Disposable balancing unit for balancing fluids, and related medical treatment device

• US 5,836,908 A
• Filed: 12/09/1996
• Issued: 11/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Original Assignee: Fresenius AG (Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA)
• Inventors: Steinbach, Bernd, Beden, Josef, Flaig, Hans-Jurgen
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cho, David J.
• Application Number:
  US08/762,084
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 604/4, 604/5, 604/29, 604/403, 604/405, 604/406, 604/408, 604/410, 210/646, 210/321.3, 210/321.4, 210/321.8, 210/321.6, 210/321.64, 206/419, 206/420
• US Class Current: 604/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/153 the cassette being adapted for heating or cooling the treating fluid, e.g. the dialysate or the treating gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/154 with sensing means or components thereof
• 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 1/15625 the reservoirs acting as balance chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/159 specially adapted for peritoneal dialysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1664 with temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1668 Details of containers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/28 Peritoneal dialysis ; Other peritoneal treatment, e.g. oxygenation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/281 Instillation other than by gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3444 in which the collected ultra-filtrate expels an equal volume of substitution fluid from a reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3635 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/369 Temperature treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/123 with incorporated reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/127 with provisions for heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3396 Reservoirs being alternately filled and emptied for measuring flow rate or delivered volume
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3653 by Joule effect, i.e. electric resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/44 having means for cooling or heating the devices or media

Abstract

A disposable balancing unit designed as a sheet bag includes two sheets (1, 2), which are heat-sealed together, forming a balancing chamber (4) that is divided by a flexible wall (8) into the two chamber halves (9, 10), and forming two equalization chambers (5, 6), as well as the channels (15 through 18) connecting the individual chambers. The flexible wall (8), which separates the first chamber half (9) of the balancing chamber (4) from the second chamber half (10), is formed by an intermediate sheet, which is inserted between the first and second sheet (1, 2) in the area of the balancing volume and is heat-sealed in a pressure-tight manner to the outer sheets, forming the first and second chamber half (9, 10). The fixed volume of the balancing chamber halves (9, 10) is specified by a corresponding system insert unit, into which the disposable unit is fittingly inserted. The system insert unit has two rigid receiving bodies (25, 26) with trough-shaped depressions (27) to grasp above or below the balancing chamber (4) of the disposable unit. The disposable balancing unit can be manufactured cost-effectively in a single heat-sealing operation and is easy to handle.

Claims

1. A disposable balancing unit for balancing fluids for a medical treatment device comprising:

first and second superposed plastic sheets, which are joined together in a pressure-resistant manner, forming

a balancing chamber in the unit that is divided by a flexible wall into a first and a second chamber half, said flexible wall of said balancing chamber being formed by an intermediate sheet, which is inserted between the first and second sheet in the area of the balancing volume and is so joined to the first and second sheets, forming the two chamber halves so that said first chamber half is separated in a pressure-tight manner from said second chamber half;

a first equalization chamber in the unit, which is in fluid communication with the first chamber half via a first inlet channel and, which is able to be clamped off in a pressure-tight manner;

a second equalization chamber in the unit, which is in fluid communication with the second chamber half via a second inlet channel, which is able to be clamped off in a pressure-tight manner; and

a first outlet channel, which is able to be clamped off in a pressure-tight manner and is in fluid communication with said first chamber half, and a second outlet channel, which is able to be clamped off in a pressure-tight manner and is in fluid communication with said second chamber half.

2. The disposable balancing unit as defined by claim 1, wherein the inlet and outlet channels are formed at least in the area of the clamping spots by flexible plastic hoses, which are arranged between the first and second sheets and are joined in a pressure-tight manner to the first and second sheets.

3. The disposable balancing unit as defined by claim 2, wherein the first sheet, second sheet and intermediate sheet are in the same plane.

4. The disposable balancing unit as defined by claim 1, wherein the disposable balancing unit defines slots for receiving alignment pins.

5. The disposable balancing unit as defined by claim 2, wherein the disposable balancing unit defines slots for receiving alignment pins.

6. The disposable balancing unit as defined by claim 1, wherein the first and second sheets are joined together in a pressure-tight manner and form a serpentine channel which leads into the second equalization chamber.

7. The disposable balancing unit as defined by claim 2, wherein the first and second sheets are joined together in a pressure-tight manner and form a serpentine channel which leads into the second equalization chamber.

8. The disposable balancing unit as defined by claim 4, wherein the first and second sheets are joined together in a pressure-tight manner and form a serpentine channel which leads into the second equalization chamber.

9. The disposable balancing unit as defined by claim 5, wherein the first and second sheets are joined together in a pressure-tight manner and form a serpentine channel which leads into the second equalization chamber.

10. The disposable balancing unit as defined by claim 1, wherein the first and second sheets are joined together in a pressure-tight manner and form a buffer chamber which communicates with the second outlet channel.

11. The disposable balancing unit as defined by claim 2, wherein the first and second sheets are joined together in a pressure-tight manner and form a buffer chamber which communicates with the second outlet channel.

12. The disposable balancing unit as defined by claim 4, wherein the first and second sheets are joined together in a pressure-tight manner and form a buffer chamber which communicates with the second outlet channel.

13. The disposable balancing unit as defined by claim 6, wherein the first and second sheets are joined together in a pressure-tight manner and form a buffer chamber which communicates with the second outlet channel.

14. The disposable balancing unit as defined by claim 1, wherein the balancing chamber has an oval shape and the equalization chambers have a rectangular shape, said equalization chambers and said balancing chamber being so arranged that longitudinal axes of the equalization chambers run transversely to a longitudinal axis of the balancing chambers.

15. The disposable balancing unit as defined by claim 2, wherein the balancing chamber has an oval shape and the equalization chambers have a rectangular shape, said equalization chambers and said balancing chamber being so arranged that longitudinal axes of the equalization chambers run transversely to a longitudinal axis of the balancing chambers.

16. The disposable balancing unit as defined by claim 4, wherein the balancing chamber has an oval shape and the equalization chambers have a rectangular shape, said equalization chambers and said balancing chamber being so arranged that longitudinal axes of the equalization chambers run transversely to a longitudinal axis of the balancing chambers.

17. A medical treatment device for removing toxic substances from the blood, comprising a system insert unit for receiving the disposable balancing unit as defined by claim 1, the system insert unit having two rigid receiving bodies, which are provided with a trough-shaped depression and are situated in the area of the balancing chamber of the balancing disposable unit, and compression devices for pressurizing the equalization chambers of the disposable unit, and clamping devices for clamping off the inlet and outlet channels.

18. The medical treatment device as defined by claim 17, wherein the receiving bodies each have a clamping edge for fixing the edge areas of the sheet-type disposable unit in position.

19. The medical treatment device as defined by claim 17, wherein in one receiving body of the receiving bodies, the clamping devices are provided with tappets and, in an other receiving body of the receiving bodies, with clamping edges opposing said tappets.

20. The medical treatment device as defined by claim 18, wherein in one receiving body of the receiving bodies, the clamping devices are provided with tappets and, in an other receiving body of the receiving bodies, with clamping edges opposing said tappets.