Enclosure for a portable hemodialysis system

• US 8,393,690 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2008
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Grant, Kevin L., Demers, Jason A., Dale, James D., Chawan, Arun D., Collins, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Soohoo, Tony G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mellon, David C
• Application Number:
  US12/199,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20090114582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,658 Days
• Field of Search: 210/646, 210/645, 210/195.2, 210/321.71, 210/143, 210/767, 210/183, 210/321.64, 210/781, 210/782, 210/175, 210/321.69, 163/68, 163/71, 163/20, 312/209, 312/321.5, 312/326, 312/109, 604/5.01, 604/5.04, 604/6.09, 604/6.1, 604/6.11
• US Class Current: 312/209
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/14 Dialysis systems; Artificial kidneys; Blood oxygenators semi-permeable membranes characterised by the material, manufacturing processes therefor B01D71/00 ; Reciprocating systems for treatment of body fluids, e.g. single needle systems for hemofiltration or pheresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/16 with membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1601 Control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1639 linked by membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1692 Detection of blood traces in dialysate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/34 Filtering material out of the blood by passing it through a membrane, i.e. hemofiltration or diafiltration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3403 Regulation parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3406 Physical characteristics of the filtrate, e.g. urea
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/341 by measuring the filtrate rate or volume
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/362227 the interface providing means for actuating on functional elements of the cassette, e.g. plungers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/36225 with blood pumping means or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/362263 Details of incorporated filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/362265 Details of valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/362266 Means for adding solutions or substances to the blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/12 with interchangeable cassettes forming partially or totally the fluid circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/15 Detection of leaks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/08 Supports for equipment

Abstract

An enclosure for containing a portable hemodialysis unit includes a housing suitable to support components for performing hemodialysis including a dialyzer, one or more pumps to circulate blood through the dialyzer, a source of dialysate, and one or more pumps to circulate the dialysate through the dialyzer. The housing may have a front panel at which blood circuit connections and dialysate fluidic connections are located, e.g., blood line connections for patient blood access, connections for a reagent supply, dialyzer connections for both blood flow and dialysate, etc. The enclosure may also include a pair of vertical, side-by-side doors hingedly mounted to the housing. With the doors in the closed position, access to the patient access and dialysate fluidic connections may be blocked, and the doors may allow for the retention of heat in the housing suitable for disinfection during a disinfection cycle.

Claims

1. An enclosure for containing a portable hemodialysis unit, which includes components for performing hemodialysis including a dialyzer, one or more pumps to circulate blood through the dialyzer, a source of dialysate, and one or more pumps to circulate the dialysate through the dialyzer, the enclosure comprising:

a housing supporting the components, the housing having a front panel at which are located blood circuit connections and a reagent connection for connecting one or more containers containing a reagent for production of dialysate;

a heater controllable to heat liquid circuits of the hemodialysis unit, including the blood circuit and reagent connections at the front panel, to disinfect the liquid circuits; and

a pair of vertical, side-by-side doors hingedly mounted to the housing at opposite sides of the front panel, the doors being movable between open and closed positions, the open position allowing access to the blood circuit and reagent connections, the closed position being suitable to block access to the blood circuit and reagent connections and to retain suitable heat in the housing for disinfection of the blood circuit and reagent connections during a disinfection cycle;

wherein each of the vertical, side-by-side doors is mounted to the housing via a hinge plate that is pivotally mounted to the door at a first end, and is pivotally mounted to the housing at a second end opposite the first end, and

wherein at least one of the doors includes a reagent container holder arranged to support a reagent container connected to the reagent connection.

2. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the open position includes first and second open positions, the first open position being one in which the doors are positioned relative to the front panel such that the blood circuit and reagent connections are exposed and the hinge plate is adjacent the housing, and the second open position being one in which the doors are positioned relative to the front panel such that the blood circuit and reagent connections are exposed and the hinge plate is positioned away from the housing.

3. The enclosure of claim 1, further comprising a retainer member for at least one door that maintains the door in the open position relative to a corresponding hinge plate.

4. The enclosure of claim 3, wherein the retainer member includes at least one magnet attached to the at least one door or the hinge plate corresponding to the at least one door.

5. The enclosure of claim 1, further comprising a retainer member for at least one hinge plate that maintains the hinge plate in a closed position relative to the housing.

6. The enclosure of claim 5, wherein the retainer member includes at least one magnet attached to the at least one hinge plate or the housing.

7. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the hinge plates are each pivotally mounted to the housing so that the corresponding door is movable away from the front panel by pivoting the hinge plate relative to the housing.

8. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein at least one of the doors includes a container holder that is movable between a folded position and an extended position in which the container holder is arranged to support a container.

9. The enclosure of claim 8, wherein the container is a dialysate ingredient container.

10. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein at least one door includes a hook to support a control interface for the hemodialysis unit.

11. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the front panel includes at least one flanged portion to support blood lines.

12. The enclosure of claim 11, wherein the at least one flanged portion is arranged at a periphery of the front panel.

13. The enclosure of claim 12, wherein flanged portions are arranged at lower corners and at a top edge of the front panel to support blood lines extending around substantially an entire periphery of the front panel.

14. The enclosure of claim 13, wherein the flanged portions are arranged to support the blood lines and allow the doors to be moved to the closed position without contacting the blood lines.

15. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the blood circuit connections at the front panel include arterial and venous blood line connectors, and the reagent connection at the front panel includes a connection point for an acid/bicarbonate source, the front panel further including a blood line connection point for connecting arterial and venous blood lines to a directing circuit of the hemodialysis unit.

16. The enclosure of claim 1, further comprising a control interface that is connected to the housing by a flexible cable, the control interface being arranged to allow a user to receive information from and provide information to the hemodialysis unit.

17. The enclosure of claim 16, wherein the enclosure includes a control interface mounting area at a top of the enclosure where the control interface is mountable.

18. The enclosure of claim 16, wherein at least one door includes a hook to support the control interface.

19. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein at least one of the doors includes a seal to resist air exchange between an interior and an exterior of housing when the doors are in the closed position.

20. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the enclosure includes an electronics section comprising electronic or pneumatic controllers, wherein the electronics section is separated and thermally insulated from a disinfection section that is heated to disinfect components comprising fluid or blood lines of the hemodialysis unit.