EXTERNAL FUNCTION DEVICE

Abstract

The invention relates to an external function device which has at least one housing body having at least one chamber integrated into it for holding medical fluids and at least one locking device for releasably holding an accessory part.

Claims

1. An external function device, comprising: at least one housing body; at least one chamber integrated into the housing body for holding medical fluids; at least one channel integrated into the housing body for holding and/or carrying a medical fluid; and at least one locking device for releasably holding an accessory part.

2. The external function device according to claim 1, wherein the accessory part is additionally connected to the housing body by means of a tubing.

3. The external function device according to claim 1, wherein the accessory part is a connector, a valve, a hose clamp or an injection point.

4. The external function device according to claim 1, comprising: at least one housing body, at least one chamber (9, 15, 21, 57) integrated into the housing body for holding medical fluids; at least one channel (17, 19, 49) integrated into the housing body for holding and/or carrying a medical fluid; and at least one valve unit (35, 36, 39, 40, 47, 51, 53, 61) which is partially or entirely integrated into the housing body for controlling or regulating a fluid flowing through the external function device, and at least one locking device (798) for releasably holding an accessory part (799).

5. The external function device according to claim 1, which is provided on at least one of its surfaces with a covering unit, which is part of at least one integrated valve unit (35, 36, 39, 40, 47, 51, 53, 61).

6. The external function device according to claim 1, wherein the cover unit is connected in at least one section to the housing body in a force-locking and/or form-fitting and/or physically bonded manner.

7. The external function device according to claim 1, wherein the cover unit is connected to the housing body by means of at least one peripheral weld (5).

8. The external function device according to claim 6, wherein the cover unit is connected to the housing body by means of additional non-peripheral or point-shaped or local welds.

9. The external function device according to claim 1, which has connections to its connections to an extracorporeal circulation in fluid communication.

10. The external function device according to claim 1, which is designed as a blood treatment cassette (1000), comprising at least one arterial chamber which is integrated into the cassette in a section of an extracorporeal circulation contained therein, and at least one venous chamber, which is integrated into the cassette wherein the cassette (1000) has at least one film (3) as a cover unit and wherein an arterial and/or venous pressure, which prevails in the extracorporeal blood circulation can be measured over the film (3).

11. The external function device according to claim 1, wherein the function device is a blood treatment cassette or a fluid or pump cassette of a peritoneal dialysis cycler.

12. A blood treatment machine, in particular a dialysis machine, characterized in that it is designed to hold at least one external function device according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0057] The present invention is described in greater detail below on the basis of preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals in the figures of the drawings denote the same or identical elements.

[0058] FIG. 1 shows a side view of an inventive external function device according to a preferred embodiment equipped with a covering unit on its front side;

[0059] FIG. 2 shows the external function device from FIG. 1 with the covering unit opened after destructively cutting it open;

[0060] FIG. 3 shows the external function device from FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 from the rear side;

[0061] FIG. 4 shows schematically the locking device 798 on the function part 1000;

[0062] FIG. 5 shows schematically in simplified form the function device 1000 in a view from above with the accessory part 799 locked onto it. The tubing connection between the accessory part 799 and the function device 1000 is not shown;

[0063] FIG. 6 shows schematically in simplified form the function device 1000 in a sectional view along the line AB with the accessory part 799 locked onto it. The tubing connection between the accessory part 799 and the function device 1000 is not shown;

[0064] FIG. 7 shows in simplified schematic form the accessory part 799 from beneath with the openings 797.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ONE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

[0065] For an exemplary explanation of the present invention, the external function device is a blood cassette, such as that with which those skilled in the art are familiar from WO 2010/121819, for example.

[0066] FIG. 1 shows a side view of an external function device, which is provided with a covering unit on the surface, as can be seen in FIG. 1. The external function device is embodied here as a cassette 1000 as an example.

[0067] The cassette 1000 has a hard part 1. As shown in FIG. 1 as an example, the hard part 1 has chambers, channels and valves. As additionally shown in FIG. 1 as an example, the chambers, channels and valves are integrated into the hard part 1 and/or embodied at least partially by the hard part 1. The cassette 1000 from FIG. 1 is provided with a covering unit, for example, a film 3 here, on its front side. The covering unit may be welded onto the hard part 1 flatly, i.e., in a planar form.

[0068] An embodiment with a three-dimensional design of the welding and sealing contour is also possible according to the invention. The covering unit can seal the chambers and/or channels of the hard part 1 of the cassette 1000, namely with respect to a side of the covering unit facing away from the hard part 1 and/or with respect to the atmosphere.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 1, the film is in contact with a peripheral sealing web 4 on the hard part 1 of the cassette 1000. The film 3 is welded to the hard part 1 of the cassette 1000 along a peripheral weld 5.

[0070] Alternatively, the peripheral sealing web may be designed to be exposed.

[0071] The film 3 may be connected to the hard part 1 of the cassette 1000 at additional local welds (not shown). These may also run peripherally, i.e., so that they are closed in the sense of a sealing border like a ring and/or in spots.

[0072] The film 3 may be connected to the hard part of the cassette 1000, e.g., by welding at local spots in a spot weld or a linear weld, in particular at the edge zones of channels carrying liquid.

[0073] The film 3 may be connected to the hard part of the cassette 1000 by laser welding. It is advantageous if the local heat input is accomplished by using light-absorbing components. The light-absorbing component may be part of the material of the film and/or of the hard part or a layer which is arranged between the film and hard part or above the film. The layer may be a film layer.

[0074] The cassette 1000 may be coupled to a blood treatment machine (not shown in FIG. 1) at least on the front side shown in FIG. 1. An exemplary procedure for suitable coupling of a cassette 1 to a coupling surface of a blood treatment machine is described in German Patent Application 10 2009 012 633.3 with the title Device for Connecting an External Function Device to an Arrangement, Arrangement Having Such a Device and a Method for Connecting It, which was filed with the German Patent and Trademark Office on Mar. 10, 2009, and German Patent Application 10 2009 012 632.5, with the title Sealing Device for Sealing a Volume of a Medical Treatment Arrangement with Respect to Another Volume and the Arrangement and Method, which was also filed with the German Patent and Trademark Office on Mar. 10, 2009, and reference is herewith made to the full content of these disclosure documents.

[0075] The cassette 1000 may be coupled to a coupling surface of the blood treatment machine with the plane of the film 3or above it. The coupling surface may preferably be designed to be three-dimensional.

[0076] The coupling surface of the blood treatment machine may be inclined toward the rear (the direction extending from the observer into the plane of the drawing in FIG. 1) by 8, for example, relative to a perpendicular line running from top to bottom, for example, on an upper section thereof in FIG. 1.

[0077] The cassette 1000 has an arterial patient connection 7.

[0078] The cassette 1000 has an arterial pressure measurement chamber 9, which may contain the corresponding sensors. The sensors can preferably transmit signals over a cable line. However, the sensors may also be designed in such a way that they can transmit signals wirelessly.

[0079] The cassette 1000 has a connector 11 for the exit of the blood from the cassette 1000 as well as a connector 13 for the admission of the blood into the cassette 1000. The two connectors 11 and 13 can be connected to a pump tubing segment or set of a blood pump.

[0080] The cassette 1000 also has a chamber 15 with a pressure measurement site for measuring the pressure in the extracorporeal blood circulation upstream from the dialyzer (prefilter) and/or downstream from the pump (post-pump).

[0081] The pressure in the extracorporeal circulation upstream from the dialyzer can be measured on the chamber 15 through the film 3 and/or above/via the film 3. The cassette 1000 has an arterial filter line 17 and a venous filter line 19.

[0082] The interior of the cassette 1000 has a venous blood chamber 21. The venous blood chamber 21 is subdivided into an upper space 23 and a lower space 25.

[0083] The upper space 23 of the venous blood chamber 21 can allow a lateral tangential blood inflow. Blood can flow into the upper space 23 through the inlet at the side (the left side in FIG. 1) and can spread tangentially toward the walls of the upper space 23. A lateral tangential blood inflow can create a zone with an essentially or completely stable rotational flow of blood in the upper space 23 of the venous blood chamber 21.

[0084] The lower space 25 of the venous blood chamber 21 may form a calming zone for the blood flow. It is possible that there is essentially no rotational flow or no flow at all of blood is present in such a calming zone.

[0085] The venous blood chamber 21 is divided by a cross-sectional tapered area 27 of the hard part 1 of the cassette 1000 into the upper space 23 and the lower space 25. The cross-sectional tapered part 27 reduces the cross section of the venous blood chamber 21 in width and depth such that it results in speeding up the flow such that a fluid flowing through the venous blood chamber 21 of the cassette 1000 after crossing through this passage assumes a slower velocity of flow. The upper space 23 and the lower space 25 are in fluid communication. Due to such a construction, i.e., a division of the venous blood chamber 21 into a zone with essentially or completely stable rotational flow of blood and a calming zone for the blood flow, an efficient separation of air from blood or fluid can be achieved advantageously. Walls of the upper space 23 and of the lower space 25 of the venous blood chamber 21 may be adapted in a suitable manner to an inclination of the upper section of the cassette 1000 in FIG. 1 toward the vertical, for example, an inclination of the upper part of the cassette 1000 shown in FIG. 1 by 8 to the rear (into the plane of the drawing). They may be designed to be rounded in a suitable manner so that it advantageously represents a flow-optimized calming surface for fluids which flow through the venous blood chamber 21.

[0086] The cassette 1000 has a blood clot catcher 29. Preferably a blood clot catcher such as that disclosed in the invention described in German Patent Application 10 2009 024 495.6 with the title Blood Clot Catcher, External Function Device, Blood Circulation and a Blood Treatment Machine by the applicant of the present invention, which was filed with the German Patent and Trademark Office on Jun. 10, 2009, may preferably be used as the blood clot catcher. Reference is herewith made to the full disclosure in this regard.

[0087] The pressure in the extracorporeal circulation can be measured on the blood clot catcher 29 through the film 3 and/or above/via the film 3, i.e., in particular after it has passed through the dialyzer.

[0088] The cassette 1000 has a venous patient connection 31.

[0089] The cassette 1000 has an arterial heparin feed point 33. It should be pointed out here that the heparin feed point 33 (like the venous heparin feed point 37) is also suitable for administering other active pharmacological ingredients in addition to heparin, which are preferably only anticoagulants or may be active ingredient combinations and may be provided for this purpose. This should also always be taken into account when heparin is mentioned in any context above or below.

[0090] The cassette 1000 has a non-return valve 35 of the arterial heparin feed point 33. Exemplary non-return valves for use as non-return valve 35 of the arterial heparin feed point 33 as well as the additional non-return valves of the cassette 1000 are disclosed in the Patent Application 10 2009 024 469.7 by the application of the present invention with the title Valve device, valve insert, external function device, treatment machine and method, which was filed with the German Patent and Trademark Office on Jun. 10, 2009, to the disclosure content of which in this regard reference is herewith made to the full disclosure content in this regard.

[0091] The cassette 1000 has an arterial heparin feed valve 36. With the help of the arterial heparin feed valve 36, the administration of heparin into the arterial filter line 17 can be controlled or regulated.

[0092] The supporting webs may serve to support the cassette in the coupled state on a blood treatment machine with respect to a cover of a receiving device of the blood treatment machine for receiving the cassette. Exemplary embodiments of such a coupling of the cassette to the blood treatment machine can be found in German Patent Application 10 2009 012 633.3 with the title Device for Connecting an External Function Device to an Arrangement, an Arrangement Having Such a Device and a Method for Connecting, which was filed with the German Patent and Trademark Office on Mar. 10, 2009, the full disclosure of which is herewith referenced in this regard.

[0093] FIG. 3 shows the cassette 1000, as seen by the user/observer looking at it after it has been coupled to the machine interface. The inclination of the cassette 1000 to the machine is designed to be inclined toward the rear, so that the upper edge is farther away from the user/observer than the lower edge.

[0094] The surfaces of the venous blood chamber 21 facing upward and the single-needle chamber 57 accordingly have an inclination, such that air bubbles can still rise reliably on the inside, despite the inclination of the cassette 1000. Fundamentally of course a cassette design which does not provide any inclination of the cassette is naturally also possible.

[0095] The blood treatment machine has an external function device, for example, the cassette 1000 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 having the elements described above in conjunction with FIGS. 1 through 3.

[0096] FIG. 4 shows schematically the locking device 798 on the function device 1000. In one embodiment, the locking device 798 has a nose 797 which engages in the openings 796 of the accessory part 799. The accessory part 799 is fastened in a form-fitting and/or force-locking manner on the function device 1000 by means of the noses 797 of the locking device 798.

[0097] FIG. 5 shows schematically in simplified terms the function device 1000 as seen from above with the accessory part 799 locked onto it. The tubing connection between the accessory part 799 and the function device 1000 is not shown.

[0098] FIG. 6 shows in a schematically simplified form the function device 1000 in a sectional view along the line AB with the accessory part 799 locked onto it. The tubing connection between the accessory part 799 and the function device 1000 is not shown.

[0099] FIG. 7 shows in schematically simplified form the accessory part 799 from beneath with the openings 796, which are fastened onto the function device 1000 by means of the noses 797 of the locking device 798 in a form-fitting and/or force-locking manner. The locking of the accessory part 799 on the function device 1000 is preferably designed as a releasable lock.