Urease Introduction Device and Method for Dialysate Regeneration System

Abstract

The present invention relates to a urease introduction device and scheme for a dialysis fluid regeneration system. The device includes a storage part, a refrigeration part and a heat exchange part. The structure of the storage part includes a pressure chamber for storing pure urease. The structure of the heat exchange part includes a fluid passage for allowing the dialysis fluid to pass through. The refrigeration part uses a semiconductor refrigeration component, whose cold end is used to conduct cold to the pressure chamber to provide a low-temperature storage environment for pure urease, and the hot end is used to conduct heat to the fluid passage to heat the dialysis fluid. The present invention creatively provides low-temperature preservation conditions for pure urease, realizes the real-time and quantitative introduction of pure urease in the dialysis fluid regeneration system, and ensures the activity and treatment efficiency of the urease solution during its use in an artificial kidney. Using pure urease to treat urea has a high efficiency that cannot be achieved by the existing fixed urease introduction method. Moreover, the heat of the hot end of the refrigeration part is recovered for heating the dialysis fluid, improving the energy utilization rate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of portable devices for renal replacement therapy, in particular to a urease introduction device and method for a dialysate regeneration system. Background Art

[0002] Currently, most patients with chronic kidney disease undergo intermittent renal replacement therapy using large, immovable machines in the hospital. During dialysis, the concentrations of fluids, uremic toxins, and electrolytes change rapidly, which is far from the stable internal environment maintained by healthy kidneys. Intermittent renal replacement therapy results in low efficiency in removing uremic toxins and poor usability. With the development of microfluidics and nanotechnology, portable devices for renal replacement therapy, namely wearable artificial kidneys, were first realized in 2005. Wearable artificial kidneys can provide patients with more frequent and efficient toxin removal treatments outside the hospital.

[0003] Currently, wearable artificial kidney solutions mainly include wearable artificial kidneys based on hemodialysis and wearable artificial kidneys based on peritoneal dialysis. A large amount of dialysate is required during the treatment process. To achieve the wearability of the artificial kidney, dialysate regeneration technology is needed. That is, it is necessary to purify each dialysis waste liquid into reusable dialysate. The most abundant toxin in dialysis waste liquid is urea, which accounts for about 90% of renal nitrogen excretion. It is the waste solute with the highest daily molar production, at 240 - 470 mmol. Effective removal of urea is crucial for the cyclic regeneration of dialysate. To remove urea, the most efficient method is to use urease, relying on the specific catalytic decomposition ability of urease for urea to rapidly remove a large amount of urea. Urease is a highly specific enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea into ammonia and carbon dioxide. The enzymatic hydrolysis rate of urea is 10^14 times that of non-enzymatic hydrolysis.

[0004] In the prior art, the urease used in all wearable artificial kidneys that use urease is immobilized urease. Immobilized urease does not require low-temperature storage conditions and is insoluble in water. Therefore, the addition method is to directly place the immobilized urease into the adsorption box, let the dialysate containing urea pass through directly, and then replace the adsorption box. For details, reference can be made to the patent with the application number 2015800340133 and the title "Urease Introduction System for Supplementing the Adsorbent Cartridge". The problem with this introduction system is that the adsorption box needs to be replaced frequently, and the activity of immobilized urease is generally only one ten-thousandth to one thousandth of the activity of pure urease. If pure urease can be used, the removal effect of urea can be greatly improved. However, due to the requirement of pure urease for low-temperature storage, this introduction system is not suitable for directly introducing pure urease. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a urease introduction device and method for a dialysate regeneration system, realizing the real-time and quantitative introduction of pure urease in the dialysate regeneration system, and ensuring the activity and treatment efficiency of the urease solution during its use in an artificial kidney.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0007] The present application provides a urease introduction device for a dialysate regeneration system, including a storage part, a refrigeration part and a heat exchange part. The structure of the storage part includes a pressure chamber for storing pure urease. The structure of the heat exchange part includes a fluid channel for allowing the dialysate to pass through. The refrigeration part uses a thermoelectric cooling module. The cold end of the thermoelectric cooling module is used to conduct cold to the pressure chamber to provide a low-temperature storage environment for the pure urease, and the hot end of the thermoelectric cooling module is used to conduct heat to the fluid channel to heat the dialysate.

[0008] The further technical solution is:

[0009] The storage part is in a tubular structure, and a self-driving part is movably assembled in the tubular structure. The pressure chamber is formed between the self-driving part and the tubular structure. The self-driving part is used to quantitatively output pure urease from the pressure chamber.

[0010] The structure of the thermoelectric cooling module includes a refrigeration unit, and its structure is: a number of P-type semiconductors and N-type semiconductors are arranged at intervals in a circumferential direction in a ring structure. The inner side of the ring structure is connected into one body by a number of inner conductive sheets for the P-type semiconductors and N-type semiconductors in pairs. The outer side of the ring is connected into one body by a number of outer conductive sheets for the P-type semiconductors and N-type semiconductors in pairs. And between the circumferentially adjacent inner conductive sheet and the outer conductive sheet, they are connected in series through the same P-type semiconductor or N-type semiconductor to form a series of series-connected PN junctions, so that the inner conductive sheet and the outer conductive sheet respectively form the cold end and the hot end; a number of the refrigeration units are connected in series in sequence along the axial direction of the ring structure through conductive parts.

[0011] It also includes a heat conducting part. The heat conducting part includes an outer ceramic tube and an inner ceramic tube. The inner ceramic tube is arranged on the inner side of the ring structure and is connected to the inner conductive sheet. The outer ceramic tube is arranged on the outer side of the ring structure and is connected to the outer heat conducting sheet. The storage part is arranged on the inner side of the inner ceramic tube, and the heat exchange part is arranged on the outer side of the outer ceramic tube.

[0012] The inner conductive sheet and the outer conductive sheet are both arc-shaped copper sheets, making the whole thermoelectric cooling module in a circular ring shape. The cross-sections of the outer ceramic tube and the inner ceramic tube are both circular. The inner wall of the outer ceramic tube is bonded to the outer heat conducting sheet, and the outer wall of the inner ceramic tube is bonded to the inner conductive sheet.

[0013] The structure of the heat exchange part is a spiral coil pipe, and its two end interfaces are respectively connected to the dialysate storage bag.

[0014] The cross-section of the spiral coil pipe is semi-circular, and the inner side is closely attached to the outer ceramic pipe.

[0015] The outlet of the pressure chamber is connected to the dialysate regeneration system in the artificial kidney.

[0016] This application also provides a method for introducing urease into a dialysate regeneration system. By using the urease introduction device of the dialysate regeneration system, a pure urease solution is stored in the pressure chamber of the storage part. The cold end of the semiconductor refrigeration component of the refrigeration part is used to cool the storage part to provide a low-temperature storage environment for the pure urease. The hot end of the semiconductor refrigeration component of the refrigeration part is used to heat the heat exchange part, so that the dialysate flowing through the heat exchange part is heated to reach the temperature condition for entering the abdominal cavity.

[0017] The further technical solution is as follows:

[0018] When dialysate regeneration treatment is required, the self-driving part is used to quantitatively output the pure urease in the pressure chamber to the dialysate regeneration system in the artificial kidney, and the pure urease solution is used to decompose urea in the dialysate.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0020] 1. Create a low-temperature storage condition for pure urease, realize the real-time and quantitative introduction of pure urease in the dialysate regeneration system, and use pure urease to treat urea, with high efficiency far beyond that of the prior art using immobilized urease introduction.

[0021] 2. This application can provide a storage environment for the urease solution at 0 °C, so that it has a shelf life of at least one month, thereby ensuring the activity and treatment efficiency of the urease solution during use in the artificial kidney.

[0022] 3. Use the water-cooling method to dissipate heat from the semiconductor refrigeration chip, with the dialysate as the water-cooling liquid. On the one hand, it realizes the cooling of the hot end of the semiconductor refrigeration, and on the other hand, the heat is recovered to heat the dialysate to reach the temperature condition for entering the human abdominal cavity, and can be circularly heated, realizing the efficient utilization of energy.

[0023] 4. The structural design of the semiconductor refrigeration component is reasonable, and its structure matches the structure of the preservation tube for storing the urease solution, improving the utilization rate of the refrigeration power.

[0024] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described in the subsequent description, and some of them will become obvious from the description, or be understood by implementing the present invention. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] Figure 1Schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the introduction device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of a single refrigeration unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the current flow direction in a single refrigeration unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the current flow direction in the entire semiconductor refrigeration assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the heat-conducting ceramic sheet group and the semiconductor refrigeration assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the storage tube and the piston assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the introduction device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] In the figure: 1. Semiconductor refrigeration assembly; 2. Heat-conducting ceramic sheet group; 3. Water-cooling pipeline; 4. Storage tube; 5. Piston assembly; 6. Outer conductive sheet; 7. P-type semiconductor; 8. N-type semiconductor; 9. Outer ceramic tube; 10. Inner ceramic tube; 101. Refrigeration unit; 11. Piston; 12. Rack; 13. Reduction gear set; 14. Small servo motor; 15. Inner conductive sheet. Detailed implementation manners

[0033] The following describes the detailed implementation manners of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] The present application provides a urease introduction device for a dialysate regeneration system, including a storage part, a refrigeration part, and a heat exchange part. The structure of the storage part includes a pressure chamber for storing pure urease. The structure of the heat exchange part includes a fluid channel for allowing the dialysate to pass through. The refrigeration part uses a semiconductor refrigeration assembly. The cold end of the semiconductor refrigeration assembly is used to conduct cold to the pressure chamber to provide a low-temperature storage environment for the pure urease, and the hot end of the semiconductor refrigeration assembly is used to conduct heat to the fluid channel to heat the dialysate.

[0035] The storage part has a tubular structure, and a self-driving member is movably assembled inside the tubular structure. The pressure chamber is formed between the self-driving member and the tubular structure, and the self-driving member is used to quantitatively output pure urease from the pressure chamber.

[0036] The present application also provides a method for introducing urease into a dialysate regeneration system. By using the urease introduction device of the dialysate regeneration system, a pure urease solution is stored in the pressure chamber of the storage part. The storage part is cooled by the cold end of the semiconductor refrigeration module of the refrigeration part to provide a low-temperature storage environment for the pure urease. The heat end of the semiconductor refrigeration module of the refrigeration part is used to heat the heat exchange part, so that the dialysate flowing through the heat exchange part is heated to reach the temperature condition for entering the abdominal cavity.

[0037] When dialysate regeneration treatment is required, the pure urease in the pressure chamber is quantitatively output to the dialysate regeneration system by using a self-driving part, and the pure urease solution is used to decompose urea in the dialysate.

[0038] As a biological enzyme, urease needs to be stored at -20°C to be stored for a long time. Even if it only needs to be stored for several weeks to one month, it also needs to be stored below 0°C. The urease introduction device and method of the dialysate regeneration system of the present application achieve low-temperature storage of urease, enabling the use of pure urease to treat urea in dialysate, and having high efficiency far beyond that of using immobilized urease to treat urea in the prior art. In addition, while using the semiconductor refrigeration module for refrigeration, the heat generated at its heat end is recovered for circulating heating of the dialysate, so that the dialysate meets the temperature condition for entering the human abdominal cavity, and no energy is wasted during the process.

[0039] The technical solution of the present application will be further described below with specific embodiments.

[0040] See Figure 1 and Figure 7 For a urease introduction device of a dialysate regeneration system in this embodiment, it includes a storage tube 4, a piston assembly 5, a semiconductor refrigeration module 1, a thermally conductive ceramic sheet group 2, and a water-cooling pipeline 3;

[0041] The piston assembly 5 is movably assembled with the storage tube 4. The semiconductor refrigeration module 1 is fixedly arranged in the thermally conductive ceramic sheet group 2, and the cold end and the heat end face the inside and the outside of the thermally conductive ceramic sheet group 2 respectively. The storage tube 4 is fixedly arranged inside the thermally conductive ceramic sheet group 2. The storage tube 4 is used to store pure urease, and the piston assembly 5 can pump out the pure urease quantitatively, improving the convenience and real-time performance of the introduction operation.

[0042] See Figure 2, the structure of the semiconductor refrigeration module 1 includes a refrigeration unit 101, and its structure is as follows: a number of P-type semiconductors 7 and N-type semiconductors 8 are arranged at intervals in a circumferential direction in a ring structure. The inner side of the ring structure is connected into a whole by a number of inner conductive sheets 15 between the P-type semiconductors 7 and the N-type semiconductors 8 in pairs, and the outer side of the ring is connected into a whole by a number of outer conductive sheets 6 between the P-type semiconductors 7 and the N-type semiconductors 8 in pairs. And between the adjacent inner conductive sheet 15 and the outer conductive sheet 6 in the circumferential direction, they are connected in series through the same P-type semiconductor or N-type semiconductor, forming a series of series-connected PN junctions, so that the inner conductive sheet 15 and the outer conductive sheet 6 form a cold end and a hot end respectively; as Figure 1 shown, a number of refrigeration units 101 are connected in series in sequence along the axial direction of the ring structure through conductive members.

[0043] Specifically, both the inner conductive sheet and the outer conductive sheet are arc-shaped copper sheets, making the whole semiconductor refrigeration module circular. The cross-sections of the outer ceramic tube and the inner ceramic tube are both circular. The inner wall of the outer ceramic tube is bonded to the outer heat-conducting sheet, and the outer wall of the inner ceramic tube is bonded to the inner conductive sheet.

[0044] The semiconductor refrigeration module is designed to be circular, matching the shape of the preservation tube of the urease solution, and can maximize the utilization rate of its refrigeration power.

[0045] See Figure 3 , the current of the refrigeration unit 101 is as shown by the curve in the figure.

[0046] See Figure 4 , the current schematic diagram of the semiconductor refrigeration module 1. Wherein each layer of the ring represents the current flow direction of a refrigeration unit 101. For the convenience of expression, the circuit where the current fluctuates from the inner side to the outer side along the ring is simplified, and only simplified into a circular ring representation.

[0047] The continuous cooling of pure urease in the preservation tube can be realized through the semiconductor refrigeration module.

[0048] See Figure 5 , the heat-conducting ceramic sheet group 2 includes an outer ceramic tube 9 and an inner ceramic tube 10. The inner ceramic tube 10 is arranged on the inner side of the ring structure and is connected to the inner conductive sheet 15. The outer ceramic tube 9 is arranged on the outer side of the ring structure and is connected to the outer conductive sheet 6.

[0049] Preferably, the outer ceramic tube 9 and the outer conductive sheet 6 are in a tight fit, and the inner ceramic tube 10 and the inner conductive sheet 15 are in a tight fit.

[0050] The water-cooling pipe 3 can specifically adopt a single spiral coiled pipe wound outside the outer ceramic tube 9, and its two ends are respectively connected to the dialysis fluid storage bag, so that the dialysis fluid can continuously pass through the water-cooling pipe.

[0051] Specifically, the incoming flow of the water-cooling pipe is the processed dialysis fluid, and the outgoing flow is the dialysis fluid heated to meet the temperature condition for entering the human body.

[0052] The cross-section of the spiral coiled pipe is preferably semi-circular, and the inner side thereof is closely attached to the outer ceramic tube 9.

[0053] The spiral coiled pipe is preferably a brass pipe. A protective layer is attached to its inner surface to prevent reaction with the dialysis solution.

[0054] See Figure 6 , the structure of the piston assembly 5 includes a piston 11, a rack 12, a reduction gear set 13 and a small servo motor 14. The piston 11 is movably assembled with the storage tube 4 to form a syringe structure. The piston 11 is fixedly connected to the rack 12. The output of the small servo motor 14 is connected to the input of the reduction gear set 13, and the output of the reduction gear set 13 meshes with the rack 12. In this way, the formation of the piston 11 can be precisely controlled by the servo motor, so as to control the liquid output volume of the urease solution in the storage tube 4 to match the volume of the dialysis solution to be treated.

[0055] By using the introduction device and method of the present application, a storage environment at 0 °C can be provided for the urease solution, so that it has a shelf life of at least one month, thereby ensuring the activity and treatment efficiency of the urease solution during its use in the artificial kidney.

[0056] Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not used to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, for those skilled in the art, they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A urease introduction device for a dialysis fluid regeneration system, Characterized in that, It includes a storage part, a refrigeration part and a heat exchange part. The structure of the storage part includes a pressure chamber for storing pure urease. The structure of the heat exchange part includes a fluid channel for allowing dialysis fluid to pass through. The refrigeration part uses a thermoelectric refrigeration module. The cold end of the thermoelectric refrigeration module is used to conduct cold to the pressure chamber to provide a low temperature below 0°C for the pure urease, and the hot end of the thermoelectric refrigeration module is used to conduct heat to the fluid channel to heat the dialysis fluid.

2. The urease introduction device for a dialysis fluid regeneration system according to claim 1, Characterized in that, The storage part is in a tubular structure, and a self-driving part is movably assembled in the tubular structure. The pressure chamber is formed between the self-driving part and the tubular structure. The self-driving part is used to quantitatively output pure urease from the pressure chamber.

3. The urease introduction device for a dialysis fluid regeneration system according to claim 1, Characterized in that, The structure of the thermoelectric refrigeration module includes a refrigeration unit, and its structure is: a number of P-type semiconductors and N-type semiconductors are arranged at intervals in a circumferential direction in a ring structure. The inner side of the ring structure is connected into one body by a number of inner conductive sheets for the P-type semiconductors and N-type semiconductors in pairs. The outer side of the ring is connected into one body by a number of outer conductive sheets for the P-type semiconductors and N-type semiconductors in pairs. And between the adjacent inner conductive sheet and the outer conductive sheet in the circumferential direction, they are connected in series through the same P-type semiconductor or N-type semiconductor to form a series of PN junctions, so that the inner conductive sheet and the outer conductive sheet respectively form the cold end and the hot end; a number of the refrigeration units are connected in series in sequence along the axial direction of the ring structure through conductive parts.

4. The urease introduction device for a dialysis fluid regeneration system according to claim 3, Characterized in that, It further includes a heat conducting part. The heat conducting part includes an outer ceramic tube and an inner ceramic tube. The inner ceramic tube is arranged on the inner side of the ring structure and is connected to the inner conductive sheet. The outer ceramic tube is arranged on the outer side of the ring structure and is connected to the outer conductive sheet. The storage part is arranged on the inner side of the inner ceramic tube, and the heat exchange part is arranged on the outer side of the outer ceramic tube.

5. The urease introduction device for a dialysis fluid regeneration system according to claim 4, Characterized in that, Both the inner conductive sheet and the outer conductive sheet are arc-shaped copper sheets, so that the whole thermoelectric refrigeration module is in a circular ring shape. The cross-sections of the outer ceramic tube and the inner ceramic tube are both circular. The inner wall of the outer ceramic tube is bonded to the outer conductive sheet, and the outer wall of the inner ceramic tube is bonded to the inner conductive sheet.

6. The urease introduction device for a dialysis fluid regeneration system according to claim 4, Characterized in that, The structure of the heat exchange part is a spiral coil, and its two ends are respectively connected to a dialysis fluid storage bag.

7. The urease introduction device for a dialysis fluid regeneration system according to claim 6, Characterized in that, The cross-section of the spiral coil is semi-circular, and the inner side is closely attached to the outer ceramic tube.

8. The urease introduction device for a dialysis fluid regeneration system according to claim 1, Characterized in that, The outlet of the pressure chamber is connected to the dialysis fluid regeneration system in an artificial kidney.

9. A method for introducing urease into a dialysate regeneration system, using the urease introduction device of the dialysate regeneration system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, store the pure urease solution in the pressure chamber of the storage unit, use the cold end of the semiconductor refrigeration component of the refrigeration unit to cool the storage unit, provide a low-temperature storage environment for the pure urease, and use the hot end of the semiconductor refrigeration component of the refrigeration unit to heat the heat exchange unit to raise the temperature of the dialysate flowing through the heat exchange unit to reach the temperature condition for entering the abdominal cavity.

10. The method for introducing urease into the dialysate regeneration system according to claim 9, characterized in that, when dialysate regeneration treatment is required, use the self-driving component to quantitatively output the pure urease in the pressure chamber into the dialysate regeneration system in the artificial kidney, and use the pure urease solution to decompose urea in the dialysate.

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