Pumping systems for cassette-based dialysis

• US 8,740,836 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2013
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Baxter Healthcare SA (Baxter International Inc.), Baxter International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Baxter Healthcare SA (Baxter International Inc.), Baxter International Inc.
• Inventors: Childers, Robert W., Lauman, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): FLICK, JASON E
• Application Number:
  US14/096,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20140094738A1
• Time in Patent Office: 181 Days
• Field of Search: 604/29
• US Class Current: 604/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1522 the interface being evacuated interfaces to enhance contact
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/154 with sensing means or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/155 with treatment-fluid pumping 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 1/1562 Details of incorporated reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1565 Details of valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/16 with membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1696 with dialysate regeneration
• 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 1/284 Continuous flow peritoneal dialysis [CFPD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/122 using evacuated interfaces to enhance contact

Abstract

A dialysis machine includes: a hardware unit including at least one pump actuator, at least one valve actuator and a cassette interface, the cassette interface including: (i) a plate that abuts the cassette; (ii) at least one pump aperture defined by the plate; (iii) at least one pump head moveable out of and retractable into the at least one pump aperture to operate a pumping portion of the cassette; (iv) at least one valve aperture defined by the plate; (v) at least one valve apparatus moveable out of and retractable into the at least one valve aperture to operate a valve portion of the cassette; (vi) at least one sensor aperture defined by the plate; and (vii) at least one sensor located in the least one sensor aperture, the at least one sensor operable with a sensor portion of the cassette.

Claims

1. A peritoneal dialysis method comprising:

enabling a disposable cassette to be aligned so that (i) a soft side of the disposable cassette faces towards a vacuum chamber and a piston head of a peritoneal dialysis machine and (ii) a dialysis fluid supply line, a patient line and a drain line extend from a hard part of the disposable cassette outside of the peritoneal dialysis machine to a respective dialysis fluid supply container, a patient and a drain;

positioning the piston head relative to the vacuum chamber;

applying a vacuum from a negative pressure source communicating pneumatically through the vacuum chamber to pull the soft side of the disposable cassette to the piston head to at least partially mate the soft side of the disposable cassette with the piston head;

pushing fresh dialysis fluid from the disposable cassette through the patient line or spent dialysis fluid from the disposable cassette through the drain line as the piston head and the soft side of the disposable cassette are extended at least partially into the hard part of the disposable cassette; and

drawing fresh dialysis fluid through the supply line or spent dialysis fluid through the patient line into the disposable cassette as the piston head retracts from the hard part of the disposable cassette while using the vacuum to hold the soft side of the disposable cassette in at least partial contact with the piston head.

2. The peritoneal dialysis method of claim 1, which includes retracting the piston head completely out of the hard part of the disposable cassette and causing the soft side of the disposable cassette to be moved away from the hard side of the disposable cassette.

3. The peritoneal dialysis method of claim 1, which includes extending the piston head at least partially into the hard part of the disposable cassette a present distance using a stepper motor.

4. The peritoneal dialysis method of claim 1, which includes enabling the disposable cassette to be aligned with the peritoneal dialysis machine at a non-vertical angle.

5. The peritoneal dialysis method of claim 1, which includes conforming the shape and size of the piston head to a shape and size of a pump chamber portion of the hard part of the disposable cassette.

6. The peritoneal dialysis method of claim 1, which includes positioning the piston head relative to the vacuum chamber to allow a shaft held mechanically with the piston head to move back and forth sealingly within the vacuum chamber.

7. The peritoneal dialysis method of claim 1, which includes configuring the disposable cassette alignment so that multiple dialysis fluid supply lines can extend from a same edge of the disposable cassette.