Sorbent Bags

Abstract

This disclosure relates to sorbent bags that is used in the purification and regeneration of a dialysis solution. Each sorbent bag comprises a sorbent material in a reinforced plastic sealed portion with luer extensions and clamps to facilitate the inlet and outlet of the dialysate solution and to facilitate the mechanism of operation. Furthermore, each sorbent bag has recharge/reactivation line with luer and a vent line. The recharge/reactivation line with luer is located at the inlet line of the sorbent bag at its distal portion before a porous portion. While a vent line is located at the outlet line of the sorbent bag after a second porous portion. Each sorbent bag has shape that is gradually increased in diameter until a diameter “D” and then gradually decreased in diameter through the remaining length of the bag in the direction of the fluid flow.

Claims

1. Sorbent bags comprising: sorbent materials that is sealed inside a reinforced sealed portions. Each of said sorbent bags has gradually increased in diameter until a diameter “D” and then gradually decreased in diameter through the remaining of “L” length in the direction of a fluid flow. Furthermore, each of said sorbent bags comprising luer extensions with male and female lures, clamps, recharge/reactivation line with luer, a vent line and a first and a second porous portions.

2. Sorbent bags of claim 1 wherein said sorbent bags have different shapes, sizes, diameters and lengths.

3. Sorbent bags of claim 1 wherein said sorbent bags have sorbet materials that differ from one bag to another with respect to the type of material, size/shape of particles and density of particles.

4. Sorbent bags of claim 1 and 3 wherein said sorbent materials can be selected from an activated carbon, a urase, a zirconium phosphate, a zirconium oxide and sodium zirconium carbonate based on each patient's need, condition, volume and size.

5. Sorbent bags of claim 1 wherein said recharge/reactivation line with luer is located at the inlet line of said sorbent bag represented by said luer extension and at its distal portion before said first porous portion.

6. Sorbent bags of claim 1 wherein said vent line is located at the outlet line of said sorbent bag represented by said luer extension after said second porous portion

7. Sorbent bags of claim 1 wherein said sorbent bags can be connected together in series and/or parallel and/or combination of series and parallel using said male and female lures.

8. Sorbent bags of claim 1 wherein said porous materials are located at the inlet of a spent dialysate at the distal end of said luer extension and at the outlet of a fresh dialysate after it has been treated at the distal end of said another luer extension.

9. A method comprising: connecting the sorbent bags of claim 1 via connecting each sorbent bag to another sorbent bag via connecting a male luer of one sorbent bag to a female luer of another sorbent bag; then connecting a female luer of the first sorbent bag in the direction of a fluid flow to inlet line of a spent dialysate; then connecting a male luer of last sorbent bag in the direction of a fluid flow to outlet line of a fresh dialysate after it has been treated; then hanging the sorbent bags on a hanger using portions with hocks; and then using a ring to hanging the sorbent bags on an IV pole

10. The method of claim 9 wherein during recharge/reactivation process the luer of recharge/reactivation line is connected to a recharge/reactivation source with the clamp of said recharge/reactivation line is opened.

11. The method of claims 9 and 1 wherein replacing or interchanging or re-arranging the sorbent bags can be done by closing the clamps of the sorbent bags then disconnect the female lures from the male lures.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in, and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate or exemplify embodiment of the present implementation and, together with the description, generally explain the principles and features of the present implementation. The drawings are briefly described as follows:

[0029] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the components of one sorbent bag;

[0030] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of sorbent bags connected to each other during set-up and operation; and

[0031] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of series and parallel connections of sorbent bags.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The following detailed description illustrates the principal of the disclosure by way of example not by way of limitation. While a reference use of the present disclosure describes sorbent bags that are used for purification and/or regeneration of a dialysis solution that is used in a hemodialysis, a hemofiltration, a hemodiafiltration and a peritoneal dialysis, the principal of the present disclosure can be used on other types of treatments without modification in a manner which will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. Consequently, the scope of the implementation is not to be limited by the field to which the implementation is applied.

[0033] Now referring to FIG. 1, it illustrates the components of one reinforced plastic bag 10, wherein a bag 11a with a reinforced sealed portion 11b that accommodates excess pressures that may be built during the operation, a sorbent material 12, holes 13, porous portions 14a and 14b, luer extension 15a, luer extension 15b, clamps 16a, clamp 16b, female luer 17, male luer 18, recharge/reactivation line 19 with luer 20 and a vent line 21. The recharge/reactivation line 19 with luer 20 is located at the inlet line of the bag 10 represented by a first luer extension 15a and at its distal portion before a porous portion 14a as in FIG. 1. While a vent line 21 is located at the outlet line of the bag 10 represented by a second luer extension 15b after a porous portion 14b as in FIG. 1. In another implementation, recharge/reactivation line 19 and a vent line 21 are located in different locations.

[0034] The bag 11a is formed with a shape that is gradually increased in diameter until a diameter “D” which may located at 5-10 percentage of the total length “L” FIG. 1 (or any suitable percentage) and then gradually decreased in diameter through the remaining of “L” length in the direction of a fluid flow as per arrow 22, this preferred configuration for better flow. Furthermore, bag 11a, may have a cylindrical shape, rectangular shape or any other suitable shapes. The material of bag 11a is a medical grade plastic or any suitable polymer.

[0035] Sorbent bag 11a is made with different shapes, sizes, diameters “D”, lengths “L”, with the possibility to build up mini-sorbent bags for a pediatric use.

[0036] Furthermore, a sorbent bag 11a comprises a sorbet material 12 that can differ from one bag to another with respect to the type of material, size/shape of particles, density of particles, etc. The sorbent materials can be selected from an activated carbon, a urase, a zirconium phosphate, a zirconium oxide and sodium zirconium carbonate. The concept described here is not limited to those materials, as the materials are selected based on each patient's need, condition, volume or size, etc.

[0037] The recharge/reactivation line 19 with a clamp 16b and luer 20 is used to recharge/reactivate a sorbent material 12 whenever is required and in this case clamp 16b is opened, otherwise, clamp 16b is closed. While the vent line 20 is used to vent gases that may generate during the operation.

[0038] Luer extension 15a with female luer 17 and luer extension 16b with male luer 18 are used to connect each bag to another via connecting a female luer 17 to male luer 18 as in FIG. 2. During operation, clamps 16a are opened. While, clamps 16a are closed during the replacement or rearrange or reconfigure the bags during the set-up and operation.

[0039] Porous portions 14a and 14b are used to allow a spent dialysate or a biological fluid to pass through the sorbent material 12 while retaining the sorbent material 12 inside the sorbent bag 11a. Also, porous portions 14a and 14b are made of a dacron material, a cotton, or any suitable material. Furthermore, a porous portion 14a is located at the inlet of a spent dialysate or a biological fluid at the distal end of luer extension 15a. While a porous portion 14b is located at the outlet of a fresh dialysate or a biological fluid (after it has been treated by the sorbent bags) at the distal end of luer extension 15b.

[0040] Holes 13 are used to hang a sorbent bag to a hanger 25 as in FIG. 2.

[0041] Now referring to FIG. 2, it illustrates the sorbent bags connected to each other during set-up and operation. As in set-up and operation, the selected sorbent bags can be hanged on a hanger 25 using portions with hocks 25a, 25b, 25c, 25d, 25e with extra portions of hocks such as 25f that is used in case the user needs to add more sorbent bags. The hanger 25 has a ring 26 that is used in turn to hang the bags to a stand-alone IV pole (not shown for simplicity) or to a dialysis machine's IV pole (also, not shown for simplicity).

[0042] Also in FIG. 2, sorbent bag(1) 30 with a sorbent material (1) is connected to sorbent bag(2) 35 with a sorbent material (2) which in turn is connected to a sorbent bag(3) 40 with a sorbent material (3), which in turn is connected to a sorbent bag(4) 45 with a sorbent material (4) and then is connected to a sorbent bag(5) 50 with a sorbent material (5).

[0043] Each bag is connected to another bag via connecting a female luer 17 to a male luer 18 to create a connector 31. Sorbent bag(1) 30 still has the luer extension 15a with female luer 17 to be used as an inlet for a spent dialysate or a biological fluid (to be connected to an inlet source of a spent dialysate or a biological fluid that is not shown for simplicity), while sorbent bag(5) still has the luer extension 15b with male luer 18 that is used as an outlet for a fresh dialysate or a fresh biological fluid (to be used during a patient's treatment that is not shown for simplicity). The direction of a dialysate or a biological fluid flow is represented by arrows 55.

[0044] Due to the flexibility of configurations, arrangement and materials, the sorbent bags; (1) 30, (2) 35, (3) 40, (4) 45 and (5) 50 can be used for purification/regeneration of a dialysis solution that is used for hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and in any other treatments. Furthermore, the sorbent bags; (1) 30, (2) 35, (3) 40, (4) 45 and (5) 50 can be used to remove undesirable contaminants or overdose drug from patients' systems.

[0045] During operation, clamps 16a are opened, while clamps 16b are closed which in turn are opened during recharge/reactivation process to be connected to recharge/reactivation source (not shown for simplicity). In case the operator needs to replace or interchange or re-arrange sorbent bag(2) 35 as an example, they need to close its clamps 16a and 16b and also the clamps 16a and 16b of sorbent bag(1) 30 and sorbent bag(3) 40 and then disconnect its female luer from male luer of sorbent bag(1) 30 and doing the same, disconnect its male luer from female luer of sorbent bag(3) 40.

[0046] Also, in case of re-use any of the bags, it is disconnected by the same above way to be re-used to reduce the cost.

[0047] Also as an example, during operation as in FIG. 3, sorbent bag(1) 30 is connected in series to both sorbent bags(2) 35 and sorbent bag(3) 40 (that are parallel to each other) via connecting male luer 18 of sorbent bag(1) 30 to an extension line 60 with a female luer 61 and two male lures 62a and 62b which in turn are connected to a female luer 17a of sorbent bag(2) 35 and female luer 17b of sorbent bag(3) 40.

[0048] Then, male luer 18a of sorbent bag(2) 35 and male luer 18b of sorbent bag(3) 40 are connected to another extension line 70 via its female luer 63a and female luer 63b, while its male luer 64 is connect in series with a female luer 17c of a sorbent bag(4) 45. Then, female luer 17 of sorbent bag(1) 30 is used as an inlet for a spent dialysate or a biological fluid, while male luer 18c of sorbent bag(4) 45 is used as an outlet for a fresh dialysate or a fresh biological fluid. Arrows 75 represent a fluid flow direction. This example illustrates the flexibility of the invention.