DEVICE FOR CONNECTION STATUS IDENTIFICATION

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for identifying the connection status between a patient catheter and a cassette system having flexible tubing assembly, which is intended to be used in a dialysis machine, wherein the device comprises the cassette system having flexible tubing assembly and an electrical circuit, which is disposed on the cassette system having flexible tubing assembly as well as on the patient catheter, and wherein the device furthermore comprises a measuring device for measuring at least one electrical property of the electrical circuit, which depends on said connection status.

Claims

1. A device for identifying the connection status between a patient catheter and a cassette system having flexible tubing assembly, which is designed to be used in a dialysis machine, characterized in that the device comprises the cassette system having flexible tubing assembly and an electrical circuit, which is disposed on the cassette system having flexible tubing assembly as well as on the patient catheter, and in that the device furthermore comprises a measuring device for measuring at least one electrical property of the electrical circuit, which depends on said connection status.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the electrical property is the electrical resistivity.

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the circuit comprises a diode resistivity network, which is disposed on the patient catheter.

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cassette system having flexible tubing assembly comprises a patient connector, which is provided with a diode resistivity network and a switch that is disposed parallel.

5. The device according to claims 3, characterized in that the diode of the diode resistive network of the patient catheter is disposed antiparallel to the diode of the diode resistive network of the patient connector.

6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cassette system having flexible tubing assembly comprises a patient line, which is provided with a contact line.

7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cassette system having flexible tubing assembly comprises a cassette portion, which is provided with contact points on the surface of the cassette portion.

8. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that the measuring device is designed to measure the resistivity of the diode resistive network of the patient catheter and to derive disconnection of the patient if said resistivity is infinite.

9. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that the measuring device is designed to measure the resistivity of the diode resistive network of the patient connector and to derive a locked patient connector if a short circuit is measured.

10. The device according to claim 4 characterized in that the measuring device is designed to measure lack of resistivity of the diode resistivity network of a patient connectors and to derive removal of the patient connector.

11. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the measuring device is designed to derive the type of the cassette system having flexible tubing assembly by the detection of an electrical property of the cassette system having flexible tubing assembly.

12. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the measuring device is designed to perform measurement in an automated manner.

13. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that a display device is provided, to which the measuring device is connected and which is designed to output the result of the measurement or any information based thereon, determined by the measuring device.

14. A dialysis machine, especially a peritoneal dialysis machine, characterized in that the dialysis machine is provided with a device according to claim 1.

Description

[0027] Further details and advantages of the invention will be explained in greater detail by way of a working example represented in the drawing, wherein the only FIGURE shows a view of a disposable product as well as a portion of the patient catheter in the upper panel of the FIGURE and below the electrical circuit, with which the disposable part as well as the patient catheter is provided.

[0028] The disposable product including patient catheter is divided into six portions as follows: [0029] reference number 1: patient catheter, [0030] reference number 2: patient catheter extension, [0031] reference number 3: first patient connector, [0032] reference number 4: second patient connector, [0033] reference number 5: patient line, [0034] reference number 6: set or cassette in machine, respectively

[0035] As it may further be seen from the FIGURE, the catheter 1, i.e. the patient catheter, which, with one portion, is implanted into the patient, is provided with a series circuit of the resistivity R1 and the diode D1, which extend between two parallel arranged contact lines K1 and K2. Said contact lines connect to the cassette 6 at the connecting points A1 and A2. The connecting points A1 and A2 conductively connect to the associated contacts of the machine 100, so that the lines K1 and K2 may be supplied with current or voltage, respectively, via the machine 100.

[0036] The disposable product, i.e. the disposable article includes the portions 3 to 6. The catheter extension 2 extends between the patient catheter and is provided with a passage of the contact lines K1 and K2.

[0037] The patient connectors 3 and 4 are each provided with a diode resistivity network and a switch S1 and S2, as it may be seen from the FIGURE. The respective resistivities R2 and R3 are connected in series with the respective diodes D2 and D3 and extend between the contact lines K1 and K2, wherein the diodes D2 and D3 are interconnected antiparallel to the diode D1. The patient connector 3 is in contact with the patient catheter 1 or the extension 2 thereof, so that dialysis solution may flow from the disposable product to the patient catheter or vice versa from the patient catheter to the disposable product.

[0038] The patient line 5 is provided with a passage of the contact lines K1 and K2.

[0039] As set forth above, the cassette 6 comprises connecting points A1 and A2 for the contact lines K1 and K2.

[0040] Through this arrangement, the following states are detectable by a measuring device not shown in detail.

[0041] I. When Starting the Machine [0042] a) measure resistivity R1; patient is still connected to the machine, [0043] b) measure resistivity R2 II R3; both patient connectors are unlocked, [0044] c) measure resistivity R3; patient connector 4 is unlocked, [0045] d) short circuit measurement; connector is locked.

[0046] II. When Preparing the Machine [0047] b) measure resistivity R2 II R3; both patient connectors are unlocked, [0048] c) measure resistivity R3; patient connector 4 is unlocked.

[0049] From this information, the filling amount in the patient line 5 may be detected. This may be achieved by a capacitive measurement.

[0050] For example, it is conceivable that air is used as a reference, and based thereon, it may be detected by capacitive measurement, how large the filling amount of dialysis solution in the patient line is.

[0051] Due to the fact that each solution comprises a specified dielectric constant, it may furthermore be determined by the measurement of the dielectric constant if the right, i.e. the prescribed peritoneal dialysis solution, is supplied to the patient. As a result, it may be determined whether the patient is treated with the correct solution, and this eventually may be indicated to the user or the patient, respectively. Similarly, a warning message may be output and/or the treatment may be stopped or will not be started, if the non-prescribed solution is present in the patient line.

[0052] III. During Treatment [0053] a) measure resistivity R1; patient is still connected to the machine, [0054] b) resistivity R1 showing infinitely high resistivity, patient is not connected to the machine any more.

[0055] IV. Detection of Removal of the Second Patient Connector 4 [0056] a) measure resistivity R3; R2 was removed.

[0057] V. Disconnection

[0058] Step 1: [0059] a) measure short circuit; a patient connector is locked, [0060] b) measure resistivity R1; patient is still connected to the machine.

[0061] Step2: [0062] a) measure short circuit; a patient connector is locked, [0063] b) resistivity R1 showing infinitely high resistivity; patient is not connected to the machine any more.

[0064] The measuring device is designed to fully-automatedly perform the above-mentioned measurements and to output the result of the measurements to a display device. On said display device, the result of the measurement or any information based thereon will subsequently be displayed to the user in an optically and/or acoustically perceptible manner.