Container, use, dialyzer or preparation unit as well as method of manufacturing a concentrate

• US 10,022,297 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Original Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Inventors: Kloeffel, Peter, Wiesen, Gerhard, Dumont d'Ayot, Francois, Laffay, Philippe, Luaire, Benoit
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramdhaine, Bobby
• Assistant Examiner(s): An, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US13/537,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20130004593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,209 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/10 Bag-type containers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1656 Apparatus for preparing dialysates
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1666 by dissolving solids
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1668 Details of containers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/167 Flexible packaging for solid concentrates

Abstract

A container includes a dry concentrate designed such that the dry concentrate forms an acid liquid concentrate, or a part of an acid liquid concentrate, which is suitable for manufacturing a dialysis solution, on the dissolution of the dry concentrate in a liquid, preferably in water.

Claims

1. A container comprising:

a dry concentrate provided so that the dry concentrate forms an acid liquid concentrate or a part of an acid liquid concentrate which is suitable for manufacturing a dialysis solution on a dissolving thereof in a liquid;

a connector with which the container is coupleable to a dialyzer or to a preparation unit for the acid liquid concentrate,

the connector including a first connector part and a second connector part adapted to cooperate with corresponding coupling elements of the dialyzer or the preparation unit,

the first connector part communicating the liquid and a gas to the container, and communicating the acid liquid concentrate from the container, and

the second connector part communicating only the gas from the container; and

an introduction element with which the liquid and the gas can be introduced into the container for dissolving the dry concentrate, the introduction element being in fluid communication with the first connector part, being configured as a hose or including a hose, and being dimensioned to project into the dry concentrate,

with the acid liquid concentrate having a pH value of less than 7.0 when dissolving the dry concentrate in 2 to 15 liters of the liquid.

2. The container in accordance with claim 1, further comprising wall regions which face toward one another in a region and between which a trough-shaped region or a recess is formed, with the dry concentrate being present in the trough-shaped region or in the recess in an operating position of the container.

3. The container in accordance with claim 1, wherein the connector is configured such that a connection of the container is only possible to the coupling elements of the dialyzer or of the preparation unit for the dialyzer,

with the first connector part and the second connector part having one or more hollow spaces, passages, or lines configured such that the liquid, the acid liquid concentrate, and the gas flow therethrough in operation.

4. The container in accordance with claim 1, wherein the container is configured as a stand-up container.

5. The container in accordance with claim 1, further comprising at least two films which form respective walls of the container, with one of the at least two films having a folded section in an empty state of the container, which forms one of the walls in a filled state of the container.

6. The container according to claim 1, wherein the acid liquid concentrate is associated with a dialysis solution for hemodialysis.

7. The container in accordance with claim 4, wherein the container has a stand-up section arranged at a top thereof upon the manufacturing of the dialysis solution in the container.

14. A method of manufacturing an acid liquid concentrate which serves the manufacture of a dialysis solution, said method comprising the following steps:

coupling the container in accordance with claim 1 to a dialyzer or to a preparation unit;

introducing the liquid and the gas into the container to dissolve the dry concentrate therein; and

leading off from the container of the acid liquid concentrate obtained by the dissolving of the dry concentrate therein.

15. The method in accordance with claim 14, further comprising a step of removing the gas from the container.

16. The method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the acid liquid concentrate located in the container is only led off from the container when the dry concentrate located therein is completely dissolved.

17. A method of manufacturing a container in accordance with claim 1, said method comprising the following steps:

providing two films, introducing a fold into one of the two films, and connecting the two films with a weld to manufacture the container,

with a folded region being a top portion of the container, and being formed by two limbs which are arranged acutely to one another but do not have a same limb length.

19. The container according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is water.

20. The container according to claim 1, wherein the gas is air.

8. A dialyzer or a preparation unit, with the preparation unit serving the manufacture of a concentrate for manufacturing a dialysis solution, the dialyzer or the preparation unit comprising:

a container coupled to the the dialyzer or the preparation unit, the container including at least one dry concentrate,

the dry concentrate being formed so that the dry concentrate forms at least one acid liquid concentrate or part of an acid liquid concentrate which is suitable for manufacturing at least one dialysis solution on dissolution of the the dry concentrate in a liquid, and

the container being configured to have at least one connection element via which the container is coupleable to the dialyzer or to the preparation unit for the acid liquid concentrate, and the dialyzer or the preparation unit having an element configured such that the liquid and at least one gas are introduced through the element into the container coupled to the dialyzer or the preparation unit.

9. The dialyzer or the preparation unit in accordance with claim 8, wherein the liquid is water and the at least one gas is air.

10. The dialyzer or the preparation unit in accordance with claim 8, wherein the dialyzer or the preparation unit includes an element configured such that the acid liquid concentrate located in the container coupled with the dialyzer or with the preparation unit can be led off or is led off through the element from the container, the element being the introduction element of the container.

11. The dialyzer or the preparation unit in accordance with claim 8, further comprising a control or regulation unit configured to control or regulate at least one or a supply of the liquid and the gas into the container, a leading off of the gas from the container, and a leading off of the acid liquid concentrate from the container.

12. A dialyzer or a preparation unit, the preparation unit serving the manufacturing of a concentrate for manufacturing a dialysis solution, the dialyzer or the preparation unit comprising:

a connection element via which (i) a compressed gas line is connectable to or connected to a liquid line, with a liquid and a gas being suppliable via the connection to a container that includes therein a dry concentrate, and (ii) an acid liquid concentrate is led off from the container.

13. The dialyzer or the preparation unit in accordance with claim 12, further comprising a control or regulation unit configured to control or regulate at least one of a supply of the liquid and the gas into the container, a removal of the gas from the container, and a removal of the acid liquid concentrate the container.

18. A dialyzer or a preparation unit, the preparation unit serving the manufacturing of a concentrate for manufacturing a dialysis solution, the dialyzer or the preparation unit comprising:

a connection element via which a compressed gas line is connectable to or connected to a liquid line, with a liquid and a gas being suppliable via the connection element to a container

the container including

a dry concentrate that forms an acid liquid concentrate or a part of an acid liquid concentrate suitable for manufacturing the dialysis solution on a dissolving of the dry concentrate in the liquid,

a connector with which the container is coupleable to the dialyzer or to the preparation unit,

the connector including a first connector part and a second connector part adapted to cooperate with corresponding coupling elements of the connection element,

the first connector part communicating the liquid and the gas to the container, and communicating the acid liquid concentrate from the container, and

the second connector part communicating the gas from the container, and

an introduction element with which the liquid and the gas can be introduced into the container for dissolving the dry concentrate, the introduction element being in fluid communication with the first connector part, being configured as a hose or including a hose, and being dimensioned to project into the dry concentrate,

with the acid liquid concentrate being removable from the container via the introduction element and the connection element, and

with the acid liquid concentrate having a pH value of less than 7.0 when dissolving the dry concentrate in 2 to 15 liters of the liquid.