Water purification apparatus and methods for cleaning the water purification apparatus
AssigneesBaxter International Inc., Baxter Healthcare S.A.
InventorsPeter Sendelius, Henrik Lindgren, Olof Jansson, Carl-Henry Örndal, Per-Ola Wictor, Robert Hallström
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A water purification apparatus (300) capable of being cleaned at a point of care, and methods for cleaning the water purification apparatus (300) at the point of care. The water purification apparatus (300) and the methods provide an efficient use of a heater (302) for heat disinfection the water purification apparatus (300), e.g. by recirculating heated fluid to further heat the fluid. Several different cleaning programs are provided that may be utilized for cleaning different parts of the water purification apparatus (300).
Claims30
A water purification apparatus for producing purified water, the water purification apparatus comprising:
- a reverse osmosis device arranged to produce a purified fluid flow and a reject fluid flow, the reverse osmosis device comprising a feed inlet, a permeate outlet, and a reject outlet,
- a feed fluid path arranged with a reverse osmosis pump to pump feed fluid to the feed inlet,
- a heater arranged to heat the purified fluid produced by the reverse osmosis device downstream from the reverse osmosis device,
- a first fluid path arranged to circulate heated purified fluid from a point downstream from the heater to a tank arranged in the feed fluid path inside the water purification apparatus,
- a second fluid path arranged to transport the heated purified fluid inside the water purification apparatus;
- a valve arrangement arranged to direct the heated purified fluid into the first fluid path or the second fluid path, and
- a control unit configured to control cleaning of the water purification apparatus, the control unit being configured to cause the water purification apparatus to:
- control heating, with the heater, of the purified fluid from the reverse osmosis device,
- control the valve arrangement to re-circulate the heated purified fluid in the first fluid path until a first temperature dependent criterion is fulfilled,
- control the valve arrangement to re-direct the heated purified fluid to flow in the second fluid path of the water purification apparatus in response to the first temperature dependent criterion being fulfilled, and
- control heating, with the heater, of the re-directed heated purified fluid in order to fulfill a second temperature dependent disinfection criterion for the second fluid path.
A method for cleaning a water purification apparatus configured to produce purified water, the water purification apparatus including a reverse osmosis device configured to produce a purified fluid flow and a reject fluid flow, the method comprising:
- controlling heating of purified fluid in the purified fluid flow downstream from the reverse osmosis device,
- re-circulating the heated purified fluid in a first fluid path from a point downstream from a heater to a tank arranged in a feed fluid path upstream from the reverse osmosis device until a first temperature dependent criterion is fulfilled,
- re-directing the heated purified fluid to flow in a second fluid path of the water purification apparatus in response to the first temperature dependent criterion being fulfilled, and
- controlling heating of the re-directed heated purified fluid such that a second temperature dependent disinfection criterion for the second fluid path is fulfilled.
A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
- control heating of purified fluid in a purified fluid flow downstream from a reverse osmosis device in a water purification apparatus,
- re-circulate in the water purification apparatus the heated purified fluid in a first fluid path from a point downstream from a heater to a tank arranged in a feed fluid path upstream from the reverse osmosis device until a first temperature dependent criterion is fulfilled,
- re-direct the heated purified fluid to flow in a second fluid path of the water purification apparatus in response to the first temperature dependent criterion being fulfilled, and
- control heating of the re-directed heated purified fluid such that a second temperature dependent disinfection criterion for the second fluid path is fulfilled.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.