Abstract
A medical device for extracorporeal blood treatment having a housing section that is designed such that is can reversibly change between two transparency states by applying an electrical voltage.
Claims
1. A medical device for extracorporeal blood treatment, the medical device comprising a housing and an extracorporeal blood hose system arranged at least partially in the housing, wherein the housing has a plurality of housing sections, wherein at least a part of one of the housing sections is connected to an electrical voltage source and is configured to be reversibly changeable between at least two transparency states depending on a currently applied electrical voltage.
2. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the housing section is non-transparent in a first state.
3. The medical device according to claim 2, wherein, in the first state, an interior of the housing is visually covered.
4. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the housing section is transparent in a second state.
5. The medical device according to claim 4, wherein in the second state, an interior of the housing is viewable.
6. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the housing section is switchable exclusively between two states.
7. The medical device according to claim 6, wherein a switching operation activates an electrically switchable foil arranged between two layers of transparent material which together form a pane of said one of the housing sections.
8. The medical device according to claim 7, wherein the foil comprises a polymer liquid crystal film, nano-crystallines or micro-blinds, is electrochromic, or is a suspended particle device.
9. A housing section for a medical device according to claim 1.
10. A method for temporary visualization of an extracorporeal blood hose system of a blood treatment apparatus, comprising the steps of: accommodating the extracorporeal blood hose system at least partially within a housing of an extracorporeal blood treatment device; and applying an electric voltage to make a part of a housing section, which is non-transparent in an initial state, transparent by applying an electric voltage, in order to make the extracorporeal blood hose system visible from outside the housing without having to open the housing.
11. A treatment station with a medical device according to claim 1, wherein the treatment station is configured on at least one side with an electrically-switchable separation wall corresponding to the part of the housing section.
12. The medical device according to claim 2, wherein the extracorporeal blood hose system is visually covered in the housing in the first state.
13. The medical device according to claim 4, wherein the extracorporeal blood hose system is viewable in the housing in the second state.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
[0023] Preferred configuration examples of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to schematic drawings. The following is shown:
[0024] FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional schematic illustration of a medical device according to the invention;
[0025] FIG. 2 shows a schematic layered structure of a housing section;
[0026] FIG. 3 shows a medical device with a housing section switched to transparent;
[0027] FIG. 4 shows another configuration example of a medical device;
[0028] FIG. 5 shows another configuration example of a medical device; and
[0029] FIG. 6 shows a treatment station with a medical device according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] FIG. 1 shows a medical device according to the invention for extracorporeal blood treatment, in this case a dialysis machine 1, with a housing 2 and an electrically switchable housing section 3, which is part of the housing 2. The housing section 3 can preferably assume two (transparency) states, namely an initial state, here the housing section 3 is non-transparent or opaque, and a final state, in which the housing section 3 is transparent. Final state in this context does not mean that this state is permanently maintained after switching. Rather, it is possible to switch back and forth between the initial state and the final state as often as desired. The states from an opaque to a transparent housing section 3 are therefore to be regarded as reversible. In further embodiments, intermediate states of different partial transparency are also conceivable, so that the housing section 3 may also be dimmed continuously or in steps. The housing section may change its state as soon as an electrical voltage is applied. In the voltage-free state, the housing section 3 is non-transparent. In particular, the housing section 3 may be designed as a pane with multiple layers which is inserted into a housing opening. A detailed structure of the pane is shown in FIG. 2.
[0031] FIG. 2 shows a three-layer structure of such a pane of the housing section 3 of a medical device according to the invention. The layers 3a and 3b are made of a basically transparent material. This material is, for example, glass or acrylic glass. Other transparent materials can of course also be used, as long as they are resistant to disinfection, since the area of application is a medical device. Between the two layers 3a and 3b, which can be regarded as the outer and inner layer, there is an electrically switchable/actuable foil 3c, as the middle layer, so to speak. In the present embodiment, this foil 3c is designed as a polymer liquid crystal film whose conductive surfaces are connected to an electrical voltage source. The connection is not shown in FIG. 2, since only the schematic structure of the housing section 3 is to be shown. A contacting of a switchable foil 3c is sufficiently known to a person skilled in the art. When an electrical voltage is applied to the foil 3c of the housing section 3, which is in the initial state, an electrical field causes the liquid crystals to be oriented, allowing light to pass through the pane of the housing section 3 almost undisturbed. The pane of the housing section 3 may be rigid or flexible depending on the materials of the layers 3a and 3b.
[0032] FIG. 3 shows the medical device 1 according to the invention with a pane that can be supplied with current. The housing 2 has the housing section 3, which is switched to transparent, on the left-hand side in this illustration. This means that an electrical voltage is applied to the foil 3c, which is not explicitly shown here, so that the liquid crystals contained therein are formed in the direction of maximum transparency, as already explained above. As soon as the voltage is applied, it is possible for an observer, in this case a medical practitioner, trained nursing personnel or the like, to look into an interior 4 of the device 1 without having to open it for this purpose. In this way it is also possible, for example, to look for leaks or stuck pumps. This can also be done during operation without having to open the device 1. A further advantage of the switchable housing section 3 is that the pane of the housing section 3 can be switched transparent after hot disinfection to accelerate the cooling process. For this purpose, the housing section 3 is permeable to thermal radiation in the transparent state.
[0033] A further configuration example of the medical device 1 according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Thus, in FIG. 4 the medical device 1 can be seen to which a blood hose system 5 and a dialyzer 6 are attached. The blood hose system 5 and the dialyzer 6 are located behind the housing section 3, which in the present case is in the form of two swing doors 7a and 7b. The swing doors 7a and 7b are designed according to a housing section as shown in FIG. 2, i.e. they each contain at least one liquid crystal foil or something similar and are electrically switchable between a non-transparent initial state and a transparent final state. The swing doors 7a and 7b each have a notch in the upper area, wherein these notches are arranged opposite to each other and together form an opening 8. This opening 8 allows a hand, for example, to reach in and open the swing doors 7a and 7b. Of course, instead of the opening 8 and the notches associated therewith, a handle or another means to be handled can also be used to open the swing doors 7a and 7b. Furthermore, a simple door with an abutment on one side of the housing 2 is also conceivable. This abutment may be in the form of hinges on each longitudinal side of the housing 2.
[0034] In the present configuration example, it is essential that the housing 2 can be opened, since the interior of the medical device 1 is/will be equipped—i.e., set up—with single-use items. In the configuration example shown in FIG. 4, the housing section 3 is transparent and allows viewing of the disposable blood hose system 5, the dialyzer 6 and the other common components of the medical device 1.
[0035] The medical device 1 shown in FIG. 5 is designed according to the embodiment of the medical device 1 shown in FIG. 4. In FIG. 5, the housing section 3, i.e. the swing doors 7a and 7b, is switched to non-transparent. Thus, no electrical voltage is applied to the foil 3c. The components at the front of the medical device 1 as well as the dialyzer 6 and the majority of the blood hose system 5 are therefore not visible.
[0036] This is advantageous in particular if the patient wishes to avoid the sight of blood in the extracorporeal blood circuit. Another advantage is that the blood in the blood hose system 5 behind such a housing section 3 is on the one hand protected from cooling, and on the other hand is not unnecessarily heated, for example by solar radiation. According to another configuration example not explicitly shown, it would also be conceivable to provide only parts of the housing section 3, or respectively of the swing doors 7a and 7b, with an electrically switchable foil 3c, which can be switched to transparent or non-transparent as required. Instead of using swing doors 7a and 7b or pivot doors in general, a retractable cover can alternatively be used as an electrically-switchable housing section 3, which is pulled over the machine front, for example, with the aid of a rail system. A design as a roller shutter is also conceivable if roll-up and/or flexible materials are used for the electrically switchable foil 3c.
[0037] Of course, the number of housing sections 3 as well as their shape and size are not limited to the examples shown in FIGS. 1 to 5. Several housing sections 3 can be implemented per medical device 1, which are designed to be electrically switchable. Also only partial sections of housing sections 3 are implementable according to the aforementioned design.
[0038] FIG. 6 shows a treatment station 11 for dialysis in schematic form. A treatment couch 10 is provided next to the medical device 1. The treatment station 11 is arranged on a rear building wall 12, in which a ring circuit with several connections (not shown further), if applicable, is laid. From this wall 12, electrically switchable separation walls 9 extend to both sides of the treatment station 11 according to the principle of the housing part 3. These could be switched to non-transparent, for example, if a patient wishes to have some privacy or if there is an emergency and the staff wants to protect the emergency patient from prying eyes of other patients. In addition to a stationary installation of the separation walls 9, it is conceivable that the separation walls 9 are extendable or foldable or can be rolled out or moved in a paravant-like manner and are thus only pulled out and switched non-transparent/transparent when required. In addition to a previously described arrangement of the separation walls 9 extending from the rear wall 12, it is conceivable that the separation walls 9 are a component of the treatment couch 10 and/or of the medical device 1. This would result in a much more mobile application.
[0039] A medical device for extracorporeal blood treatment having a housing section that is reversibly variable between two states is disclosed.
