Apparatus and methods for early stage peritonitis detection including self-cleaning effluent chamber
First Claim
1. An apparatus for testing peritoneal dialysis (PD) effluent in a flow path, comprising:
- A) a chamber defining at least part of the flow path for the peritoneal dialysis effluent,B) an illumination source that illuminates peritoneal effluent flowing through the chamber,C) a detector that detects illuminant any of reflected and scattered (collectively, “
scattered”
) by the effluent flowing through the chamber,D) the chamber inducing lamellar flow in the effluent; and
E) the chamber including a deflector disposed in the flow path, the deflector effecting a turbulent flow of fluid in the chamber that at least partially cleans inner walls thereof.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides, inter alia, automated medical methods and apparatus that test PD effluent in a flow path (e.g., with an APD system or CAPD setup) to detect, for example, the onset of peritonitis, based on optical characteristics of the effluent resolved at cellular scales of distance. For example, according to one aspect of the invention, an APD machine includes, in an effluent flow path, apparatus for early stage peritonitis detection comprising an illumination source and a detector. The source is arranged to illuminate peritoneal effluent in a chamber that forms part of the flow path, and the detector is arranged to detect illuminant scattered by the effluent. The detector detects that reflected or scattered illuminant at a cellular scale of resolution, e.g., on a scale such that separate cellular-sized biological (or other) components in the effluent can be distinguished from one another based on scattering events detected by the detector. According to aspects of the invention, the chamber can utilize a deflector to effect turbulent flow for purposes of cleaning biological and other materials from the chamber walls.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. An apparatus for testing peritoneal dialysis (PD) effluent in a flow path, comprising:
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A) a chamber defining at least part of the flow path for the peritoneal dialysis effluent, B) an illumination source that illuminates peritoneal effluent flowing through the chamber, C) a detector that detects illuminant any of reflected and scattered (collectively, “
scattered”
) by the effluent flowing through the chamber,D) the chamber inducing lamellar flow in the effluent; and E) the chamber including a deflector disposed in the flow path, the deflector effecting a turbulent flow of fluid in the chamber that at least partially cleans inner walls thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An apparatus for testing peritoneal dialysis (PD) effluent in a flow path, the apparatus comprising:
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A) a chamber defining at least part of a path of flow for the peritoneal dialysis effluent and inducing lamellar flow therein, B) an illumination source that illuminates peritoneal effluent flowing through the chamber, C) a detector that detects illuminant any of reflected and scattered (collectively, “
scattered”
) by the effluent as it flows through the chamber,D) the detector detects that scattered illuminant at a cellular scale of resolution such that at least selected separate cellular-sized components in the effluent can be distinguished from one another based on the illuminant that is scattered therefrom and that is (i) detected by the detector and (ii) counted; and E) the chamber including a deflector disposed in the flow path, the deflector effecting a turbulent flow of fluid in the chamber that at least partially cleans inner walls thereof. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for testing peritoneal dialysis (PD) effluent in a flow path, comprising:
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A) inducing lamellar flow in peritoneal effluent flowing through a chamber defining at least a portion of the flow path, B) illuminating the peritoneal effluent flowing through the chamber defining at least a portion of the flow path, C) detecting illuminant any of reflected and scattered (collectively, “
scattered”
) by the effluent as it flows through the chamber; andD) effecting turbulence in at least a portion of the flow of effluent in the chamber so as to at least partially clean inner walls thereof. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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Specification