Body cavity fluid treatment system

Abstract

This invention provides a body cavity fluid treatment system. The ascites fluid treatment system improves the recovery rate of useful components in the ascites fluid. The ascites fluid treatment system includes: a filter; a concentrator; a waste liquid container; a first delivery line connected to the inlet of the filter to deliver ascites fluid to the filter; a second delivery line connected to the outlet of the filter and the inlet of the concentrator to deliver the ascites fluid filtered by the filter to the concentrator; a third delivery line connected to the first outlet of the concentrator to discharge the ascites fluid concentrated by the concentrator; a fourth delivery line connected to the second outlet of the concentrator and the waste liquid container to deliver the waste liquid removed by the concentrator to the waste liquid container; a fifth delivery line connected to the waste liquid container and the second delivery line to deliver the waste liquid in the waste liquid container to the second delivery line; and a delivery control unit that controls the delivery of waste liquid from the waste liquid container sequentially through the fifth delivery line and the second delivery line to the concentrator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a body cavity fluid treatment system. Background Technology

[0002] Ascites, one of the body cavity fluids, is treated with a method called Cell-free and Concentrated Ascites Reinfusion Therapy. In this method, ascites is taken from the patient, and the ascites is concentrated while removing pathogenic substances such as bacteria and cancer cells, leaving useful components such as albumin. The concentrated ascites is then returned to the body.

[0003] In this treatment method, an ascites treatment system is typically used. This ascites treatment system uses a system in which, for example, an ascites bag, a filter, a concentrator, and a concentrated ascites bag are connected in this order, and the ascites is filtered and concentrated by using a pump or drop flow to move the ascites (see Patent Document 1). Separation membranes such as hollow fiber membranes are used in the filter and the concentrator.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-126763 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0008] Furthermore, when ascites is treated in such a system, the transmembrane pressure (TMP) of the concentrator increases due to membrane clogging. When the transmembrane pressure increases, not only water but also useful components in the ascites pass through the concentrator membrane and are discharged as waste. As a result, the amount of useful components ultimately recovered into the concentrated ascites bag decreases, and the recovery rate of useful components in ascites treatment is reduced.

[0009] The present invention was made in view of this point, and its purpose is to improve the recovery rate of useful components in body cavity fluids in body cavity fluid treatment systems that treat body cavity fluids such as ascites.

[0010] Solution for solving the problem

[0011] The inventors conducted in-depth research and found that the above-mentioned problems could be solved by further concentrating the waste liquid removed from the concentrator, thus completing the present invention.

[0012] That is, the present invention includes the following technical solutions.

[0013] (1) A body cavity fluid treatment system for treating body cavity fluid, wherein the body cavity fluid treatment system comprises: a filter; a concentrator; a waste liquid container; a first delivery line connected to the inlet of the filter to deliver body cavity fluid to the filter; a second delivery line connected to the outlet of the filter and the inlet of the concentrator to deliver body cavity fluid filtered by the filter to the concentrator; a third delivery line connected to the first outlet of the concentrator to discharge body cavity fluid concentrated by the concentrator; a fourth delivery line connected to the second outlet of the concentrator and the waste liquid container to deliver waste liquid removed by the concentrator to the waste liquid container; a fifth delivery line connected to the waste liquid container and the second delivery line to deliver waste liquid in the waste liquid container to the second delivery line; and a delivery control component for controlling the delivery of waste liquid from the waste liquid container to the concentrator sequentially through the fifth delivery line and the second delivery line.

[0014] (2) The body cavity fluid treatment system according to (1), wherein the fluid delivery control component is configured to selectively deliver waste fluid from the waste fluid container sequentially through the fifth fluid delivery line and the second fluid delivery line to the concentrator, and deliver body cavity fluid from the filter through the second fluid delivery line to the concentrator.

[0015] (3) The body cavity fluid treatment system according to (1) or (2), wherein the fluid delivery control component comprises at least one of a pump and a valve.

[0016] (4) The body cavity fluid treatment system according to (3), wherein the body cavity fluid treatment system further comprises a control device that controls the pump or valve of the fluid delivery control component to perform the delivery of waste liquid from the waste liquid container to the concentrator.

[0017] (5) The body cavity fluid treatment system according to (3) or (4), wherein the fluid delivery control component has a first pump provided in the second fluid delivery line, a first valve provided in the second fluid delivery line and a second valve provided in the fifth fluid delivery line, the fifth fluid delivery line being connected at a position between the first pump and the first valve in the second fluid delivery line.

[0018] (6) The body cavity fluid treatment system according to (3) or (4), wherein the fluid delivery control component has a first pump provided in the second fluid delivery line and a second pump provided in the fifth fluid delivery line, the fifth fluid delivery line being connected to the second fluid delivery line at a position closer to the concentrator side than the first pump.

[0019] (7) The body cavity fluid treatment system according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the body cavity fluid treatment system further comprises a detection unit for detecting the amount of waste liquid contained in the waste liquid container.

[0020] (8) The body cavity fluid treatment system according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the body cavity fluid treatment system further comprises a reverse delivery component that reverses the flow of waste liquid in the waste container to the concentrator through the fourth delivery line.

[0021] (9) The body cavity fluid treatment system according to (8), wherein the reverse fluid delivery component is configured to selectively deliver the waste fluid delivered to the concentrator to the waste fluid container by sequentially passing it through the second fluid delivery line and the fifth fluid delivery line, and to deliver the waste fluid delivered to the concentrator to the filter by passing it through the second fluid delivery line.

[0022] (10) The body cavity fluid treatment system according to (9), wherein the reverse fluid delivery component has a pump located in the second fluid delivery line and capable of delivering waste liquid from the concentrator toward the filter side.

[0023] (11) The body cavity fluid treatment system according to any one of (1) to (10), wherein the fifth fluid delivery line is connected to the waste liquid container at a position lower than the fourth fluid delivery line.

[0024] The effects of the invention

[0025] According to the present invention, in a coelomic fluid treatment system for treating coelomic fluid, the recovery rate of useful components in the coelomic fluid can be improved. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is an explanatory diagram showing the outline of the ascites treatment system of the first embodiment.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a flowchart representing the control process of the ascites treatment system.

[0028] Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram showing the state of the ascites treatment system during the filtration and concentration process.

[0029] Figure 4 This is an explanatory diagram showing the state of the ascites treatment system during the secondary concentration treatment of waste liquid.

[0030] Figure 5 This is an explanatory diagram showing the outline of the structure of an ascites treatment system using a single valve.

[0031] Figure 6 This is an explanatory diagram showing other structural examples of the ascites treatment system of the first embodiment.

[0032] Figure 7This is an explanatory diagram showing the outline of the ascites treatment system of the second embodiment.

[0033] Figure 8 This is a flowchart representing the control process of the ascites treatment system.

[0034] Figure 9 This is an explanatory diagram showing the state of the ascites treatment system during the filtration and concentration process.

[0035] Figure 10 This is an explanatory diagram showing the state of the ascites treatment system during the cleaning of the concentrator.

[0036] Figure 11 This is an explanatory diagram showing the state of the ascites treatment system during filter cleaning.

[0037] Figure 12 This is an explanatory diagram showing the state of the ascites treatment system during the secondary concentration treatment of waste liquid.

[0038] Figure 13 This is an explanatory diagram showing other structural examples of the ascites treatment system of the second embodiment.

[0039] Figure 14 This is an explanatory diagram showing the outline of the structure of an ascites treatment system when using a gravimeter.

[0040] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0041] 1. Ascites treatment system; 10. Ascites bag; 11. Filter; 12. Concentrator; 13. Concentrated ascites bag; 14. Waste liquid container; 15. First liquid delivery line; 16. Second liquid delivery line; 17. Third liquid delivery line; 18. Fourth liquid delivery line; 19. Fifth liquid delivery line; 20. Liquid delivery control components; 21. Control device. Detailed Implementation

[0042] Hereinafter, an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the positional relationships such as up, down, left, and right in this specification are based on the positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0043] (First Embodiment)

[0044] Figure 1 This is an explanatory diagram showing the outline of the structure of the ascites treatment system 1, which is the body cavity fluid treatment system of this embodiment.

[0045] The ascites treatment system 1 includes an ascites bag 10 as a body cavity fluid container, a filter 11, a concentrator 12, a concentrated ascites bag 13 as a concentrated body cavity fluid container, a waste liquid container 14, a first fluid delivery line 15, a second fluid delivery line 16, a third fluid delivery line 17, a fourth fluid delivery line 18, a fifth fluid delivery line 19, a fluid delivery control component 20, and a control device 21.

[0046] The ascites bag 10 is, for example, a soft bag capable of holding ascites collected from the patient.

[0047] The filter 11 has, for example, a cylindrical housing. The filter 11 has liquid inlets 11a and 11b at both ends in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) and two liquid inlets 11c and 11d on the side.

[0048] The filter 11 includes, for example, a hollow fiber membrane 30 that removes specified pathogenic substances such as bacteria and cancer cells while allowing specified useful components such as albumin to pass through. The inner region of the filter membrane 30 (the inner region of the hollow fiber membrane) communicates with the liquid inlets 11a and 11b, and the outer region of the filter membrane 30 (the outer region of the hollow fiber membrane) communicates with the liquid inlets 11c and 11d. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the liquid inlets 11b and 11c are closed.

[0049] The concentrator 12 has, for example, a cylindrical shell. The concentrator 12 has liquid inlets 12a and 12b at both ends in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) and two liquid inlets 12c and 12d on the side.

[0050] The concentrator 12 includes, for example, a concentrator membrane 40 such as a hollow fiber membrane for concentrating fluid by removing water from the ascites. The inner region of the concentrator membrane 40 communicates with the inlets 12a and 12b, and the outer region of the concentrator membrane 40 communicates with the inlets 12c and 12d. In this embodiment, the inlet 12d is closed.

[0051] The concentrated ascites bag 13 is, for example, a soft bag capable of holding the concentrated ascites obtained by the concentrator 12. The concentrated ascites bag 13 is positioned lower than the ascites bag 10.

[0052] Waste liquid container 14 is, for example, a flexible bag capable of holding the waste liquid removed by concentrator 12. Waste liquid container 14 is positioned, for example, lower than ascites bag 10 and concentrated ascites bag 13.

[0053] The first fluid delivery line 15 is connected to the ascites bag 10 and the filter 11. The upstream end of the first fluid delivery line 15 is connected to the ascites bag 10, and the downstream end of the first fluid delivery line 15 is connected to the fluid inlet 11a of the filter 11. Furthermore, in this specification, "upstream side" refers to the direction that is upstream during the normal filtration and concentration process where the ascites flows in the order of filter and concentrator, and "downstream side" refers to the direction that is downstream during the normal filtration and concentration process.

[0054] The second liquid delivery line 16 is connected to the filter 11 and the concentrator 12. The upstream end of the second liquid delivery line 16 is connected to the liquid inlet 11d of the filter 11, and the downstream end of the second liquid delivery line 16 is connected to the liquid inlet 12b of the concentrator 12.

[0055] The third fluid delivery line 17 is connected to the concentrator 12 and the concentrated ascites bag 13. The upstream end of the third fluid delivery line 17 is connected to the fluid inlet 12a of the concentrator 12, and the downstream end of the third fluid delivery line 17 is connected to the concentrated ascites bag 13.

[0056] The fourth liquid delivery line 18 is connected to the concentrator 12 and the waste liquid container 14. The upstream end of the fourth liquid delivery line 18 is connected to the liquid inlet 12c of the concentrator 12, and the downstream end of the fourth liquid delivery line 18 is connected to the waste liquid container 14.

[0057] The fifth liquid delivery line 19 is connected to the waste liquid container 14 and the second liquid delivery line 16. One end of the fifth liquid delivery line 19 is connected to the waste liquid container 14, and the other end is connected to the second liquid delivery line 16. The fifth liquid delivery line 19 is connected to the waste liquid container 14 at a position lower than the connection point between the waste liquid container 14 and the fourth liquid delivery line 18. Furthermore, for the first lines 15 to the fifth lines 19, for example, flexible tubing is used.

[0058] The liquid delivery control unit 20 has the following function: controlling the delivery of waste liquid from the waste liquid container 14 to the concentrator 12 sequentially through the fifth liquid delivery line 19 and the second liquid delivery line 16. Furthermore, the liquid delivery control unit 20 is configured to selectively deliver ascites from the filter 11 to the concentrator 12 through the second liquid delivery line 16, and to deliver waste liquid from the waste liquid container 14 to the concentrator 12 through the fifth liquid delivery line 19 and the second liquid delivery line 16.

[0059] For example, the liquid delivery control unit 20 has a first pump 50 and a first valve 51 provided on the second liquid delivery line 16, and a second valve 52 provided on the fifth liquid delivery line 19.

[0060] The first pump 50, for example, is a tubular pump capable of clamping the tube of the second delivery line 16 to pressurize and deliver ascites fluid. Additionally, the first pump 50 closes the second delivery line 16 when it stops. Valve 51 can open and close the delivery line 16, and valve 52 can open and close the delivery line 19.

[0061] The control device 21 is, for example, a computer equipped with a CPU, memory, etc. The control device 21 can control the operation of various devices such as the first pump 50, the first valve 51, and the second valve 52 to perform ascites treatment. For example, the control device 21 can perform ascites treatment by having the CPU execute a program stored in memory.

[0062] For example, control device 21 opens valve 51, closes valve 52, and operates pump 50, thereby sequentially conveying the ascites in ascites bag 10 to first delivery line 15, filter 11, second delivery line 16, concentrator 12, third delivery line 17, and concentrated ascites bag 13, enabling ascites filtration and concentration. Furthermore, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of filtration and concentration, control device 21 closes valve 51, opens valve 52, and operates pump 50, thereby conveying waste liquid in waste container 14 sequentially through fifth delivery line 19 and second delivery line 16 to concentrator 12, enabling further concentration of the waste liquid.

[0063] Next, the ascites treatment using the above-described ascites treatment system 1 will be explained. Figure 2 An example of the control flow of the control device 21 in the ascites treatment is shown.

[0064] First, such as Figure 1 As shown, an ascites bag 10 containing ascites fluid collected from the patient is connected to the first delivery line 15. Then, as... Figure 3 As shown, close valve 2 52 and open valve 1 51 to start pump 1 50 and begin the filtration and concentration process of ascites fluid.

[0065] At this time, the ascites in the ascites bag 10 is delivered to the filter 11 through the first delivery line 15. The ascites flows into the inner region of the filter membrane 30 from the inlet 11a of the filter 11 and flows out through the outer region of the filter membrane 30. At this time, the prescribed pathogenic substances are removed from the ascites.

[0066] Ascites fluid flowing out of the outer region of the filter membrane 30 flows from the inlet 11d of the filter 11 to the second delivery line 16, and is then transported to the concentrator 12 via the second delivery line 16. Ascites fluid flows into the inner region of the concentrator 12 from the inlet 12b and exits from the inlet 12a. At this time, a portion of the ascites fluid, mainly water, flows out through the concentrator 40 to the outer region. Thus, the ascites fluid is concentrated primarily by removing water. The ascites fluid concentrated by the concentrator 12 is contained in the concentrated ascites fluid bag 13 via the third delivery line 17.

[0067] On the other hand, the waste liquid removed by the concentrator 12 is contained in the waste liquid container 14 via the fourth delivery line 18. This waste liquid contains some of the useful components of the ascites fluid.

[0068] When a specified amount of waste liquid is contained in waste liquid container 14, for example, when a specified time has elapsed since the start of the filtration and concentration process, such as... Figure 4 As shown, valve 51 is closed and valve 52 is opened. This stops the flow of ascites fluid from filter 11 to concentrator 12. The waste fluid contained in waste container 14 is then transported from 5 delivery line 19 to 2 delivery line 16 by pump 50, and then to concentrator 12 for further concentration (re-concentration of waste fluid). The waste fluid (concentrated ascites) after further concentration by concentrator 12 is contained in concentrated ascites bag 13 via 3 delivery line 17. Additionally, the waste fluid removed by concentrator 12 is returned to waste container 14 via 4 delivery line 18.

[0069] When the waste liquid in waste liquid container 14 is concentrated again to a predetermined amount, for example, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the waste liquid reconcentration process, such as... Figure 3 As shown, valve 51 is opened and valve 52 is closed, stopping the flow of waste liquid from waste liquid container 14 to concentrator 12, and restarting the flow of ascites fluid from filter 11 to concentrator 12, thus restarting the filtration and concentration process. Then, for example, the above-mentioned filtration and concentration of ascites fluid and the re-concentration of waste liquid are repeated until all the ascites fluid in ascites bag 10 has been treated, at which point pump 50 is stopped, and the series of ascites fluid treatments ends.

[0070] According to this embodiment, the ascites treatment system 1 includes a fifth delivery line 19 for conveying waste liquid from waste liquid container 14 to a second delivery line 16, and a delivery control unit 20 for controlling the delivery of waste liquid from waste liquid container 14 to concentrator 12 via the fifth delivery line 19 and the second delivery line 16. This system can deliver waste liquid from waste liquid container 14 to concentrator 12 for further concentration. As a result, useful components contained in the waste liquid in waste liquid container 14 can be recovered, thus improving the recovery rate of useful components in ascites.

[0071] Furthermore, the liquid delivery control unit 20 is configured to selectively deliver waste liquid from the waste liquid container 14 sequentially through the fifth liquid delivery line 19 and the second liquid delivery line 16 to the concentrator 12, and deliver ascites fluid from the filter 11 through the second liquid delivery line 16 to the concentrator 12. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately switch between the filtration and concentration treatment of ascites fluid and the re-concentration treatment of waste liquid.

[0072] Since the ascites treatment system 1 has a control device 21 that controls the pump 50, valve 51, and valve 52 of the liquid delivery control component 20 to perform the delivery of waste liquid from the waste liquid container 14 to the concentrator 12, it can perform the waste liquid re-concentration treatment simply and stably.

[0073] The fluid delivery control unit 20 includes a first pump 50 located on the second fluid delivery line 16, a first valve 51 located on the second fluid delivery line 16, and a second valve 52 located on the fifth fluid delivery line 19. The fifth fluid delivery line 19 is connected between the first pump 50 and the first valve 51 in the second fluid delivery line 16. Therefore, a single pump 50 can be used to optimally perform ascites filtration and concentration treatment and waste liquid re-concentration treatment.

[0074] Since the fifth liquid delivery line 19 is connected to the waste liquid container 14 at a lower position than the fourth liquid delivery line 18, it is possible to prevent the gas inside the waste liquid container 14 from flowing into the fifth liquid delivery line 19.

[0075] The structure of the ascites treatment system 1 in this embodiment is not limited to the structure described above. For example, in this embodiment, the fluid delivery control unit 20 has two valves 51 and 52, which can selectively deliver ascites from the filter 11 to the concentrator 12 through the second fluid delivery line 16 and waste liquid from the waste liquid container 14 to the concentrator 12 through the fifth fluid delivery line 19 and the second fluid delivery line 16. However, it is also possible to replace the two valves 51 and 52, for example, as... Figure 5 As shown, the connection between the 5th liquid delivery line 19 and the 2nd liquid delivery line 16 is equipped with a valve 53, including a three-way valve and a three-way stopcock.

[0076] Alternatively, if the liquid delivery control component 20 is a component that controls the delivery of waste liquid from the waste liquid container 14 to the concentrator 12 sequentially through the fifth liquid delivery line 19 and the second liquid delivery line 16, it may have other structures. For example, Figure 6As shown, the liquid delivery control unit 20 has a first pump 70 located on the second liquid delivery line 16 and a second pump 71 located on the fifth liquid delivery line 19. The fifth liquid delivery line 19 is connected to a portion of the second liquid delivery line 16 closer to the concentrator 12 than the first pump 70. In this case, for example, the second pump 71 is stopped and the first pump 70 is activated, and the ascites fluid in the ascites bag 10 is sequentially delivered to the filter 11, the concentrator 12, and the concentrated ascites bag 13 for filtration and concentration. Afterwards, when the waste liquid container 14 contains a predetermined amount of waste liquid, the second pump 71 is activated and the first pump 70 is stopped, and the waste liquid in the waste liquid container 14 is sequentially delivered to the concentrator 12 through the fifth liquid delivery line 19 and the second liquid delivery line 16 for further concentration. In this case, the filtration and concentration of the ascites fluid and the further concentration of the waste liquid can also be performed optimally.

[0077] Furthermore, when using two pumps as described above, the first pump 70 and the second pump 71 can be arranged in two layers, one above the other, within the casing of the ascites treatment system 1. In this case, the installation space for pumps 70 and 71 can be reduced, thus preventing the ascites treatment system 1 from becoming too large.

[0078] Alternatively, in the ascites treatment system 1, a drop in elevation can be used instead of a pump to transport the ascites and waste liquid. In this case, the ascites treatment system 1 is configured to allow for appropriate changes in the height of the ascites bag 10, the concentrated ascites bag 13, and the waste liquid container 14, for example, in... Figure 1 In this embodiment, the liquid delivery control unit 20 may not have a first pump 50, but may have a first valve 51 and a second valve 52.

[0079] (Second Implementation)

[0080] Alternatively, the ascites treatment system 1 may also have the function of using waste liquid in waste liquid container 14 to clean filter 11 and concentrator 12. In this case, for example... Figure 7 As shown, the ascites treatment system 1 includes a reverse delivery component 90 that reversely delivers the waste liquid in the waste liquid container 14 to the concentrator 12 via the fourth delivery line 18.

[0081] Furthermore, the reverse liquid delivery component 90 is configured to selectively deliver the waste liquid delivered to the concentrator 12 to the waste liquid container 14 by sequentially passing it through the second liquid delivery line 16 and the fifth liquid delivery line 19, and to deliver the waste liquid delivered to the concentrator 12 to the filter 11 by passing it through the second liquid delivery line 16.

[0082] For example, the reverse liquid delivery component 90 includes a first pump 50, a first valve 51, and a second valve 52. The first pump 50 is a pump capable of delivering liquid in both forward and reverse directions. Additionally, a pump 100 serving as an on / off device is provided on the third liquid delivery line 17, and a sixth liquid delivery line 101 is connected to the liquid delivery port 11b in the inner region of the filter membrane 30 of the filter 11. A valve 102 serving as an on / off device is provided on the sixth liquid delivery line 101. A valve 103 serving as an on / off device is provided on the first liquid delivery line 15. Furthermore, if the aforementioned on / off device has the function of opening and closing the liquid delivery line, it can be either a valve or a pump.

[0083] Furthermore, a pressure measuring device 110 is provided in the second liquid delivery line 16 to measure the pressure on the inner region of the concentrator membrane 40 of the concentrator 12. The pressure measuring device 110 is, for example, located between the first pump 50 and the concentrator 12 in the second liquid delivery line 16. Additionally, for example, a line 111 is connected to the liquid delivery port 11c of the filter 11, and a pressure measuring device 112 is provided in the line 111 to measure the pressure on the outer region of the filter membrane 30 of the filter 11.

[0084] The control device 21 can control the operation of the first pump 50, the first valve 51 and the second valve 52, the pump 100, the valve 102 and the valve 103 of the reverse liquid delivery component 90 based on the measurement results of the pressure measuring devices 110 and 112. This allows the waste liquid delivered to the concentrator 12 to be sequentially delivered to the waste liquid container 14 via the second liquid delivery line 16 and the fifth liquid delivery line 19, or to be delivered to the filter 11 via the second liquid delivery line 16. For example, during re-concentration, the control device 21 can adjust the flow rate ratio of pump 100 to pump 50 based on the pressure measured by the pressure measuring device 110. More specifically, the higher the pressure measured by the pressure measuring device 110, the greater the flow rate ratio of pump 100 to pump 50. As an example, the control device 21 can increase the flow rate ratio of pump 100 to pump 50 by increasing the flow rate of pump 100. On the other hand, the lower the pressure measured by the pressure measuring device 110, the smaller the ratio of the flow rate of pump 100 to the flow rate of pump 50 should be. As an example, the control device 21 can reduce the ratio of the flow rate of pump 100 to the flow rate of pump 50 by reducing the flow rate of pump 100. As a result, it is possible to perform a second concentration treatment of the waste liquid that is suitable for the state of the concentrator 12.

[0085] The other structures of the ascites treatment system 1 are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, and the same reference numerals are used for them and the description is omitted.

[0086] Next, the ascites treatment of this ascites treatment system 1 will be described. Figure 8An example of the control flow of the control device 21 in the ascites treatment is shown.

[0087] First, such as Figure 9 As shown, ascites fluid is filtered and concentrated. Valve 103 and valve 51 are opened, and valves 102 and 52 are closed, activating pumps 50 and 100. Ascites fluid in the ascites bag 10 is transported to filter 11 via the first delivery line 15, and from filter 11 to concentrator 12 via the second delivery line 16, and then to concentrated ascites bag 13 via the third delivery line 17. Waste liquid removed by concentrator 12 is collected in waste liquid container 14 via the fourth delivery line 18.

[0088] In the filtration and concentration process, pressure measuring devices 110 and 112 are used, for example, to measure the pressure in the inner region of the concentration membrane 40 in the concentrator 12 and the pressure in the outer region of the filter membrane 30 in the filter 11.

[0089] Then, when the waste liquid container 14 contains a specified amount of waste liquid and the pressure in the inner region of the concentrator membrane 40 in the concentrator 12 exceeds a specified threshold and the concentrator membrane 40 is detected to be blocked, or the pressure in the outer region of the filter membrane 30 in the filter 11 is lower than a specified threshold and the filter membrane 30 is detected to be blocked, a cleaning operation (blockage removal operation) is performed on the concentrator 12 and the filter 11.

[0090] At this time, as Figure 10 As shown, firstly, valves 51, 102, and 103 are closed, and valve 52 is opened to stop pump 100. In this state, pump 50 is operated in the reverse direction (towards the filter 11 side in the second delivery line 16). Thus, waste liquid in waste container 14 is transported to concentrator 12 via fourth delivery line 18. Waste liquid flows from the inlet 12c of concentrator 12 into the outer region of concentrator membrane 40, and then into the inner region of concentrator membrane 40. At this time, concentrator membrane 40 is cleaned, eliminating blockages. Waste liquid flowing into the inner region of concentrator membrane 40 is returned to waste container 14 sequentially via second delivery line 16 and fifth delivery line 19.

[0091] Next, for example, Figure 11As shown, valves 52 and 103 are closed, and valves 51 and 102 are opened, stopping pump 100. In this state, pump 50 is operated in the reverse direction. Thus, the waste liquid in waste container 14 is conveyed to filter 11 through concentrator 12 and via second delivery line 16. The waste liquid flows from the inlet 11d of filter 11 into the outer region of filter membrane 30, and then into the inner region of filter membrane 30. At this time, filter membrane 30 is cleaned, eliminating blockage. The waste liquid flowing into the inner region of filter membrane 30 is discharged through sixth delivery line 101.

[0092] If the waste liquid container 14 contains a specified amount of waste liquid and the pressure in the inner region of the concentrator 12's concentrator membrane 40 is below a specified threshold or the pressure in the outer region of the filter membrane 30 in the filter 11 is above a specified threshold, and no blockage of the filter membrane 30 or the concentrator membrane 40 is detected, then the waste liquid is further concentrated. At this time, if... Figure 12 As shown, valves 51, 102, and 103 are closed, and valve 52 is opened. In this state, pumps 50 and 100 are operated (rotated) in the positive direction (the direction from the filter 11 side to the concentrator 12 side in the second liquid delivery line 16). Thus, the waste liquid in waste container 14 is sequentially transported to the concentrator 12 through the fifth liquid delivery line 19 and the second liquid delivery line 16, where it is concentrated again. Afterwards, when the waste liquid in waste container 14 has been concentrated again to a predetermined amount, as... Figure 9 As shown, valves 11 and 103 are opened, valve 52 is closed, the flow of waste liquid from waste liquid container 14 to concentrator 12 is stopped, and the flow of ascites from filter 11 to concentrator 12 is restarted, and the ascites filtration and concentration process is restarted. Then, for example, the above-mentioned ascites filtration and concentration process, the cleaning of concentrator 12 and filter 11, and the re-concentration of waste liquid are repeated. After all the ascites in the ascites bag 10 has been treated, pumps 50 and 100 are stopped, and the series of ascites treatments ends.

[0093] According to this embodiment, the recovery rate of useful components in ascites fluid can be improved, and the waste liquid in waste liquid container 14 can be used to clean the concentrator membrane 40 of concentrator 12 and the filter membrane 30 of filter 11. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide cleaning solution for membrane cleaning, a container for holding the cleaning solution, etc., and the concentrator 12 and filter 11 can be cleaned using a simple device. In addition, the total waste liquid volume of ascites fluid treatment is reduced, thus reducing medical costs.

[0094] The reverse liquid delivery component 90 is configured to selectively deliver waste liquid delivered to the concentrator 12 sequentially through the second liquid delivery line 16 and the fifth liquid delivery line 19 to the waste liquid container 14, and to deliver waste liquid delivered to the concentrator 12 through the second liquid delivery line 16 to the filter 11. Therefore, not only can the concentrator 12 be cleaned more effectively, but the filter 11 can also be cleaned more effectively.

[0095] Since the reverse liquid delivery component 90 has a first pump 50 located in the second liquid delivery line 16 and capable of delivering waste liquid from the concentrator 12 toward the filter 11, the concentrator 12 and the filter 11 can be cleaned more effectively.

[0096] In this embodiment, if the reverse liquid delivery component 90 is a component that can reverse the flow of waste liquid in the waste liquid container 14 to the concentrator 12 through the fourth liquid delivery line 18, it may have other structures. For example, similar to the liquid delivery control component 20 in the first embodiment, the first valve 51 and the second valve 52 may be a single valve consisting of a three-way valve, a three-way stopcock, or the like.

[0097] In addition, for example, Figure 13 As shown, the reverse liquid delivery component 90 may also have a first pump 130 located in the second liquid delivery line 16, capable of delivering liquid in both forward and reverse directions, and a second pump 131 located in the fifth liquid delivery line 19, capable of delivering liquid in both forward and reverse directions. The fifth liquid delivery line 19 is connected to a portion of the second liquid delivery line 16 that is closer to the concentrator 12 than the first pump 130.

[0098] In this scenario, for example, the second pump 131 is stopped, and the first pump 130 operates in the forward direction. The ascites in the ascites bag 10 is sequentially transported to the filter 11, concentrator 12, and concentrated ascites bag 13 for filtration and concentration. Subsequently, if the waste liquid container 14 contains a predetermined amount of waste liquid and the pressure in the inner region of the concentrator membrane 40 exceeds a predetermined threshold, indicating blockage of the concentrator membrane 40, or the pressure in the outer region of the filter membrane 30 in the filter 11 falls below a predetermined threshold, indicating blockage of the filter membrane 30, the first pump 130 is stopped, and the second pump 131 operates in the reverse direction (towards the waste liquid container 14 via the fifth delivery line 19). The waste liquid in the waste liquid container 14 is transported to the concentrator 12 via the fourth delivery line 18 to clean the concentrator membrane 40. The waste liquid after passing through the concentrator 12 is returned to the waste liquid container 14 sequentially via the second delivery line 16 and the fifth delivery line 19. Next, pump 131 is stopped, and pump 130 is reversed. The waste liquid in waste container 14 is sequentially transported to filter 11 through the fourth delivery line 18, concentrator 12, and second delivery line 16, cleaning the filter membrane 30 of filter 11. The waste liquid after passing through filter 11 is discharged through the sixth delivery line 101. Then, when waste container 14 contains a specified amount of waste liquid, pump 130 is stopped, and pump 131 is reversed (in the opposite direction to waste container 14 in the fifth delivery line 19). The waste liquid in waste container 14 is sequentially transported to concentrator 12 through the fifth delivery line 19 and second delivery line 16, where it is further concentrated. In this configuration, the filtration and concentration of ascites fluid, the cleaning of concentrator 12 and filter 11, and the further concentration of waste liquid can be performed more effectively.

[0099] Furthermore, the first pump 130 and the second pump 131 can be arranged in two layers, one above the other, within the housing of the ascites treatment system 1. In this case, the installation space for the pumps 130 and 131 can be reduced, thus preventing the ascites treatment system 1 from becoming too large.

[0100] In this embodiment, it is not necessary to clean the filter 11; only the concentrator 12 may need to be cleaned. Furthermore, the timing of cleaning the concentrator 12 and the filter 11 does not necessarily have to be based on the measurement results of the pressure measuring devices 110 and 112; for example, it may be performed after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the filtration and concentration process.

[0101] (Other forms)

[0102] In the first and second embodiments described above, the amount of waste liquid contained in the waste liquid container 14 is determined by the filtration and concentration treatment time of the ascites fluid, but if... Figure 14As shown, a weight gauge 150, which is a detection unit for measuring the weight of the waste liquid container 14, can also be used. In this case, if the weight of the waste liquid container 14 measured by the weight gauge 150 exceeds a predetermined threshold, it can be considered that the waste liquid container 14 contains a predetermined amount of waste liquid, and based on this, further concentration of the waste liquid in the waste liquid container 14, cleaning of the concentrator 12 and filter 11 using the waste liquid in the waste liquid container 14 can be performed. Alternatively, instead of the weight gauge 150, a liquid level sensor or the like, which detects the liquid level in the waste liquid container 14, can be used to detect the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid container 14.

[0103] Furthermore, the structure of the ascites treatment system 1 is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, in the above embodiments, the first fluid delivery line 15 is connected to the inner region of the filter membrane 30 of the filter 11, and the second fluid delivery line 16 is connected to the outer region of the filter membrane 30. However, it can also be reversed, that is, the first fluid delivery line 15 is connected to the outer region of the filter membrane 30, and the second fluid delivery line 16 is connected to the inner region of the filter membrane 30. In addition, the second fluid delivery line 16 and the third fluid delivery line 17 are connected to the inner region of the concentration membrane 40 of the concentrator 12, and the fourth fluid delivery line 18 is connected to the outer region of the concentration membrane 40. However, it can also be reversed, that is, the second fluid delivery line 16 and the third fluid delivery line 17 are connected to the outer region of the concentration membrane 40, and the fourth fluid delivery line 18 is connected to the inner region of the concentration membrane 40.

[0104] In the above embodiments, the ascites treatment system 1 filters and concentrates the ascites in the ascites bag 10 and contains it in the concentrated ascites bag 13. Alternatively, the patient's ascites can be directly extracted to the first fluid delivery line 15 for filtration and concentration. In this case, a puncture needle can be connected to the front end of the first fluid delivery line 15. Alternatively, the ascites treatment system 1 contains the filtered and concentrated ascites in the concentrated ascites bag 13, but it can also return the concentrated ascites directly to the patient through the third fluid delivery line 17. In this case, a puncture needle can be connected to the front end of the third fluid delivery line 17.

[0105] The above embodiments are examples of applying the present invention to an ascites treatment system 1 for treating ascites, but the present invention can also be applied to a body cavity fluid treatment system for treating pleural effusion and other body cavity fluids.

[0106] In the above embodiments, a recirculation line for further concentrating the liquid in the concentrated ascites bag 13 may be provided, and a membrane cleaning line for cleaning the filter 12 may also be provided.

[0107] Industrial availability

[0108] This invention is useful in improving the recovery rate of useful components in body cavity fluids in body cavity fluid treatment systems.

Claims

1. A body cavity fluid treatment system for treating body cavity fluid, wherein, This body cavity fluid treatment system has the following features: Filter; Concentrator; Waste liquid containers; The first fluid delivery line is connected to the filter inlet and delivers body cavity fluid to the filter. The second fluid delivery line, which connects to the outlet of the filter and the inlet of the concentrator, delivers the body cavity fluid filtered by the filter to the concentrator. The third liquid delivery line is connected to the first outlet of the concentrator and will discharge the body cavity fluid concentrated by the concentrator. The fourth liquid delivery line is connected to the second outlet of the concentrator and the waste liquid container, and delivers the waste liquid removed by the concentrator to the waste liquid container. A fifth liquid delivery line, connected to the waste liquid container and the second liquid delivery line, delivers the waste liquid in the waste liquid container to the second liquid delivery line; and A liquid delivery control unit controls the delivery of waste liquid from the waste liquid container to the concentrator sequentially through the fifth liquid delivery line and the second liquid delivery line.

2. The body cavity fluid treatment system according to claim 1, wherein, The liquid delivery control unit is configured to selectively deliver waste liquid from the waste liquid container sequentially through the fifth liquid delivery line and the second liquid delivery line to the concentrator, and deliver body cavity fluid from the filter through the second liquid delivery line to the concentrator.

3. The body cavity fluid treatment system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The liquid delivery control component includes at least one of a pump and a valve.

4. The body cavity fluid treatment system according to claim 3, wherein, The body cavity fluid treatment system also includes a control device that controls the pump or valve of the fluid delivery control component to perform the delivery of waste fluid from the waste fluid container to the concentrator.

5. The body cavity fluid treatment system according to claim 3, wherein, The liquid delivery control component includes a first pump located on the second liquid delivery line, a first valve located on the second liquid delivery line, and a second valve located on the fifth liquid delivery line. The fifth liquid delivery line is connected between the first pump and the first valve in the second liquid delivery line.

6. The body cavity fluid treatment system according to claim 3, wherein, The liquid delivery control unit includes a first pump located on the second liquid delivery line and a second pump located on the fifth liquid delivery line. The fifth liquid delivery line is connected to the second liquid delivery line at a position closer to the concentrator than the first pump.

7. The body cavity fluid treatment system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The body cavity fluid treatment system also includes a detection unit for detecting the amount of waste fluid contained in the waste fluid container.

8. The body cavity fluid treatment system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The body cavity fluid treatment system also includes a reverse fluid delivery component that allows the waste fluid in the waste container to be reversed and delivered to the concentrator via the fourth fluid delivery line.

9. The body cavity fluid treatment system according to claim 8, wherein, The reverse liquid delivery component is configured to selectively deliver waste liquid delivered to the concentrator to the waste liquid container via the second liquid delivery line and the fifth liquid delivery line, and to deliver waste liquid delivered to the concentrator to the filter via the second liquid delivery line.

10. The body cavity fluid treatment system according to claim 9, wherein, The reverse liquid delivery component has a pump located in the second liquid delivery line and capable of delivering waste liquid from the concentrator toward the filter side.

11. The body cavity fluid treatment system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The fifth liquid delivery line is connected to the waste liquid container at a position lower than the fourth liquid delivery line.

12. The body cavity fluid treatment system according to claim 3, wherein, The liquid delivery control component includes a first pump located on the second liquid delivery line, and a three-way valve or a three-way stopcock is provided at the connection between the fifth liquid delivery line and the second liquid delivery line. The fifth liquid delivery line is connected to the second liquid delivery line at a position closer to the filter than the first pump.

13. The body cavity fluid treatment system according to claim 9, wherein, The body cavity fluid treatment system also includes a control device that controls the pump or valve of the fluid delivery control component to perform the transfer of waste fluid from the waste fluid container to the concentrator. The control device controls the operation of the reverse liquid delivery component based on the measurement results of the pressure measuring device.

14. The body cavity fluid treatment system according to claim 9, wherein, The reverse liquid delivery component has a first pump located on the second liquid delivery line, capable of delivering liquid in both forward and reverse directions, and a second pump located on the fifth liquid delivery line, capable of delivering liquid in both forward and reverse directions. The fifth liquid delivery line is connected to the portion of the second liquid delivery line closer to the concentrator than the first pump.

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