Module

Abstract

To provide a module which can inhibit damage and deformation of a partition material disposed therein with a very simple structure.SOLUTION: The invention includes: a cylindrical case; a cylindrical header having a communication port at a center part; and a disc-like partition material. In the header, a taper part in which a diameter expands outward is provided centered on the communication port. The partition material has a diameter, which is larger than or equivalent to an outer diameter of the taper part, and is disposed between the case and the communication port. Further, the module includes support members each of which contacts with the taper part and the partition material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a module. [Background technology]

[0002] As one embodiment of a module for selectively removing a substance to be removed from a fluid to be treated, a combination of a cylindrical case, a cylindrical header provided at an end of the case, and a partition material disposed between the case and the header is known. The partition material often has a so-called filter function, and for example, when a module is used with the case filled with carriers such as beads or bundles of yarn, the partition material has a function of preventing the carriers from leaking out of the module.

[0003] The partition material is required to have a certain degree of robustness with respect to its shape. If the partition material is damaged or deformed, the flow of the treated fluid passing through the module will be disturbed, which may cause a decrease in the performance of the module. Furthermore, when the module is used for blood purification of a patient, there is a risk of serious and grave medical accidents due to residual blood, blood coagulation, or carrier contamination in the blood in the module.

[0004] As a technique for preventing bending or twisting during molding of a mesh filter equivalent to a partition material, provision of radial inner ribs on a retaining ring integrated with the mesh filter has been disclosed (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-054905 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, there is currently no known technology for preventing damage or deformation of the partition material due to the load of high pressure, etc., that occurs when the treated fluid passes through the completed module. Therefore, in order to satisfy the required robustness, the partition material must be formed from extremely limited materials.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENTS An object of the present invention is to provide a module that can prevent damage or deformation of partition materials placed inside the module with an extremely simple structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a module comprising a cylindrical case, a cylindrical header having a communication port at its center, and a disk-shaped partition material, wherein a tapered section is provided inside the header, the diameter of which expands outward from the communication port as the center, the partition material having a diameter equal to or greater than the outer diameter of the tapered section and being positioned between the case and the communication port, and further comprising support members in contact with the tapered section and the partition material, respectively. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to increase the robustness of the partition material constituting the module with an extremely simple structure and prevent the damage and deformation of the partition material, thereby providing a fluid treatment module that not only allows for a significant increase in the degree of freedom in selecting the shape and material of the partition material, but also has significantly improved reliability, safety, etc. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view illustrating one embodiment of a module of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a support member integrally molded header that may be provided in the module shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 3 is a schematic view of the inner surface of the support member-integrated header shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a support member integrally molded partition material that may be provided in the module shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] 5 is a schematic view of the outer surface of the support member integrally molded partition material shown in FIG. 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] The module of the present invention is required to include a cylindrical case, a cylindrical header having a communication port at the center, and a disk-shaped partition member.

[0013] 1 is a diagram showing one embodiment of a module of the present invention, in which module 100 comprises a cylindrical case 101, cylindrical headers 102 and 103 disposed at both ends thereof, and a disk-shaped partition plate 106. Headers 102 and 103 also have communication ports 104 and 105, respectively, at their centers. A fluid to be treated can be supplied into case 101 from communication port 104 or 105. The fluid to be treated in case 101 can be discharged from the other communication port.

[0014] The cylindrical header included in the module of the present invention must have a tapered portion inside, with the communication port as the center and the diameter expanding outward.

[0015] 1, the headers 102 and 103 also have tapered portions inside, the diameter of which expands outward from the communication ports 104 and 105. In FIG. 1, the communication ports 104 and 105 are disposed so that their centers coincide with the central axis a of the case 101 in the longitudinal direction.

[0016] Materials for the case, header, and partition material of the module of the present invention can be, for example, resin or metal. When the module is used for blood purification, a resin that is easily disposable is preferable, and highly safe polypropylene, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) is more preferable.

[0017] The disk-shaped partition material provided in the module of the present invention must have a diameter equal to or greater than the outer diameter of the tapered portion provided inside the header, and must be positioned between the case and the communication port of the header.

[0018] The module 100 shown in FIG. 1 also includes two partitions 106, each of which has a diameter equal to or larger than the outer diameter of the tapered portion provided inside the headers 102 and 103. Each of the partitions 106 is disposed between the case 101 and the communication port 104 or 105. In the module 100 shown in FIG. 1, the carrier 109 is filled inside the module 100 and sandwiched between the two partitions 106. In this case, the partitions 106 serve to prevent the carrier 109 from leaking out of the module 100.

[0019] The carrier filled inside the module may be, for example, an adsorption carrier having an adsorption ability or a filtration carrier having a filtration ability. As such a carrier, a fiber bundle or beads that can increase the contact area with the fluid to be treated are preferable, and a fiber bundle that can increase the surface area per unit volume is more preferable. Here, the multiple fibers constituting the fiber bundle may be hollow or solid fibers. When the module is used for blood purification, solid fibers are more preferable because there is no concern of a difference in the flow rate of the fluid to be treated between the inside and the outside. Here, hollow fibers refer to cylindrical fibers with a hollow interior, and solid fibers refer to fibers that do not have a hollow interior like hollow fibers. By aligning the longitudinal direction of the fibers with the longitudinal direction of the case, the flow resistance when the fluid to be treated passes through the inside of the module can be further reduced.

[0020] Examples of materials for the carrier include resins, which are easy to mold and low cost, but when the module is used for blood purification, polysulfone, polymethyl methacrylate, polyacrylonitrile, or cellulose, which are capable of adsorbing proteins, are preferred.

[0021] 1, the case 101 and the partition 106 are arranged so that the radial direction of the partition 106 is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the case 101. By arranging them in this way, the flow of the treated fluid within the module can be made more uniform.

[0022] The form of the partition material is not particularly limited as long as it allows the treated fluid to pass through, and examples thereof include a porous body or a mesh. When the module is used for blood purification, a mesh is preferred in order to suppress adhesion of blood components, and a mesh with a uniform opening diameter, i.e., mesh openings, is more preferred.

[0023] The module of the present invention must further include a support member that contacts both the tapered portion provided inside the header and the partition material.

[0024] 1 also includes a plurality of support members 107, and each of these support members 107 contacts a tapered portion provided inside the header 102 or 103. Each of these support members 107 also contacts one of the partition members 106.

[0025] The support members provided in the module of the present invention are preferably integrally molded with the header and / or partition material in order to facilitate assembly of the module and to increase the robustness of the entire module.

[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a support member-integrated header in which a support member and a header are integrally molded, and FIG. 4 illustrates a support member-integrated partition material in which a support member and a partition material are integrally molded.

[0027] In addition, in a partition material with integral support members as shown in Fig. 4, it is preferable to adjust the shape of the support members so that the contact area between one support member and the tapered portion is as large as possible in order to maximize the effect of the presence of the support members. For example, in the partition material with integral support members as shown in Fig. 4, each support member is adjusted to a shape with an inclination that matches the tapered portion so that each support member can contact the tapered portion over as large an area as possible.

[0028] The partition material of the module of the present invention preferably has a beam structure to increase its strength. In a support member-integrated partition material in which the support member and the partition material are integrally formed, it is preferable that the support member be formed on the beam structure to further increase the strength.

[0029] Furthermore, when a carrier is filled inside the module of the present invention, it is preferable that the partition material provided in the module of the present invention has an extension portion in order to regulate the flow of the treated fluid near the contact portion between the partition material and the carrier inside the module.

[0030] Here, the "extension" refers to a portion extending from the partition material of the module of the present invention toward the inside of the module. By having the partition material have an extension and inserting the extension into the carrier, the packing rate of the carrier around the insertion portion changes compared to other portions, and the flow resistance and flow direction when the treated fluid flows into the carrier, or the velocity distribution of the treated fluid within the module, etc. can be optimized. Note that the extension is preferably molded integrally with the partition material in order to facilitate the assembly work of the module and to increase the robustness of the entire module.

[0031] Materials for the support member, beam structure, and extension portion include resin or metal, similar to the case, etc., and when the module is used for blood purification, the same resin as the case, etc. is preferable. However, when the support member is insert molded onto the beam structure, from the viewpoint of moldability, it is preferable that the resin used to mold the support member has a higher glass transition point.

[0032] Both the partition member 106 included in the module 100 shown in FIG. 1 and the partition member integrally molded with the support member shown in FIG.

[0033] In order to enhance the robustness of the partition material, it is preferable that the support members of the module of the present invention are arranged in a plurality of positions at different diameters of the tapered portion provided inside the header, and more preferably, the support members of the module of the present invention are arranged in the same radial direction of the tapered portion provided inside the header.

[0034] In both the module 100 shown in Fig. 1 and the header 200 integrally molded with a support member shown in Fig. 2, the support members 107 are disposed at locations where the diameter of the tapered portion provided inside the header is different, i.e., on the radially inner and outer sides of the tapered portion. Similarly, in the case of the partition material 300 integrally molded with a support member shown in Fig. 4, when this is brought into contact with the header, the support members 107 are disposed on the radially inner and outer sides of the tapered portion.

[0035] In addition, in the support member-integrated header 200, multiple support members 107 are arranged in the same radial direction of the tapered portion provided inside the header, as shown in Figure 3. In addition, in the support member-integrated partition material 300, support members 107 are also arranged as shown in Figure 5, and when this is brought into contact with the header, multiple support members 107 are arranged in the same radial direction of the tapered portion.

[0036] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, when multiple support members are arranged in different diameters of the tapered section provided inside the header and arranged in the same radial direction, it is preferable to adjust the overall arrangement so that the flow of the treated fluid inside the header is smooth. Specifically, for example, as shown in Figure 3, a group of support members arranged at an equal distance from the communication port (for example, a group of support members arranged on the outermost side of the tapered section in Figure 3) preferably forms a ring. It is more preferable that the groups of support members forming this ring are arranged at equal intervals from each other.

[0037] In order to more effectively suppress deformation of the partition material, it is preferable to multiplex the above-mentioned rings formed by the multiple support members, and more preferably to arrange the multiple rings at equal intervals in the radial direction. In this case, it is preferable that the number of support members constituting each ring is the same or a number having the same divisor (e.g., 4, 8, 12, etc.) so that the flow of the treated fluid inside the header is smooth.

[0038] In addition, when the partition material integrally molded with the support member has a beam structure as shown in Fig. 5, it is preferable that the beam structure is also molded in an annular shape in accordance with the arrangement of the multiple support members and extend radially from the communication port as a center, as shown in Fig. 5. In addition, when the partition material integrally molded with the support member has multiple extensions, it is preferable that the extensions are also molded to be arranged in an annular shape similar to the arrangement of the multiple support members. EXAMPLES

[0039] [Example 1] Polycarbonate was injection molded to obtain a cylindrical header with 12 support members arranged in it. The maximum inner diameter of the header was 66.1 mm, the diameter of the communication port was 3.5 mm, the length of the communication port was 15.1 mm, and the outer diameter of the tapered portion was 61.2 mm.

[0040] All twelve support members molded integrally with the header were elliptical in shape, with a width of 1.0 mm and a length of 3.0 mm in the radial direction of the tapered portion, similar to the support member shown in Figure 3. Furthermore, all twelve support members molded integrally with the header were equally spaced from one another so that their centers in the longitudinal direction coincided with the point of the tapered portion where the diameter was 45.0 mm.

[0041] The partition was a disk-shaped polyethylene terephthalate mesh with an outer diameter of 66.0 mm. The mesh had an opening ratio of 46%, an opening diameter of 96 μm, and a thickness of 70 μm.

[0042] The partition material was fitted inside the header with the integrally molded support members, and all of the twelve support members integrally molded with the header were brought into contact with the partition material, after which the two were joined by ultrasonic welding.

[0043] A disk with a diameter of 20.0 mm was placed against the partition member joined to the integrally molded header of the support member so that their centers were aligned, and a load of 20 N was applied to the partition member to observe the degree of deformation of the partition member. Specifically, the degree of deflection of the partition member and the presence or absence of contact between the partition member and the header were evaluated. The evaluation results are shown in Table 1.

[0044] [Example 2] A header with integrally molded support members similar to that of Example 1 was obtained, except that the number of support members was increased to 16. The 12 support members molded integrally with the header were arranged in the same manner as in Example 1. The remaining four support members were arranged at equal intervals from each other so that the centers in the longitudinal direction of each of them coincided with the portion where the diameter of the tapered portion was 13.0 mm. The support members arranged at the portions where the diameter of the tapered portion was different, i.e., the portion where the diameter of the tapered portion was 45.0 mm and the portion where the diameter of the tapered portion was 13.0 mm, were aligned in the same radial direction as shown in FIG. 3.

[0045] A partition material similar to that of Example 1 was fitted inside the header with the integral support members, and the two were joined by ultrasonic welding so that all of the 16 support members integrally molded with the header were in contact with the partition material, and then evaluation was performed in the same manner as in Example 1. The evaluation results are shown in Table 1.

[0046] [Comparative Example 1] A header similar to that of Example 1 was obtained, except that no support member was molded.

[0047] A partition material similar to that in Example 1 was fitted inside the header, and the two were joined by ultrasonic welding, and then evaluation was performed in the same manner as in Example 1. The evaluation results are shown in Table 1.

[0048] [Table 1]

[0049] From the evaluation results in Table 1, it is clear that by providing the support member, which is a feature of the present invention, the possibility of deformation or damage to the partition material due to loads such as high pressure is suppressed, and the robustness of the partition material is significantly increased. [Industrial Applicability]

[0050] The module of the present invention can be used in applications such as water treatment, liquid purification, and blood purification. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 100 Modules 101 cases 102 Header 103 Header 104 Connecting port 105 Connecting port 106 Partition material 107 Support member 108 Beam structure 109 Carrier 110 Extension 200 Support member integrally molded header 300 Support member integrally molded partition material

Claims

1. A cylindrical case, A cylindrical header having a communication port at its center; A disk-shaped partition material; The header has an inner portion provided with a tapered portion having a diameter expanding outward from the communication port as a center, the partition member has a diameter equal to or larger than an outer diameter of the tapered portion, and is disposed between the case and the communication port, The blood purification module further comprises support members in contact with the tapered portion and the partition material, respectively.

2. 2. The blood purification module according to claim 1, wherein the inside of the module is filled with a carrier.

3. 3. The blood purification module according to claim 1, wherein the support member is integrally formed with the header and / or the partition material.

4. 4. The blood purification module according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said support members are arranged at locations of said tapered portion with different diameters.

5. 5. The blood purification module according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said support members are arranged in the same radial direction of said tapered portion.

6. 6. The blood purification module according to claim 1, wherein the partition material has a beam structure.

7. 7. The blood purification module according to claim 1, wherein the partition material has an extension.

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