Implantable human kidney replacement unit

• US 20060036332A1
• Filed: 08/12/2004
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roland G. Ludlow
• Original Assignee: Charles Edward Jennings
• Inventors: Jennings, Charles Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,083,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/23.650
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1678 intracorporal peritoneal dialysis A61M1/28
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1682 both machine and membrane module, i.e. also the module blood side
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/169 using chemical substances

Abstract

An implantable human kidney replacement unit. Fully functional self contained, providing patients with end stage renal disease the freedom of traveling and moving about normally. Replacing donor kidneys. Implanted in the flank with at least one inlet and outlet tube each, sutured to the iliac artery and vain, at least one urine tube to the ureter. The housing constructed of anti-coagulant bacteriostatic materials has a plurality of reverse-osmosis process chambers with semipemeable membranes through the unit, followed by osmosis-diffusion chambers and membranes. Blood from the artery enters the first of the chambers. Small molecules such as water, magnesium, sodium, potassium, calcium, urea etc. are extracted from the blood according to their weight in atomic mass units as blood wipes past the self-cleaning membrane cartridges in the chambers. Molecules are further separated and urea sent to the bladder with excess water and electrolytes. The remainder is channeled to at least one diffusion chamber and reabsorbed into the blood. The same process is repeated in the other chambers where selected larger molecules such as creatinine and phosphorus are excreted, and some diffused back into the blood.

Claims

1. An implantable human kidney replacement unit for patients with end stage renal disease comprising in combination:

a housing made of anti-coagulant bacteriostatic materials, formed integral with a main support frame, at least one arterial inlet tube for suturing to the patients iliac or other major artery on one end and sealingly connecting to said porting in said housing on opposite end. At least one venous discharge tube connected to the blood discharge port of said housing on first end and sutured to the patients iliac or other major vein on opposite end. At least one urine discharge tube connected to porting of said urine waste discharge passage in said housing on first end and sutured to the patients ureter at opposite end of said urine discharge tube.

2. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising a manifold formed integral with said main support frame, said manifold having a plurality through-hole socket chambers aligned side by side, separated by dividers, having slits penetrating the divider through full height of said divider, located half way through said socket chamber, providing a means for arterial blood to enter and exit said chambers

3. The invention according to claim 2 further comprising said manifold arranged with the membrane cartridge set placement to perform reverse osmosis and diffusion with arterial blood, and with said membrane arrangements separate the molecules to be excreted as waste and some reabsorbed into the blood.

4. The invention according to claim 2 where said narrow tall slit comprises a flow control regulator to regulate blood pressure in the chambers relative to plasma filtrate pressure outside the cartridge membranes in said chambers.

5. The invention according to claim 2 in which said flow control slit is beveled to direct blood smoothly through cartridge chamber dividers of claim 2.

6. The invention according to claim 3 where said slit controls flow and pressure said slit in addition, comprises a means to regulate the arterial blood pattern through said manifold chambers, between pairs of membrane cartridges

7. The invention according to claim 2 comprising a shoulder on both sides of said socket-chamber profiled identical to the chamber opening but larger, providing a means for placing and sealing membrane cartridge assemblies in close proximity to the full height of said slit penetrating the chamber dividers, causing a self cleaning action as arterial blood entering said divider, brushes past the full face of the inner cartridge membrane, knocking loose large molecules that tend to clog said membrane pores.

8. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising socket chambers of said support frame manifold, having pairs of through-holes in convexed upper end of said chamber, providing a means for pressure relief valves sealed in said socket chambers to vent waste products from inside the membrane cartridges up and above said chamber.

9. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising vertical waste drain ports in upper end of said membrane cartridge chambers, where radiuses come together over said chamber dividers, forming an inward facing creased, which combined with said vertical port, forms drain ports for plasma waste products expelled from membrane pressure relief valves in membrane cartridges providing means to move waste products from the membrane cartridges to the urine collection area below membrane chamber profiles in said housing support frame,

10. The invention according to claim 1 comprising a plurality of dual membrane cartridges having dual simipermeable reverse osmosis membranes, said cartridge sized to fit and seal in said manifold chambers, with one dual membrane cartridge placed and sealed against said shoulders of claim 3, on each side of said narrow blood distribution slit through each chamber divider.

11. The invention according to claim 6 in which said membrane cartridge divider frame assembly comprises sides and ends to form a cavity between said membranes.

12. The invention according to claim 7 in which said membrane cartridge divider frame means, comprises at least one exit port having at least one pressure relief valve fixed to open and exhaust from inside said cavity at a predetermined pressure value. The cartridge means having membranes on opposite sides of divider frame from each other with different AMU values than the one on the opposite side, allowing large molecules to enter the center cavity with smaller molecules on one side yet cannot continue through the membrane on the other side. The larger membranes exit the pressure relief valve, comprising a means to divide molecules by AMU weight.

13. The invention according to claim 1 comprising a plurality of osmosis diffusion membranes scientifically placed and sealed in said housing interfacing porting, slots, and chambers for the selection of molecules from said stored filtrate, diffusing said molecules into said blood plasma, returning to the patients blood stream.

14. The invention according to claim 12 comprising cover means to seal in said plasma filtrate outside the reverse osmosis membranes and spill over from membrane cartridge spillover waste, allowing it to be either channeled to be reabsorbed into the bloodstream through the osmosis diffusion membrane, or be excreted in the urine.

15. A extracorporeal or implantable human kidney replacement unit for patients with end stage renal disease, comprising in combination:

16. A housing having a main support frame means for sealingly supporting a plurality of semi permeable reverse osmosis membranes cartridges and osmosis diffusion membrane cartridges, said housing having porting, slits and chambers for channeling fluid to, through and from said membrane cartridges Said porting, slits and chambers being free of sharp corners and edges, to prevent fluid turbulence are arranged to force selected molecules from the blood as the blood passes by, not through the membranes in a self cleaning arrangement.