Personal hemodialysis system

• US 8,834,719 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2011
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• 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., Kelly, Thomas D., Roger, Rodolfo
• Primary Examiner(s): DRODGE, JOSEPH W
• Application Number:
  US13/330,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20120085425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 137/14, 137/885, 210/97, 210/134, 210/137, 210/258, 210/321.6, 210/321.75, 210645-647, 210/321.65, 210/637, 604/4.01, 604/5.01, 604/6.01, 604/6.05, 604/6.09, 604/29, 604 65- 67, 2513351-3353
• US Class Current: 210/637
• 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 1/1524 the interface providing means for actuating on functional elements of the cassette, e.g. plungers
• 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 1/155 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 1/15625 the reservoirs acting as balance chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1565 Details of valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/16 with membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1601 Control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1605 Physical characteristics of the dialysate fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1621 Constructional aspects thereof semi-permeable membranes for separation processes characterised by their properties B01D69/00; semi permeable membranes characterised by their material B01D71/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1635 with volume chamber balancing devices between used and fresh dialysis fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1649 with pulsatile dialysis fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/166 Heating for sterilisation A61M1/1686
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/168 Sterilisation or cleaning before or after use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1686 by heat
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1688 with recirculation of the sterilising fluid
• 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 1/3465 using dialysate as substitution fluid
• 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 1/362261 : 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 1/362262 : Details of incorporated reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/362265 : Details of valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3643 : Priming, rinsing before or after use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3644 : Mode of operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3649 : using dialysate as priming or rinsing liquid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3652 : using gas, e.g. air
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/128 : with incorporated valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/14 : Detection of the presence or absence of a tube, a connector or a container in an apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3313 : used specific wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 : Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3334 : Measuring or controlling the flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3344 : Measuring or controlling pressure at the body treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3379 : Masses, volumes, levels of fluids in reservoirs, flow rates
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6036 : characterised by physical shape, e.g. array of activating switches
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/244 : comprising multiple dialysis steps
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/30 : Accessories; Auxiliary operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0396 : Involving pressure control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87893 : With fluid actuator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

A dialysis machine method includes in an embodiment applying a pneumatic closing pressure to a first valve chamber and arranging a compliance chamber to flex and absorb energy from the pneumatic closing pressure so as to tend to prevent the pneumatic closing pressure from opening an existing closure of a second valve chamber.

Claims

1. A dialysis method comprising:

applying a pneumatic closing pressure to a first valve chamber of a dialysis machine which comprises (i) a flexible membrane, (ii) a flexible diaphragm, (iii) a compliance chamber including at least one of the flexible membrane or the flexible diaphragm and (iv) a second valve chamber; and

arranging the compliance chamber to flex and absorb energy from the pneumatic closing pressure so as to tend to prevent the pneumatic closing pressure from opening an existing closure of the second valve chamber.

2. The dialysis method of claim 1, wherein applying the pneumatic closing pressure to the first valve chamber includes applying pressure to the flexible membrane, the flexible membrane additionally covering a rigid portion of the compliance chamber.

3. The dialysis method of claim 2, which includes flexing the compliance chamber by flexing the flexible membrane.

4. The dialysis method of claim 2, which includes flexing the compliance chamber by flexing the flexible diaphragm, the flexible diaphragm operating with the rigid portion of the compliance chamber.

5. The dialysis method of claim 4, which includes locating the diaphragm on an opposing side of the rigid portion from the flexible membrane.

6. The dialysis method of claim 1, wherein arranging the compliance chamber includes locating the compliance chamber between the first and second valve chambers.

7. The dialysis method of claim 1, wherein the first and second valve chambers are located in a disposable cassette operable with the dialysis machine.

8. The dialysis method of claim 1, wherein the first valve chamber is located upstream of the second valve chamber.

9. The dialysis method of claim 1, which includes applying a vacuum to the compliance chamber to absorb the energy from the pneumatic closing pressure applied to close the first valve chamber.

10. A dialysis method comprising:

applying a pneumatic closing pressure to a first valve chamber of a dialysis system, which comprises (i) a compliance chamber including at least one of a flexible membrane or a flexible diaphragm and (ii) a second valve chamber;

arranging the compliance chamber to flex and absorb a backpressure due to a pneumatic closing pressure applied to an existing closure of a second valve chamber to help ensure the pneumatic closing pressure applied to the first valve chamber will close the first valve chamber.

11. The dialysis method of claim 10, which includes

operating a disposable cassette of the dialysis system, the disposable cassette including the first and second valve chambers, with a dialysis instrument of the dialysis system, the dialysis instrument including a pump actuator and first and second valve actuators;

operating the first and second valve chambers of the disposable cassette with the first and second valve actuators of the dialysis instrument, respectively; and

operating a pump portion of the disposable cassette with the pump actuator of the dialysis instrument.

12. The dialysis method of claim 10, wherein the pneumatic closing pressure applied to the second valve chamber is substantially the same as the pneumatic closing pressure applied to the first valve chamber.

13. The dialysis method of claim 10, wherein flexing the compliance chamber prevents the backpressure from existing around an outside of a port of the first valve chamber.

14. A dialysis method comprising:

applying a pneumatic closing pressure to a first valve chamber of a dialysis system, which comprises (i) a compliance chamber comprising at least one of a flexible membrane or a flexible diaphragm and (ii) a second valve chamber; and

arranging the compliance chamber to flex and absorb a first backpressure due to the pneumatic closing pressure applied to the first valve chamber to help ensure the pneumatic closing pressure will close the first valve chamber against a second backpressure from an existing closure of the second valve chamber.

15. The dialysis method of claim 14, wherein flexing the compliance chamber tends to prevent the pneumatic closing pressure applied to the first valve chamber from opening the closed second valve chamber.

16. The dialysis method of claim 14, wherein flexing the compliance chamber includes applying a vacuum to the compliance chamber to negate the first backpressure.

17. A dialysis method comprising:

applying a vacuum to a flexible membrane or flexible diaphragm of a compliance chamber of a dialysis system to aid at least one of;

(i) closing a first valve chamber of a disposable cassette of the dialysis system at a time when a second valve chamber of the disposable cassette is already closed, or (ii) maintaining an existing closure of the second valve chamber when the first valve chamber is closed; and

allowing the first and second valve chambers to communicate fluidly with the compliance chamber.

18. The dialysis method of claim 17, which includes flexing the flexible membrane of the disposable cassette to close the first and second valve chambers.

19. A dialysis method comprising:

applying a pneumatic closing pressure to a flexible membrane of a dialysis system to close a first valve chamber of a disposable cassette of the dialysis system;

absorbing energy from the pneumatic closing pressure via a compliance chamber of the disposable cassette formed at least in part by a flexible diaphragm; and

locating the flexible membrane and the flexible diaphragm on opposite sides of the disposable cassette.

20. The dialysis method of claim 19, which includes communicating the first valve chamber fluidly with the compliance chamber.