Automated cleaning method for dialyzers
First Claim
1. A method of cleaning dialyzers having blood and dialysate sides comprising:
- identifying the particular dialyzer to be cleaned;
identifying the particular patient who used a particular dialyzer in a treatment;
storing the dialyzer and patient identification in a memory at the time of cleaning;
storing a predetermined sequence of cleaning procedures designed to clean said dialyzers and to measure indicia of reusability of a dialyzer being cleaned;
automatically machine sequencing said procedures;
selectively controlling the sequencing of said procedures subsequent to a test procedure in response to the dialyzers measured indicia of reusability.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A fully automated method and apparatus for cleaning and disinfecting blood dialyzers for reuse having multiple stations simultaneously capable of cleaning a plurality of dialyzers. The dialyzer, the station cleaning the dialyzer, and the patient are identified and the identifications are stored in memory. A predetermined sequence of cleaning procedures tailored to the type of dialyzer to be cleaned are provided. The cleaning procedures are automatically machined sequenced, and the sequence is selectively controlled in response to automatic test procedures measuring indicia of dialyzer reusability. The tests performed on the dialyzer include a blood presence test, a pressure leakage test, and an ultrafiltration rate test. If it is determined that the dialyzer is not reusable, it is either cleaned further to make it reusable or machine sequencing of subsequent cleaning procedures is inhibited.
-
Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A method of cleaning dialyzers having blood and dialysate sides comprising:
-
identifying the particular dialyzer to be cleaned; identifying the particular patient who used a particular dialyzer in a treatment; storing the dialyzer and patient identification in a memory at the time of cleaning; storing a predetermined sequence of cleaning procedures designed to clean said dialyzers and to measure indicia of reusability of a dialyzer being cleaned; automatically machine sequencing said procedures; selectively controlling the sequencing of said procedures subsequent to a test procedure in response to the dialyzers measured indicia of reusability. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
2. A method of cleaning dialyzers having blood and dialysate sides comprising:
-
identifying the particular dialyzer to be cleaned; identifying the particular patient who used a particular dialyzer in a treatment; storing the dialyzer and patient identification in a memory at the time of cleaning; storing a predetermined sequence of cleaning procedures, said procedures including a plurality of test procedures which measure indicia of reusability of a dialyzer being cleaned; automatically machine sequencing said procedures; predetermining a set of reusability criteria adapted for each test procedure; automatically inhibiting said cleaning sequence if said measured indicia do not meet any of said predetermined criteria.
-
-
3. A method of cleaning dialyzers comprising:
-
providing a plurality of stations capable of simultaneously cleaning multiple dialyzers; identifying the particular dialyzer to be cleaned; identifying the particular patient who used a particular dialyzer in a treatment; storing the dialyzer and patient identification in a memory at the time of cleaning; identifying the particular station which cleans a particular dialyzer; storing said station identification to provide for determining which of said plurality of stations cleaned a particular dialyzer; storing a predetermined sequence of cleaning procedures; automatically machine sequencing said cleaning procedures; monitoring during cleaning whether said dialyzer is reusable; selectively controlling the sequencing of the procedures in said predetermined sequence in response to said monitoring.
-
-
4. A method of cleaning dialyzers having blood and dialysate sides comprising:
-
storing a predetermined sequence of cleaning procedures, said procedures including a plurality of test procedures which measure indicia of reusability of a dialyzer being cleaned; automatically machine sequencing said cleaning procedures; predetermining a set of reusability criteria adapted for each test procedure; and selectively controlling the sequencing of cleaning procedures subsequent to each test procedure in response to the dialyzers measured indicia of reusability. - View Dependent Claims (5)
-
-
17. A method for cleaning dialyzers having blood and dialysate sides comprising:
-
predetermining a plurality of cleaning procedures, each of said procedures being specifically different for each different type of dialyzer to be cleaned; identifying the type of dialyzer to be cleaned; selecting the appropriate cleaning procedure for the identified type of dialyzer to be cleaned; and automatically machine sequencing said appropriate cleaning procedure for the identified dialyzer. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A method for cleaning dialyzers having blood and dialysate sides, comprising:
-
providing a plurality of different cleaning procedures, each said cleaning procedure being adapted to a particular type of dialyzer and including predetermined cleaning steps, predetermined testing steps to determine dialyzer reusability, and predetermined reusability criteria; identifying the type of dialyzer to be cleaned; and automatically machine sequencing the particular predetermined cleaning procedure adapted to said identified type of dialyzer.
-
Specification