Infusion Line With A Facility To Promote Mixing Of An Infusion Solution With A Further Fluid, Apparatuses And Method

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an addition line for adding an infusion solution to a fluid, which flows in an extracorporeal blood circuit, wherein the addition line comprises a pressure release valve or a check valve. It further relates to an extracorporeal blood circuit, a blood treatment apparatus and a method using the addition line.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. An addition line for adding an infusion solution to a fluid flowing in an extracorporeal blood circuit, wherein the addition line comprises a pressure release valve or a check valve.

14. The addition line according to claim 13 comprising a source of the infusion solution or connected in fluid communication with a source of the infusion solution.

15. The addition line according to claim 13, wherein the infusion solution is a calcium solution.

16. The addition line according to claim 13, wherein the infusion solution comprises a calcium solution.

17. An extracorporeal blood circuit comprising at least one blood return line and at least one addition line for adding an infusion solution to a fluid flowing in the extracorporeal blood circuit, wherein the at least one addition line comprises a pressure release valve or a check valve.

18. The extracorporeal blood circuit according to claim 17, wherein the at least one addition line is connected in fluid communication to the at least one blood return line.

19. A blood treatment apparatus connected to an extracorporeal blood circuit comprising at least one blood return line and at least one addition line for adding an infusion solution to a fluid flowing in the extracorporeal blood circuit, wherein the at least one addition line comprises a pressure release valve or a check valve, wherein a blood return apparatus comprises an infusion pump for conveying an infusion solution within the at least one addition line and a blood pump for conveying blood within the at least one blood return line, wherein the infusion pump is controlled via a control device.

20. The blood treatment apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the control device is set or adapted or programmed to allow the infusion pump to convey exclusively continuously.

21. The blood treatment apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the control device is not set or programmed to allow the infusion pump to convey in a pulsating manner.

22. A method to control an infusion pump for conveying an infusion solution within an addition line comprising: providing an addition line for adding an infusion solution to a fluid flowing in an extracorporeal blood circuit, wherein the addition line comprises a pressure release valve or a check valve; connecting the infusion pump to a source of the infusion solution; connecting the infusion pump to a pump section of the addition line and; conveying the infusion solution by operating the infusion pump with a continuous flow rate.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein conveying at a continuous flow rate is achieved when or while or as long as the blood pump conveys at a continuous flow rate.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein conveying at a continuous flow rate continues until a manual or an automatic change of the flow rate of the infusion pump is carried out or taken.

25. The method according to any of claims 22, wherein conveying at a continuous flow rate is not a pulsating conveyance.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Some embodiments shall be exemplary explained below with regard to the accompanying drawings in which identical reference numerals denote the same or similar components. The following applies in the partially highly simplified figures:

[0042] FIG. 1 shows the arrangement of an addition line at an extracorporeal blood tubing set;

[0043] FIG. 2 shows details of the addition line of FIG. 1 with a pressure release valve; and

[0044] FIG. 3 shows the inlet pressure, which may prevail at the pressure release valve of FIG. 2, and the velocity corresponding respectively to the inlet pressure of an infusion solution when flowing in the addition line

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] FIG. 1 shows the basic arrangement of an addition line 209 at an extracorporeal blood tubing set 200, illustrated in a schematically highly simplified manner, in an exemplary embodiment of the blood tubing set.

[0046] The blood tubing set 200 comprises a hemofilter 201. A blood withdrawal line 203 (or arterial line) and a blood return line 205 (or venous line) are connected to the hemofilter 201, or dialyzer or blood filter.

[0047] The blood withdrawal line 203 is in an active communication with the blood pump 301 or comprises the latter.

[0048] A further addition line flows upstream of the blood pump 301, here a line 207 for citrate solution, into the blood withdrawal line 203.

[0049] The line 207 is in an active communication with, or comprises, a citrate pump 307.

[0050] The line 209 for calcium solution flows downstream of the hemofilter 201 into the blood return line 205.

[0051] The line 209 is in an active communication with, or comprises, a calcium pump 309. Said line is fed or supplied by a source for an infusion solution shown only in FIG. 1, herein exemplarily a calcium source 319. The source may be a bag or a bottle. Optionally, the infusion solution may be generated on-line; in this case, the respective device is considered as the source for generating.

[0052] The hemofilter 201 is connected to a line 311 for fresh dialysis fluid and to a line 315 for spent dialysate or filtrate. The line 311 is connected to, or comprises, a dialysis fluid pump 313. The line 315 is connected to, or comprises, a filter pump 317.

[0053] The shown arrow heads respectively indicate the flow direction when using the blood tubing set 200 as intended.

[0054] The blood tubing system 200 shown in FIG. 1 may correspond to a known extracorporeal blood tubing set and be suitable particularly for the CVVHD (continuous veno-venous hemodialysis), except for the line 209 for calcium shown in FIG. 2 as an example of an addition line for infusion solution.

[0055] The pumps 301, 307, 309, 313, and 317 may be part of an only schematically indicated blood treatment apparatus 300. The same applies for lines 311 and 315.

[0056] The blood treatment apparatus 300 may comprise, or be connected, to a control device 350.

[0057] The control device 350 may be designed and used for controlling or regulating. It can be a regulating device.

[0058] The control device 350 can be part of the blood treatment apparatus 300, it may be arranged externally to the blood treatment apparatus or separate thereof. The control device may be programmed to control or regulate the calcium pump 309—and optionally also further pumps, in particular those aforementioned—or other components of the blood treatment apparatus 300.

[0059] FIG. 2 shows, schematically highly simplified, details of the addition line or line 209 for calcium of FIG. 1 having a pressure release valve 309 in an exemplary embodiment of the line 209 or the addition line.

[0060] Line 209 extends between the source 319 for infusion solution, presently a calcium solution source, and a blood line, presently the blood return line 205, i.e. the venous patient line.

[0061] Thereby, the line 209 is in an active communication with the calcium pump 309 or comprises it, as explained with respect to FIG. 1.

[0062] The line 209 comprises, downstream of the calcium pump 309, which conveys towards the blood return line 209 during treatment, a pressure release valve 209a or is connected therewith. The pressure release valve 209a may be a known check valve.

[0063] With respect to the calcium pump 309 and the pressure release valve 209a, line 209 may be divided into section 209′, which extends between the source 319 and the pump 309, section 209″, which extends between the pump 309 and the pressure release valve 209a and section 209′″, which extends between pressure release valve 209a and the connection to the blood return line 205.

[0064] The pressure release valve 209 allows a flow through only after a sufficiently high pressure upstream thereof has built up. With the pump 319 conveying continuously, a pulsating flow of infusion solution, which may flow into the blood line, is thus generated by (exclusively) the pressure release valve 209a.

[0065] It is advantageous if the coupling between pump 309 and pressure release valve 209a is damped. This may exemplarily be achieved in that the hose material of line 209 allows, at least in its section 209″, i.e. between pump 309 and pressure release valve 209a, for an elastic deformation or is elastically deformable. Section 209″ may therefore be designed as a flexible hose but preferably not as a metal tube. The elastic deformability allows to arrange an optional solution reservoir between pump 309 and pressure release valve 209a, wherein the reservoir may be able to receive the fluid volume conveyed by the pump 309 between closing of the pressure release valve 209a and a subsequent opening.

[0066] In addition, a drop of pressure (can be measured upstream of the pressure release valve 209a) to below the opening pressure of the pressure release valve 209) due to a pressure release valve 209a closing sufficiently slowly may take place. The valve closing sufficiently slowly may be intended in some embodiments.

[0067] A pressure release valve, closing sufficiently slowly, may be understood in some particular embodiments as a valve which—optionally in an interaction with a suitable hose, e.g. as described supra—allows a pulsating conveyance. A valve reacting rapidly to pressure changes such that a pressure, directly upstream of the valve, cannot drop to below the opening pressure, is not considered as sufficiently slow in the sense referred to herein. “Sufficiently slow” may be understood, however, as a pressure-compensation valve opening at an opening pressure and closing at a preselected or pre-selectable, and preferably constant, closing pressure, wherein the closing pressure is lower than the opening pressure “Sufficiently slow” may further be understood as a pressure-compensation valve opening at an opening pressure, at an initial point of time, and closing again first after the end of a preselected or sufficient period of time, at a later, second point of time. This may also enable the valve to close at a closing pressure being less than the opening pressure.

[0068] The size or volume of the aforementioned solution reservoir between the pump 309 and the pressure release valve 209a may exemplarily be determined by selecting a defined length of the section 209″. 1 ml is reasonable.

[0069] The pump 309 may be designed as a roller pump, a piston pump, a centrifugal pump, a diaphragm pump or any other type. In particular, it may be peristaltic or occlusive. Preferably however, the pump 309 is a continuously conveying pump, employed to also convey continuously, i.e. with constant flow rate.

[0070] The flow rate may be set or preset or adjusted at 0.1 ml/min, 0.6 ml/min, 1.4 ml/min and at any other desired intermediate value.

[0071] FIG. 3 shows in one diagram both an inlet pressure p and a flow velocity v over time t.

[0072] The inlet pressure p is the pressure at the inlet of the pressure release valve 209a of FIG. 2, i.e. in particular in section 209″ of line 209 at a point of time t.

[0073] The flow velocity v indicates the velocity of an infusion solution, corresponding respectively to the inlet pressure p, with which the solution flows through line 209 and in particular its section 209″′.

[0074] In the diagram of FIG. 3 the opening pressure p_o and the closing pressure p_c for the pressure release valve 209a are shown. The pressure required for the pressure release valve 209a to open is reached at the opening pressure p_o. The pressure release valve 209a is completely closed at the closing pressure p_c.

[0075] The courses or curves shown in FIG. 3 should be considered as idealized.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0076] 200 Blood tubing set

[0077] 201 hemofilter or blood filter or dialyzer

[0078] 203 Blood withdrawal line

[0079] 205 Blood return line

[0080] 207 Line for citrate solution

[0081] 209 Line for calcium solution; addition line

[0082] 209′ Section

[0083] 209″ Section

[0084] 209″′ Section

[0085] 209a Pressure release valve

[0086] 300 Blood treatment apparatus

[0087] 301 Blood pump

[0088] 307 Citrate pump

[0089] 309 Calcium pump

[0090] 311 Line for dialysis fluid

[0091] 313 Pump for dialysate

[0092] 315 Line for dialysate, filtrate

[0093] 317 Pump for dialysate, filtrate

[0094] 319 Source of infusion solution, calcium source

[0095] 350 Control or regulating device