PRESSURE-MEASURING ASSEMBLY FOR AN EXTRACORPOREAL BLOOD TREATMENT MACHINE

Abstract

A pressure-measuring assembly for measuring the internal line pressure of a line system of an extracorporeal blood treatment machine. The assembly includes a pressure sensor that is connectable to a pressure receiver by a rigid, bending-resistant fluid line. The pressure receiver is connected or connectable to the line system. The pressure sensor converts a fluid pressure signal from the fluid line into an electrical signal. An electrical line connects the pressure sensor to electronics to process the electrical signal. A retainer directly or indirectly retains the pressure sensor and forms, at least in parts, an inner channel, in which the electrical line is led. Alternatively, the retainer is a substantially plastically curvable bar which has, at one axial end portion, a fastening device for mounting on a stationary base and, at the other axial end portion, an articulation site for the pressure sensor or the pressure receiver.

Claims

1. A pressure-measuring assembly for measuring the internal line pressure of a line system of an extracorporeal blood treatment machine, the pressure-measuring assembly comprising: a pressure sensor which is connectable via a fluid line to a pressure receiver connected or connectable to the line system and which converts a fluid pressure signal from the fluid line into an electrical signal; an electric line, which serves to connect the pressure sensor to electronics for processing the electric signal; and a retainer for directly or indirectly holding the pressure sensor, the fluid line being rigid and resistant to bending, and the retainer forming, at least in sections, an inner channel in which the electric line is guided to protect the electric line from the environment.

2. The pressure-measuring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the retainer is formed as a plastically bendable rod having, at one axial end portion, a fastening device for being mounted to a stationary base and, at the other axial end portion, an articulation site for the pressure sensor or the pressure receiver.

3. The pressure-measuring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the retainer holds the pressure sensor, wherein the pressure sensor holds or is attached to the fluid line, and wherein the fluid line is adapted to be attached to the pressure receiver.

4. The pressure-measuring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the retainer is attachable to a housing portion of the extracorporeal blood treatment machine.

5. The pressure-measuring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the fluid line is arranged on the pressure sensor and is rigid and resistant to bending throughout the fluid line.

6. The pressure-measuring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the inner channel forms a receiving space for receiving the electrical line that is completely closed with respect to the environment.

7. The pressure-measuring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the retainer is plastically deformable or curvable in such a way that a position of the articulation site is adjustable.

8. The pressure-measuring assembly according to claim 7, wherein the retainer is configured as a gooseneck which forms the inner channel.

9. The pressure-measuring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the retainer is a rod extending in a predetermined linear or curved shape.

10. The pressure-measuring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the pressure receiver is a pressure-receiver capsule comprising a first chamber connected or connectable to the line system and a second chamber separated from the first chamber by a diaphragm, the pressure sensor is being coupled or coupleable to the second chamber.

11. The pressure-measuring assembly according to claim 10, further comprising a valve integrated or mounted on the pressure sensor or on the fluid line to vent the pressure-receiver capsule.

12. The pressure-measuring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor has a Luer connection or a latchable connecting element as a coupling portion for directly coupling the pressure sensor to the pressure-receiver capsule.

13. An extracorporeal blood treatment machine comprising a pressure-measuring assembly according to claim 1.

14. The extracorporeal blood treatment machine according to claim 13, further comprising a housing portion, wherein the retainer is attached to a surface of the housing portion.

15. The extracorporeal blood treatment machine according to claim 14, wherein the surface of the housing portion faces an outside of the housing.

16. The pressure-measuring assembly according to claim 10, wherein the fluid line is a gas line and the second chamber is a gas-filled chamber.

17. The pressure-measuring assembly according to claim 11, wherein the valve is provided to vent the second chamber.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0025] The present invention is described below with reference to preferred embodiments.

[0026] However, these are only illustrative in nature and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Furthermore, identical reference signs are used for the same components in the description of the various embodiments in order to avoid redundant descriptions of the same.

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a pressure-measuring assembly of a first embodiment of the invention with a pressure receiver connected thereto.

[0028] FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of a coupling of the pressure receiver with the pressure-measuring assembly of the first embodiment.

[0029] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a pressure-measuring assembly according to a second embodiment of the invention.

[0030] FIG. 4 shows further aspects of the pressure-measuring assembly according to the first or second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a pressure-measuring assembly 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention. A retainer 5 is attached via a fastening device 4 to a housing 2, which forms the stationary base, of an extracorporeal blood treatment machine 3. The retainer 5 is rod-like or tubular in shape and extends outwards from the housing 2. More specifically, according to this embodiment, the retainer 5 forms a gooseneck. A gooseneck is a semi-rigid, (manually/plastically) flexible or bendable, in particular (elastically) flexurally rigid connecting element, which can be bent manually in almost any direction and can remain in a correspondingly adjusted position. FIG. 1 schematically shows a gooseneck made of a coiled metal tube.

[0032] The retainer 5 forms an articulation site 6 on a side facing away from the housing 2 or on an axial end portion opposite the fastening device 4. A pressure sensor 7 is mounted on this articulation site 6. The pressure sensor 7 has a coupling portion 8, through which it is connected to a pressure-receiver capsule 9, which forms a pressure receiver. The coupling portion 8 further forms a very short, rigid, bending resistant fluid line 10 which connects the pressure sensor 7 to the pressure-receiver capsule 9, more specifically to an air chamber of the pressure-receiver capsule 9. The air chamber is separated by a diaphragm from a line chamber, which is integrated or mounted in a line system 11, in particular a blood tube line, of the extracorporeal blood treatment machine 3.

[0033] During operation of the extracorporeal blood treatment machine 3, an internal line pressure is present in the line chamber of the pressure-receiver capsule 9, which is transmitted via the diaphragm to the air chamber. As a result, a fluid pressure signal is formed in the air chamber, which is applied directly to the pressure sensor 7 through the coupling portion 8 or through the rigid, bending resistant fluid line 10 and which is converted into an electrical signal by the pressure sensor 7. At least one cable 12 is connected to the pressure sensor 7 as an electric line for transmitting the pressure measurement signal. The cable runs through the tubular retainer 5 or the gooseneck and enters the housing 2 at a mounting site where the fastening device 4 of the retainer 5 is mounted on the housing 2. This means that the cable 12 runs through the tubular retainer 5 in such a way that it is completely protected from the environment between the pressure sensor 7 and the housing 2. As a result, the cable 12 cannot be damaged by environmental influences such as clumsy users, aggressive disinfectants, etc. At the same time, the adjustability of the pressure sensor 7 is ensured by the gooseneck-like configuration of the retainer 5. Inside the housing 2 of the extracorporeal blood treatment machine 3, the cable 12 is connected to a control unit or an electronic unit 13, which receives and processes the signal from the pressure sensor 7.

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the articulation site 6 of the retainer 5 holding the pressure sensor 7 during a coupling process with the pressure-receiver capsule 9. In this view, it is readily apparent that the coupling portion 8 of the pressure-measuring assembly 1, which is arranged on the pressure sensor 7, is formed as a male or female Luer-slip/lock connector 8 according to one aspect of the invention. Accordingly, the pressure-receiver capsule 9 has a counter coupling portion 14 in the form of a female or male Luer-slip/lock connector for coupling to the coupling portion 8 on one side of the air chamber. Furthermore, two line ports 15 fluidly connected to the line chamber of the pressure-receiver capsule 9 are provided, via which the pressure-receiver capsule 9 can be integrated or mounted in the blood tube line 11 of the extracorporeal blood treatment machine 3 in a fluid-conducting manner.

[0035] FIG. 3 schematically shows a pressure-measuring assembly 1 according to a second embodiment of the invention. This second embodiment corresponds in its basic structure to the first embodiment, which is why only their differences will be discussed below. According to the second embodiment, the retainer 5 has a rigid rod instead of a manually bendable gooseneck. In FIG. 3, the rod is shown running linearly as an example. Depending on the specific design of the extracorporeal blood treatment machine, in particular the arrangement of the various lines and housing feedthroughs, the retainer 5 or the rigid rod can also be curved and/or bent in order to achieve a course that is optimally adapted to the specific design.

[0036] FIG. 4 schematically shows an articulation site 6 of a pressure-measuring assembly 1 according to the first or second embodiment to highlight further aspects of the invention. According to a first aspect, the pressure sensor 7 has as the coupling portion 8, instead of a Luer-slip/lock connector, an alternative connector such as a clickable or latchable connector element (shown here only schematically). According to a second aspect, which may be provided in addition to or as an alternative to the first aspect in either of the aforementioned embodiments, the pressure sensor 7 or the rigid, bending resistant fluid line 10 has a valve 16 integrated or mounted therein by which the air chamber of the pressure-receiver capsule 9 may be vented in order to move the diaphragm of the pressure-receiver capsule 9 to a particular position.