver it into the mixing chamber, a fluid conducting conductivity detector interposed in the passage between the mixing chamber and the variable valve, operable to detect the conductivity and related salinity of the solution flowing therethrough and a salinity controller means interconnected with and between the conductivity detector and the concentrate pump to vary the delivery rate of that pump and to maintain the salinity of the solution substantially constant.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 which further includes negative pressure sensing means to detect and control the pressure in and through the dialyzer and comprising power drive means to open and close the variable valve, a pressure differential comparitor communicating with the passage at two spaced points between the discharge pump and the variable valve and upstream and downstream of the connecting means and a pressure controller means interconnected with and between the comparitor and the said drive means whereby the variable valve is opened anD closed to maintain the negative pressure in and through the dialyzer substantially constant.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the discharge pump is a variable delivery pump and said apparatus further includes a flow detector interposed in the passage between the holding tank and the concentrate supply means and a flow controller means interconnected with and between the flow detector and the discharge pump to maintain the flow of water and solution through the apparatus substantially constant.