Biosensor for dialysis therapy
OwnerLi Pan, Ramesh Wariar +4inventors
InventorsLi Pan, Ramesh Wariar, Leo Martis, Cliff Holmes, Robert Childers, Shahid Din
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Abstract
A biosensor capable of monitoring a number of different constituents of a dialysate solution used during dialysis therapy is provided. The biosensor of the present invention includes an integrated array of reactive elements and sensing elements that can be hydraulically coupled to the dialysate solution. In this regard, the biosensor can be utilized to provide on-line monitoring of total solutes removed from a patient during dialysis therapy, infection levels and/or other desirable parameters such that an overall assessment of dialysis therapy can be readily evaluated.
Claims34
An apparatus for providing on-line monitoring of multiple parameters associated with a dialysate solution used during dialysis therapy, the apparatus comprising:
- a housing enclosing a fluid circuit in hydraulic connection with the dialysate solution wherein the dialysate solution contains a plurality of constituents;
- a plurality of reactive elements hydraulically coupled to the fluid circuit within the housing wherein the reactive elements are capable of reacting with at least a portion of the constituents of the dialysate solution to yield a reaction product;
- and
- a plurality of sensing elements hydraulically coupled to the fluid circuit within the housing wherein the sensing elements are optically responsive to at least a portion of the constituents of the dialysate solution including the reaction product associated with the constituents such that an amount of the constituents in the dialysate solution is measurable.
A pumping cassette comprising:
- a housing enclosing a plurality of fluid lines through which a dialysate solution containing a plurality of constituents can flow during dialysis therapy;
- a pumping mechanism coupled to one or more of the fluid lines wherein the pumping mechanism is capable of causing the dialysate solution to flow;
- and
- a biosensor coupled to one or more of the fluid lines that is capable of providing on-line monitoring of a plurality of parameters associated with the dialysate solution, the biosensor includes a biosensor housing enclosing a biosensor fluid circuit in hydraulic connection with the dialysate solution, one or more reactive elements hydraulically coupled to the biosensor fluid circuit within the biosensor housing wherein the reactive elements are capable of reacting with at least a portion of the constituents of the dialysate solution to yield a reaction product, and one or more sensing elements hydraulically coupled to the biosensor fluid circuit within the biosensor housing wherein the sensing elements are optically responsive to at least a portion of the constituents of the dialysate solution including the reaction product associated with the constituents such that an amount of the constituents of the dialysate solution is measurable.
A method of providing on-line monitoring of a dialysate solution used during dialysis therapy, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a biosensor defining a fluid circuit including a plurality of reactive elements and sensing elements that can be placed in fluid communication with a fluid channel;
- supplying the dialysate solution to the fluid circuit via the fluid channel wherein the dialysate solution includes a plurality of constituents;
- reacting at least a portion of the constituents with at least a portion of the reactive elements to produce a reaction product associated with the constituents;
- optically measuring at least a portion of the constituents including the reaction product via the sensing elements;
- and
- determining a concentration of the constituents in the dialysate solution using the optical measurement.
A method for providing dialysis therapy comprising the steps of:
- using a dialysate solution to remove one or more solutes from blood of a patient;
- supplying the dialysate solution to a biosensor array including a housing that encloses a fluid circuit in fluid communication with a plurality of reactive elements and sensing elements wherein the dialysate contains a plurality of constituents including the solutes removed from the patient;
- reacting at least a portion of the constituents of the dialysate solution with the reactive elements to produce a reaction product associated with the constituents;
- optically sensing at least a portion of the constituents including the reaction product with the sensing elements;
- and
- determining an amount of the constituents in the dialysate solution using data generated from the optically sensing step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.