Dialysis monitors and methods of operation
AssigneeGambro Lundia AB
InventorsThomas HERTZ, Sture HOBRO, Lennart JONSSON
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Dialysis monitors capable of storing and using thermal energy and methods related thereto are disclosed. Dialysis monitors capable of storing and using disinfection and/or cleaning fluids which was used at an earlier disinfection and/or cleaning event and methods related thereto are also disclosed. Thermally stored energy may, for example, be used for quick thermal disinfection of the fluid path, quick start-up of the preparation of treatment fluid, and as back-up power for continuous preparation of treatment fluid should externally provided power be interrupted.
Claims25
A dialysis monitor comprising:
- a treatment fluid path configured to provide treatment fluid at a first temperature to a dialyzer while dialysis treatment is being performed;
- a tank connected to the treatment fluid path;
- and path, the tank configured to hold a fluid having a temperature higher than said first temperature;
- and
- a controller programmed to arrange that said tank holds said fluid having said higher temperature at least for a period of time when said treatment fluid path is supplying treatment fluid at said first temperature during the dialysis treatment.
A method of thermally disinfecting at least a portion of a treatment fluid path of a dialysis monitor at a time when dialysis treatment is not being performed, said dialysis monitor configured to use treatment fluid at a first temperature while dialysis treatment is being performed, said method comprising:
- discharging a preheated fluid from a tank of said dialysis monitor so as to thermally disinfect said at least portion of the treatment fluid path, said discharged fluid having a temperature which is higher than said first temperature,
- wherein said discharged fluid is held at a temperature higher than the first temperature at least for a period of time while dialysis treatment is performed.
A method of heating treatment fluid of a dialysis monitor, said dialysis monitor configured to use treatment fluid at a first temperature while dialysis treatment is performed, said dialysis monitor comprising a tank, said method comprising:
- conveying a preheated fluid from said tank of said dialysis monitor so as to heat the treatment fluid, said preheated fluid having a temperature which is higher than said first temperature,
- wherein said conveyed fluid is held at a temperature higher than the first temperature at least for a period of time while dialysis treatment is performed.
A dialysis monitor comprising:
- a treatment fluid path configured to provide treatment fluid to a dialyzer while dialysis treatment is being performed;
- a tank connected to the treatment fluid path;
- and
- a controller configured to (i) perform disinfection and/or cleaning of at least a portion of said treatment fluid path by means of a disinfection and/or cleaning fluid at a first disinfection and/or cleaning event, (ii) store at least a portion of said disinfection and/or cleaning fluid in said tank at the end of or after said first disinfection and/or cleaning event, and (iii) discharge at least a portion of said stored disinfection and/or cleaning fluid into at least a portion of said treatment fluid path at a subsequent disinfection and/or cleaning event.
A method of disinfecting and/or cleaning at least a portion of a treatment fluid path of a dialysis monitor at first and subsequent events when dialysis treatment is not being performed, said method comprising:
- disinfecting and/or cleaning at least a portion of said treatment fluid path at a first disinfection and/or cleaning event by means of a disinfection and/or cleaning fluid;
- storing at least a portion of said disinfection and/or cleaning fluid in a tank at the end of or after said first disinfection and/or cleaning event;
- and
- discharging at least a portion of said stored disinfection and/or cleaning fluid into at least a portion of said treatment fluid path at a subsequent disinfection and/or cleaning event.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.