Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a holder for releasably coupling at least one external medical module, for example a blood filter, to a medical treatment apparatus, wherein the holder comprises at least a first reception unit and a second reception unit.
Claims
1.-19. (canceled)
20. A holder for releasably coupling at least one external medical module to a medical treatment apparatus wherein the holder comprises a first reception unit and a second reception unit.
21. The holder of claim 20, wherein the first reception unit comprises a clamp, wherein the clamp comprises a pair of clamp jaws, and wherein each of the clamp jaws are movable relative to each other.
22. The holder of claim 21, wherein the clamp further comprises a closing element.
23. The holder of claim 20, wherein the second reception unit comprises a fixing section, wherein the fixing section releasably fixes the holder on a section of the medical treatment apparatus.
24. The holder of claim 20, wherein the holder further comprises a third reception unit.
25. The holder of claim 24, wherein: two or more reception units selected from the group consisting of the first reception unit, the second reception unit and the third reception unit each comprise a clamp with clamp jaws, and at least one of the clamp jaws of each respective clamp is movable relative to the other one of the clamp jaws.
26. The holder of claim 25, wherein the two or more reception units further comprise a closing element.
27. The holder of claim 24, further comprising a rotating section arranged between two reception units of the holder selected from the group consisting of the first reception unit, the second reception unit, and the third reception unit, wherein the rotating section enables a rotation of a first selected reception unit relative to a second selected reception unit.
28. The holder of claim 24, wherein two or more reception units of the holder selected from the group consisting of the first reception unit, the second reception unit, and the third reception unit are identical.
29. The holder of claim 24, wherein: the first reception unit and the third reception unit are aligned along a shared axis; and the second reception unit is offset from the shared axis.
30. The holder of claim 29, wherein a distance between the first reception unit and the third reception unit, is at least as large as a width of the first reception unit.
31. The holder of claim 24, wherein the first reception unit, the second reception unit, and the third reception unit are attached to each other in a linear arrangement.
32. The holder of claim 20, further comprising a support structure configured to support the holder.
33. The holder of claim 32, wherein the first reception unit is arranged between the support structure and the second reception unit.
34. The holder of claim 32, wherein the support structure is arranged adjacent to and in contact with the first reception unit.
35. The holder of claim 32, wherein the support structure is arranged adjacent to and in contact with the second reception unit.
36. The holder of claim 20, wherein the external medical module is a blood filter and the medical treatment apparatus is a blood treatment apparatus.
37. A system comprising: a medical module; a first holder coupled to the medical module; and a second holder coupled to the medical module.
38. The system of claim 37, wherein the second holder is connected to the medical module and to at least one of a group consisting of a further module and an adapter for receiving a further module.
39. The system of claim 37, wherein the second holder is connected to the medical module at a position above a first reception unit of the first holder and a position below the first reception unit of the first holder.
40. The system of claim 37, further comprising a support structure, wherein the support structure is arranged to support the second holder against the first holder.
41. The system of claim 37, wherein the medical module comprises one of a group consisting of a dialysis filter and a dialyzer.
42. A system comprising: a medical treatment apparatus; a first holder coupled to the medical treatment apparatus; and a second holder.
43. The system of claim 42, wherein: the medical treatment apparatus is connected by the first holder to a first module; the first module is connected to the second holder; and the second holder is connected to one of a group consisting of a second module connected to a third holder and an adapter for receiving a second module, connected to a third holder.
44. The system of claim 42, wherein the medical treatment apparatus comprises one of a group consisting of an apparatus for therapeutic apheresis, an apparatus for liver support therapy, an apparatus for oxygenation, a hemofiltration apparatus, and a hemodialysis apparatus.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0050] The present disclosure is exemplarily described with regard to the enclosed drawings, in which identical reference numerals refer to the same or similar components. In the figures, the following is shown:
[0051] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of two holders which are directly or indirectly connected to a treatment apparatus.
[0052] FIG. 2 shows a holder from above at an angle (i.e., showing the top side).
[0053] FIG. 3 shows the arrangement from FIG. 1 with a variation.
[0054] FIG. 4 shows one of the embodiments illustrated in FIG. 3.
[0055] FIG. 4a shows an exemplary embodiment of a holder with two clamps.
[0056] FIG. 5 shows a rotating section arranged between a first reception unit and a second reception unit of the second holder of FIG. 4.
[0057] FIG. 6 shows a holder having a third reception unit.
[0058] FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of a holder having a support structure.
[0059] FIG. 8 shows an exemplary embodiment of FIG. 7 in which the support structure supports itself laterally against the holder.
[0060] FIG. 9 shows an exemplary embodiment of FIG. 7 and/or of FIG. 8 in which the support structure supports itself from the top against the first holder.
[0061] FIG. 10 shows a further embodiment of the present invention.
[0062] FIG. 11 shows a cascade arrangement of e.g. three holders which are arranged in a row.
[0063] FIG. 11a shows an exemplary embodiment of the second or third holder of FIG. 11.
[0064] FIG. 12 shows an exemplary embodiment of the holder.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0065] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of an example holder connected to a treatment apparatus 200.
[0066] The holder is shown in FIG. 1 once as a first holder 101 and once as a second holder 102. The first holder 101 comprises a first reception unit 101a and a second reception unit 101b. The second holder 102 comprises a first reception unit 102a and a second reception unit 102b.
[0067] The treatment apparatus 200 comprises a bar section 201 with which the first holder 101 is releasably connected via its second reception unit 101b. The first holder 101 is releasably connected via its first reception unit 101a to a first module 301, which may be, for example a dialyzer or blood filter.
[0068] The first module 301 is in turn releasably connected to the second holder 102 through the first reception unit 102a of the second holder 102. The first module 301 is thus used as an end point for the first holder 101 and is fixed by the first holder 101 to the treatment apparatus 200. At the same time, the first module 301 serves as support or starting point for the second holder 102, which in this way is not directly, but rather indirectly releasably connected to the treatment apparatus 200 via the first module 301.
[0069] The second holder 102 comprises a second reception unit 102b in addition to its first reception unit 102a with which it is fixed to the first module 301. The second reception unit 102b of the second holder 102 in the example of FIG. 1 serves as the reception of a gas exchanger as an example of a second module 302. The second module 302 could, however, be any other object and is not restricted to a gas exchanger. The second module 302 may, as in FIG. 1, optionally have the form of a cartridge.
[0070] The reference numeral 302 may instead of denoting the second module alternatively denote, for example, an adapter onto which a second module 302 may be mounted. For better clarity, an adapter 302′ is shown in addition to the schematically shown second module 302. The adapter may be used as a second module 302 and may itself serve the to receive further components, for example, as a gas exchanger, which may be inserted into said adapter 302.
[0071] The first reception units 101a and 102a and/or the second reception units 101b and 102b may optionally be identical. In this, the first holder 101 and the second holder 102 may be identical as a whole.
[0072] The section 302b of the second module 302, which is inserted into the second reception unit 102b, may advantageously have the same or similar diameter as the bar section 201. In such an instance, the first holder 101 and the second holder 102 may identical to each other anyway.
[0073] FIG. 2 shows a first holder 101.
[0074] The first reception unit 101a is a clamp with clamp jaws 101a1 and 101a2. A closing element in the form of a spring, a screw connection, a latching mechanism, or the like is provided, but not shown in FIG. 2.
[0075] The second reception unit 101b is optionally designed to receive the bar section 201 (as shown in FIG. 1). In some implementations, the second reception unit 101b is provided as a clamp. Likewise, the first reception unit 101a could be like the second reception unit 101b, and is not necessarily designed as a clamp.
[0076] FIG. 3 shows the arrangement according to the embodiment depicted of FIG. 1 with a variation. That is, the second reception unit 102b of the holder 102 is an adapter which serves as the reception of a further component, such as a second module 302, a filter, a gas exchanger, an absorber, and the like. For this purpose, the second reception unit 102b of the second holder 102 may be designed like the first reception unit 102a, with which the second holder 102 is connected to the module 301.
[0077] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment mentioned in FIG. 3. FIG. 4a shows a possible embodiment of the second holder 102. The second holder 102 shown in FIG. 4a comprises two clamps, as a first reception unit 102a and second reception unit 102b, which may optionally be identical.
[0078] FIG. 5 shows, based on the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4—without being restricted thereto—that a rotating section 102d can be provided between the first reception unit 102a and the second reception unit 102b of the second holder 102. The first reception unit 102a and the second reception unit 102b of the second holder 102 may be rotated relative to each other about rotating section 102d. Rotating section 102D may advantageously increase or extend the field of application of the second holder 102. The axis of rotation enabled by the rotating section 102d may, in an exemplary embodiment, extend through or parallel to the longitudinal direction of the second holder 102.
[0079] FIG. 6 shows, based on the illustration of FIG. 5 without being restricted thereto, that the second holder 102 may comprise a third reception unit 102c in addition to the first reception unit 102a and the second reception unit 102b. The first reception unit 102a and the third reception unit 102c shown in FIG. 6 are exemplarily identical. Both the first reception unit 102a and the third reception unit 102c are releasably connected to or receive the first module 301. At least in part due to the distance between them, together the first reception unit 102a and the third reception unit 102c increase the stability of the connection of the second holder 102 with the second module 302, connected thereto by the second reception unit 102b. The distance between the first reception unit 102a and the third reception unit 102c, which is designated by double arrows in FIG. 6, is optionally at least as large as the width of first reception unit 101a of the first holder 101 (as shown in FIG. 1).
[0080] An increased stability of the connection between the second holder 102 and the second module 302 may also be achieved by the second holder 102 shown in FIG. 7. The second holder 102 in FIG. 7 comprises a support structure 102e in addition to the third reception unit 102c shown in FIG. 6. The support structure 102e is arranged in the example of FIG. 7 below the first holder 101 and may support itself against the first holder 101 from below the first holder 101. Whenever a support structure is mentioned herein, this may refer to a section specifically intended or configured for supporting. A support structure may optionally be a protrusion. A support structure may optionally be arranged so that it ends in an area of a plane extending through an upper surface of the second holder 102 or through of one of the receptions of the second holder 102, as shown in FIG. 7.
[0081] FIG. 8 shows an additional or alternative embodiment to that of FIG. 7, in which the support structure 102e laterally supports itself against a portion of the first holder 101, for example the first reception unit 101a. The support structure 102e could alternatively support itself against the first module 301 or against another structure. The support structure 102e may be position at an angle relative to the second holder 102, to the first reception unit 102a or to the second reception unit 102b of the second holder 102 For example, in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 8, the support structure 102e is at a right angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the second holder 102.
[0082] FIG. 9 shows an additional or alternative embodiment to the embodiments shown in FIG. 7 and/or FIG. 8. In FIG. 9, the support structure 102e supports itself from the top against the first holder 101, e.g. against the first reception unit 101a, the second reception unit 101b or a connecting section between the first reception unit 101a and the second reception unit 101b.
[0083] FIG. 10 shows a further embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 10, the first module 301 is connected to a first holder 101 and to a second holder 102. The second holder 102 of FIG. 10 comprises a first reception unit 102a, which is releasably connected to the first module 301, a second reception unit 102b, and a third reception unit 102c. Unlike in the embodiment of FIG. 6 in which the first reception unit 102a and the third reception unit 102c each receive the same first module 301 and therefore may be of identical design, the third reception unit 102c of FIG. 10 may not be of identical design as the first reception unit 102a, and may optionally be partially or exactly like the second reception unit 102b of FIG. 6 or FIG. 7. For example, the third reception unit 102c of FIG. 10 is provided and configured to receive a further module 303.
[0084] Alternatively, the first reception unit 102a may be embodied like the third reception unit 102c.
[0085] FIG. 11 shows a cascade arrangement of three example holders 101, 102 and 103, which are arranged in a row. Herein, in a row means that the first holder 101 holds the first module 301, the first module 301, e.g. a blood filter, holds the second holder 102, the second holder 102 holds a second module 302, e.g. a gas adsorber, the second module 302 also attaches to the third holder 103, which comprises a first reception unit 103a and a second reception unit 103b, and the third holder 103 finally holds a further module 303.
[0086] FIG. 11a shows an exemplary embodiment of the second holder 102 of FIG. 11. The second holder 102 may be similar or identical to the third holder 103 of FIG. 11. The second holder 102 of FIG. 11a comprises a first reception unit 102a, and a second reception unit 102b similar or identical to the first reception unit 102a. The first reception unit 102a and the second reception unit 102b are connected to each other by the connecting section 102f disposed between the first reception unit 102a and the second reception unit 102b. Both the first reception unit 102a and the second reception unit 102b are embodied in FIG. 11a as clamp sections. To this end, the first reception unit 102a of FIG. 11a includes a first clamp jaw 102a1 and a second clamp jaw 102a2. A closing element is not required in the embodiment in FIG. 11a since the clamping jaws 102a1, 102a2 are both elastic. The first clamp jaw 102a1 and second clamp jaw 102a2 in FIG. 11a move away from each other whenever the first reception unit 102a is, for example, moved onto a blood filter, and move towards each other, at least with their respective free ends 102a1-1 and 102a1-2, when the blood filter has been advanced past the free ends with its widest diameter. The first reception unit 102a of FIG. 11a includes two elastic sections together with the first clamp jaw 102a1 and the second clamp jaw 102a2. However, it may suffice in some cases to make only one of the two clamping jaws mentioned above elastic.
[0087] As shown in FIG. 11a, one or both of the free ends 102a1-1, 102a1-2 of the first and second clamp jaw 102a1, 102a2, respectively, may optionally extend away from the remaining part of the respective first or second clamp jaw 102a1, 102a2. The free ends 102a1-1, 102a1-2 may optionally be designed to define a curvature opposite the curvature of the main section of the respective clamp jaw 102a1, 102a2. The main section of the clamp jaws 102a1, 102a2 may facilitate the insertion of, for example, a blood filter into the first reception unit 102a. In addition, free ends 102a1-1, 102a1-2 may serve as a handle for actuation by the user.
[0088] As stated above, the second reception unit 102b may be designed like the first reception unit 102a.
[0089] The second holder 102 may consist of the first reception unit 102a, the second reception unit 102b and the connecting section 102f The connecting section 102f of FIG. 11a may be—like connecting sections of other embodiments—two-piece or multiple-piece, and may comprise a corresponding device by means of which the pieces of the connecting section 102f are releasably connected. The pieces of the connecting section 102f are preferably releasable by hand and/or without tools. Such a device by means of which the pieces of the connecting section 102f are releasably connected may be a latching closure, a snap-in closure, a clamping closure, a click closure, or the like.
[0090] FIG. 12 shows a further embodiment of the holder disclosed herein. For example, the second holder 102 of FIG. 12 comprises three clamps, as a first reception unit 102a, second reception unit 102b and third reception unit 102c. The three clamps may optionally be identical.
[0091] As show in FIG. 12, the three reception units 102a, 102b, 102c may be connected to each other by a connecting section 102f The connecting section 102f may itself be equipped with a function. For example, the connecting section 102f may be a reception unit configured to receive an adapter.
[0092] Instead of comprising three clamps, the holder of FIG. 12 may also comprise more clamps. Instead of comprising only clamps, one or more of the reception units of FIG. 12 may designed differently. For example, one or more of the reception units of FIG. 12 may be designed like the second reception unit 101b of FIG. 2. The holder of FIG. 12 may be used in the arrangement of FIG. 10.
[0093] The connecting section 102f depicted in FIG. 12 may, like that of FIG. 11a, comprise a device which releasably holds together connecting sections or individual receptions (such as reception units 101a, 102a), etc.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0094] 101 first holder [0095] 101a first reception unit [0096] 101a1 clamp jaw, first clamp jaw [0097] 101a2 clamp jaw, second clamp jaw [0098] 101b second reception unit [0099] 102 second holder [0100] 102a first reception unit [0101] 102a1 clamp jaw, first clamp jaw [0102] 102a2 clamp jaw, second clamp jaw [0103] 102a1-1 free end [0104] 102a1-2 free end [0105] 102b second reception unit [0106] 102c third reception unit [0107] 102d rotating section [0108] 102e support structure [0109] 102f connecting section [0110] 103 third holder [0111] 103a first reception unit [0112] 103b second reception unit [0113] 200 treatment apparatus [0114] 201 bar or bar section [0115] 301 first module [0116] 302 second module, or adapter for a second module [0117] 302b section of the second module or adapter [0118] 302′ adapter [0119] 303 further module, or adapter for a further module
