VEHICLE FOR PROVIDING A DIALYSIS SOLUTION

Abstract

The present invention relates to a power-driven land, water or air vehicle for providing dialysis solution receptacles, in particular bags, filled with dialysis solution, with the vehicle having a tank for receiving dialysis solution or for receiving a component of a dialysis solution, a storage region for the dialysis solution receptacles to be filled, and a filling station that is in fluid communication with the tank and that is configured to fill the dialysis solution receptacles with dialysis solution or with a component of the dialysis solution.

Claims

1. A power-driven land, water or air vehicle for providing dialysis solution receptacles, in particular bags, filled with dialysis solution, with the vehicle having a tank for receiving dialysis solution or for receiving a component of a dialysis solution, a storage region for the dialysis solution receptacles to be filled, and a filling station that is in fluid communication with the tank and that is configured to fill the dialysis solution receptacles with dialysis solution or with a component of the dialysis solution.

2. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle has a closure apparatus for the fluid-tight closing or sealing of the filled dialysis solution receptacles.

3. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle has means for storing dialysis concentrate, with provision preferably being made that the filling station is in fluid communication with the tank and with said means.

4. A vehicle in accordance with claim 3, characterized in that the means are arranged relative to the tank such that the dialysis concentrate dispensed from the means can be filled into the tank.

5. A vehicle in accordance with claim 3, characterized in that adjustment means are present by means of which the dialysis concentrate can be metered in individual to a patient.

6. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle has a sterilization device for sterilizing water, with the sterilization device preferably being an RO system.

7. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle has a filling port by means of which the tank can be filled from the outside.

8. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the tank is filled with sterile water; and/or in that the vehicle has a filling port and a sterilization device, with the tank being connected downstream of the filling port and the sterilization system.

9. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle has means for storing dialysis concentrate, with the means being formed by the dialysis solution receptacles, by the tank, or by separate concentrate receptacles.

10. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle has an output device for outputting the dialysis solution receptacles filled with the dialysis solution that is preferably arranged at the outside of the vehicle.

11. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1 characterized in that the vehicle has a power supply that serves the operation of one of the components that are required for providing the dialysis solution receptacles filled with the dialysis solution.

12. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1 characterized in that the vehicle has a control that is to be actuated by an operator; or in that the vehicle is an autonomously driving vehicle.

13. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle has one or more treatment stations for carrying out a dialysis treatment.

14. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle has a memory that contains destination addresses of patients or of collection points that are to be driven to by the vehicle.

15. A vehicle in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that the vehicle has a further tank for receiving non-sterile water or is filled therewith, with the further tank having a port for filling the tank and having a fluid communication with the sterilization device.

16. A vehicle in accordance with claim 15, characterized in that the port for filling the tank or the further tank includes a filter element.

17. A vehicle in accordance with claim 15, characterized in that the vehicle has a third tank that is in fluid communication with the further tank and serves as a mixing container for mixing the sterile water with one or more concentrates.

18. A method of providing dialysis solution receptacles filled with dialysis solution using a vehicle in accordance with claim 1.

Description

[0050] Further details and advantages of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing.

[0051] There are shown:

[0052] FIG. 1: a schematic sectional unit through a vehicle in accordance with the invention with a sterilization apparatus;

[0053] FIG. 2: a schematic sectional unit through a vehicle in accordance with the invention without a sterilization apparatus;

[0054] FIG. 3: a perspective view of a strip of bags separable from one another for receiving the dialysis solution; and

[0055] FIG. 4: a side view and a front view of two stacked bags of the strip in accordance with FIG. 3.

[0056] FIG. 1 shows a small truck 2 as a vehicle in accordance with the invention in a schematic longitudinal sectional view.

[0057] A storage location or a store for the bags or other dialysis solution receptacles is shown by reference numeral 1.

[0058] The tank 3 contains sterile water. Water such as mains water is filled into the vehicle via the filling port 4 and moves from there by means of the pump 5 into a membrane system 6 and into a filter system 7. These systems are components of a reverse osmosis (RO) system by means of which sterile water that is stored in the tank 3 is prepared from the non-sterile mains water.

[0059] Reference numeral 10 marks a concentrate container that contains dialysis concentrate in a solid or liquid form.

[0060] At least two such concentrate containers are preferably provided to be able to prepare different dialysis solutions or dialysis solutions individual to a patient.

[0061] Depending on the desired composition or concentration of the dialysis solution, dialysis concentrate is filled from the concentrate container or containers 10 into the tank 3 and is mixed with or dissolved in the sterile water therein.

[0062] Once a complete mixing/dissolving of the concentrate with/in the water has taken place, the filling of the bags can begin. For this purpose, the bags are moved out of the store to the filling station 11 and are there mixed with the solution located in the tank and are subsequently sealed in a fluid-tight manner.

[0063] The filled dialysis solution receptacles move from the filling station 11 to the output device 12 that is located at the rear part of the vehicle in the embodiment and at which they can be accepted by the user.

[0064] The dashed line 13 marks the sterile region of the vehicle. Since the bags and the dialysis solution are located in the sterile region, a sterilization of the bags after their filling is no longer necessary. The output device 12 represents the interface between the sterile region and the environmental atmosphere.

[0065] One or more of the aforesaid parts can be replaceable. This in particular applies to the filter 7, to the membrane 6, and to the concentrate reservoir 10.

[0066] To ensure a power supply for the components required within the framework of the preparation of the dialysis solution, the vehicle can be equipped with solar panels and/or a battery and/or a rechargeable battery 8 and/or with a generator 9. These elements enable the power supply even if the engine of the vehicle 2 is switched off.

[0067] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment in which the vehicle does not have a sterilization apparatus for water.

[0068] The vehicle 1 has a tank 2 that is filled with sterile water or with the dialysis solution that contains all or at least some of the ingredients that are required for the ready-to-use dialysis solution.

[0069] The filling of the tank 2 takes place by means of a filling port 3.

[0070] The bags 4 to be filled are located in a store 6 in the vehicle and are filled with the dialysis solution from the tank 2 through the port or through the filling station 5. An output device 7 at which the bags filled with dialysis solution are provided is located at the rear end of the vehicle. This output device represents the transition between the sterile region (reference symbol 8) and the outer environment.

[0071] An individualization of the dialysis solution can be achieved in that the individual bags or other dialysis solution receptacles are prefilled with a liquid or solid dialysis concentrate or the concentrate individual to a patient is filled or conducted into the tank and/or to the filling station. This applies both to the embodiment in accordance with FIG. 1 and to that in accordance with FIG. 2.

[0072] It applies in general that either the tank can be filled or is filled with sterile water or that a sterilization device is present in the vehicle that carries out the sterilization of the filled-in (non-sterile) water.

[0073] The dialysis concentrate or one or more components of the ready-to-use dialysis solution can generally be present as solid or liquid.

[0074] The concentrate or the component or components of the dialysis solution can be located in the respective bag or dialysis solution receptacle and/or in the tank. They can then be added during the filling of the dialysis solution receptacles and/or on the inflow of the solution into the patient and can, for example, be present in cartridges, vials, ampoules, effervescent tablets, etc.

[0075] In the case that reusable elements are present, the vehicle can have a sterilization device for these elements such as for the tube or a tubing set, bags, etc.

[0076] In the event that the vehicle has a sterilization apparatus for the filled-in water, this is independent of specific filling stations for sterile water. There is thus only a need to top up the bags or other dialysis solution receptacles.

[0077] It is conceivable that the vehicle has connectors that are directly connectable to the patient catheter. The first inflow volume can thereby be administered, for example, without a bag being necessary for this purpose. The further treatment then takes place using bags that are manufactured in the vehicle and that the user can take home.

[0078] If distillation is used as the sterilization method, a power consumption can be approximately assumed of 750 W per liter, with approximately 4 liters an hour being prepared.

[0079] The reverse osmosis has a power consumption of approximately 50 W per liter, with a rate of 20 liters an hour being able to be assumed.

[0080] The vehicle can drive by operator control or autonomously. It is conceivable that a driver having medical knowledge is used to be able to provide aid on the use of the dialysis solutions. The vehicle can likewise be a ship or a bus in which a waiting room and/or a treatment room is provided.

[0081] FIG. 3 shows a strip of mutually connected bags 1 that are releasable from one another along the desired break points 2. Reference numeral 3 marks connectors that are arranged, as can be seen from FIG. 3, at alternating sides of the bags 1. The space requirements for the stacked bags can be reduced in this manner. A further space saving results in that the connector does not project, but is rather likewise flat or planar.

[0082] As can be seen from FIG. 4, the connector 1 does not project, or only projects negligibly, over the stackable side edges 2 of the bags 3. To secure the stack, the side edges 2 have projections and recesses into which the projections engage and thus secure the stack.

[0083] As stated above, provision is preferably made that the patients have to authenticate themselves e.g. by a patient card or in another manner to obtain one or more bags filled with dialysis solution. This authentication also contains data on the desired composition of the dialysis solution so that once the authentication has taken place, the metering of the concentrate or the preparation of the solution can take place in a manner individual to the patient.