Chamber, blood circuit including same, and blood purification device

Abstract

The present invention suppresses a situation in which blood clots easily, which could occur within a chamber body, and reduces the phenomenon of blood clotting. In order to achieve this, a chamber (100) according to the present disclosure is used for purifying blood, the chamber (100) comprising: a chamber body (110) for storing blood and / or a replacement fluid; a blood introduction port (140) formed in a blood introduction path (40) for introducing blood into the chamber body (110); a replacement fluid introduction port (150) formed in a replacement fluid introduction path (50) for introducing the replacement fluid into the chamber body (110); and a bottomed protrusion (160) protruding downward from the ceiling part (120) of the chamber body (110). The blood introduction port (140) is positioned lower in the body than the lower end (160t) of the protrusion (160), and the replacement fluid introduction port (150) is positioned higher in the body than the lower end (160t) of the protrusion (160).

Description

Chamber, blood circuit including same, and blood purification device

[0001] The present invention relates to a chamber, a blood circuit including the chamber, and a blood purification device.

[0002] Various blood purification systems have been developed for performing extracorporeal blood purification therapies, such as hemodialysis, hemofiltration, plasma separation, and plasma component fractionation, and are used in many blood purification therapies that utilize membrane separation technology. Many of these blood purification systems use hollow fiber membrane blood purifiers that purify blood using a filter made of a hollow fiber membrane installed in a main container. In this case, the hollow fiber membrane blood purifier is used in conjunction with a blood circuit for blood purification. The blood circuit includes a component called a chamber (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4).

[0003] The chamber is a component of the blood circuit and serves the following purposes: (1) to trap air when it gets mixed in to prevent it from entering the patient's body, (2) to measure the pressure within the circuit, (3) to capture blood clots and the like using a mesh filter shaped like a bag, for example, installed within the chamber, and (4) to merge the replacement fluid (treatment fluid) introduced from the outside with the blood. The filter placed inside the chamber may be installed with a convex shape upward or a convex shape downward.

[0004] Patent No. 7081085 Patent No. 4358736 Patent No. 6416661 Patent No. 6605817

[0005] However, conventional chambers have the problem that when the blood and replacement fluid meet, the interface between the two fluids becomes disturbed, making the blood more likely to come into direct contact with air and causing blood to clot.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a chamber, a blood circuit including the chamber, and a blood purification device that prevent situations in which blood is likely to clot within the chamber body and reduce the phenomenon of blood clotting.

[0007] In order to solve such problems, one aspect of the present invention is a chamber used for blood purification, comprising: a chamber body for storing blood and replacement fluid; a blood inlet port formed in a blood inlet path for introducing blood into the chamber body; a replacement fluid inlet port formed in a replacement fluid inlet path for introducing replacement fluid into the chamber body; and a protrusion with a bottom that protrudes downward from the ceiling of the chamber body, wherein the blood inlet port is located below the main body relative to the lower end of the protrusion, and the replacement fluid inlet port is located above the main body relative to the lower end of the protrusion.

[0008] In the above-described chamber, the replacement fluid is introduced into the chamber body through a replacement fluid inlet located above the blood inlet, and blood is introduced into the chamber body through a blood inlet located below the replacement fluid inlet. Since the lower end of the protrusion is located above the blood inlet, the lower end of the protrusion prevents the blood from rising, promoting the creation of an interface between the blood and the replacement fluid, and keeping the blood from coming into contact with air.

[0009] In the chamber described above, the blood introduction channel may be arranged to extend toward the side of the chamber body.

[0010] In the chamber described above, the blood introduction channel may extend toward a position deviated from the central axis of the cylindrical chamber body.

[0011] In the above-described chamber, the blood introduction channel may extend tangentially to the inner circumferential surface of the chamber body.

[0012] In the chamber described above, the replacement fluid inlet may be located in the ceiling of the chamber body.

[0013] In the chamber as described above, the replacement fluid inlet may be disposed at a position continuous with the surface of the protrusion.

[0014] In the chamber as described above, the replacement fluid inlet channel and replacement fluid inlet may be positioned so that the replacement fluid drips from the replacement fluid inlet along the surface of the protrusion introduced into the chamber body.

[0015] In the chamber as described above, the replacement fluid introduction channel and replacement fluid introduction port may be positioned so that the replacement fluid drips from the replacement fluid introduction port down the side surface inside the chamber body.

[0016] In the chamber described above, the replacement fluid introduction channel may extend toward the side of the chamber body.

[0017] In the chamber described above, the replacement fluid introduction channel may extend toward a position deviated from the central axis of the cylindrical chamber body.

[0018] In the chamber described above, the replacement fluid introduction channel may extend along a tangential direction of the inner circumferential surface of the chamber body.

[0019] In the chamber as described above, a filter for capturing thrombi and the like may be provided in a downwardly or upwardly convex shape.

[0020] In the chamber described above, the protrusion may be configured to suppress the rise of the interface between the replacement fluid and the blood.

[0021] In the chamber described above, the lower end of the protrusion may be closed.

[0022] In the chamber described above, the lower end of the protrusion may be tapered.

[0023] In the above chamber, the lower end of the protrusion may have a conical shape.

[0024] In the above-described chamber, a step may be provided on the inner surface of the chamber body between the blood inlet and the replacement fluid inlet, so that the inner diameter in the vertically upward direction is smaller.

[0025] In the above-described chamber, the blood inlet may face obliquely downward relative to the vertical direction.

[0026] In the above-described chamber, the lower part of the main body, which serves as an outlet for blood and replacement fluid from the chamber main body, may be in the shape of an elliptical truncated cone.

[0027] A blood circuit according to one aspect of the present invention includes the above-described chamber.

[0028] A blood purification device according to one embodiment of the present invention uses the blood circuit described above.

[0029] Another aspect of the present invention is a chamber used for blood purification, comprising: a chamber body for storing blood and replacement fluid; a blood inlet port formed in a blood inlet channel for introducing blood into the chamber body; and a replacement fluid inlet port formed in a replacement fluid inlet channel for introducing replacement fluid into the chamber body, wherein a step portion is provided on the inner surface of the chamber body between the blood inlet port and the replacement fluid inlet port so that the inner diameter in the vertically upward direction is smaller.

[0030] Yet another aspect of the present invention is a chamber used for blood purification, comprising: a chamber body for storing blood and replacement fluid; a blood inlet formed in a blood inlet path for introducing blood into the chamber body; and a replacement fluid inlet formed in a replacement fluid inlet path for introducing replacement fluid into the chamber body, wherein the replacement fluid inlet is located in the ceiling of the chamber body, and the blood inlet faces diagonally downward in the vertical direction.

[0031] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a chamber, a blood circuit including the chamber, and a blood purification device that prevent situations in which blood is likely to clot within the chamber body and reduce the phenomenon of blood clotting.

[0032] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a blood purification device using a blood circuit. It is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a chamber included in the blood circuit. It is a (A) plan view, (B) front view, and (C) right side view showing a first embodiment of the chamber. It is a cross-sectional view of the chamber taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3(A). It is an enlarged view of the rectangular frame portion in FIG. 4, showing (A) a case where replacement fluid is attached to the protrusion, and (B) a case where replacement fluid is attached to the wall surface. It is a (A) plan view, (B) left side view, and (C) front view showing a second embodiment of the chamber. It is a cross-sectional view of the chamber taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 6(B). It is a perspective view showing the flow of blood and replacement fluid introduced into the chamber in a transparent state. It is an image showing the protrusion holding the blood interface. It is a (A) front view and (B) longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a third embodiment of the chamber. It is a front view showing a fourth embodiment of the chamber. It is a perspective view showing a fifth embodiment of the chamber. It is a (A) plan view, (B) left side view, and (C) front view of the chamber shown in FIG. 12. 13(A). It is a cross-sectional view of the chamber taken along line XIV-XIV in Fig. 13(A). It is a perspective view showing a sixth embodiment of the chamber. It is (A) a plan view, (B) a left side view, and (C) a front view of the chamber shown in Fig. 15. It is a cross-sectional view of the chamber taken along line XVII-XVII in Fig. 16(A). It is a diagram for explaining another aspect of the blood inlet and the replacement fluid inlet.

[0033] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The configuration of the present invention will be described in detail below based on an example of an embodiment shown in the drawings (see FIG. 1, etc.).

[0034] The chamber 100 is a component of the blood circuit 10 of the blood purification apparatus 1. It serves the following purposes: trapping air to prevent it from entering the patient's body if it is mixed in; measuring the pressure within the blood circuit 10; capturing thrombi and the like using a mesh filter 190, e.g., a bag-like filter, provided within the chamber 100; and merging the blood with a replacement fluid (treatment fluid) introduced from the outside (see FIG. 1 ). The replacement fluid may include liquids other than blood, such as replacement fluid and plasma. This chamber 100 is disposed downstream of the hollow fiber membrane blood purifier 300 within the blood circuit 10 and is used as a venous chamber, so to speak. However, this is merely one preferred example of how the chamber 100 can be used; it is of course also possible to dispose the chamber 100 in a position other than downstream of the hollow fiber membrane blood purifier 300, for example, upstream of the hollow fiber membrane blood purifier 300.

[0035] [Configuration of Blood Purification Device (Blood Circuit)] An example of the configuration of a blood purification device 1 or a blood circuit 10 of the device will be described (see FIG. 1). The blood circuit 10 includes a hollow fiber membrane blood purifier 300, a chamber 100, and a blood pump 20. Dialysate is delivered from a dialysate bag 46 or the like to a fluid inlet 304 of the hollow fiber membrane blood purifier 300 through a dialysate flow path 42 equipped with a pump 44. Dialysate discharged from a fluid inlet 302 of the hollow fiber membrane blood purifier 300 is delivered to a bag 36 or the like through a filtrate flow path 32 equipped with a pump 34. Furthermore, replacement fluid (treatment fluid) is delivered to the chamber 100 from a replacement fluid bag 56 or the like through a replacement fluid inlet tube (replacement fluid inlet path) 50 equipped with a pump 54. The fluid inlet 306 of the hollow fiber membrane blood purifier 300 and the chamber 100 are connected by a blood inlet tube (blood inlet path) 40 (see FIG. 1). As a result, blood that has passed through the hollow fiber membrane blood purifier 300 is sent to the chamber 100. Although the blood circuit 10 in Fig. 1 is described as CRRT (continuous renal replacement therapy), it may be used for other blood purification therapies.

[0036] [Overview of Chamber Configuration] The configuration of the chamber 100 as described above will now be described (see FIG. 2, etc.). The chamber 100 includes a chamber main body (also referred to simply as the main body in this specification) 110, a blood inlet 140, a replacement fluid inlet 150, a protrusion 160, a pressure monitor line connection port 170, and the like (see FIG. 2, etc.). A filter 190 is provided inside the chamber main body 110. Note that in this specification, the general position in which the chamber 100 is used (usually a position in which the filter 190 is positioned below the blood inlet 140 and the replacement fluid inlet 150) is referred to as the position during use, and the upper side in the vertical direction at this time will be referred to as the upper side (or simply the upper side), and the lower side will be referred to as the lower side (or simply the lower side) (see FIG. 2).

[0037] The chamber body 110 is formed as a cylindrical container or housing capable of storing blood and replacement fluid. A blood and replacement fluid outlet 116 is provided in a lower portion 110u of the chamber body 110. The lower portion 110u of the chamber body 110 has a shape, such as an elliptical truncated cone shape, that is unlikely to affect the ease of flow (also referred to as flowability) of the blood and replacement fluid inside the chamber body 110. When the chamber 100 is in use, the chamber body 110 is in a state where its central axis 110x is vertical or in a state close to this (see FIG. 2 ).

[0038] The filter 190 is provided to capture blood clots and the like. In this embodiment, the bag-shaped filter 190 is provided inside the chamber main body 110 in a downwardly convex shape (see FIG. 2). The filter 190 provided in this downwardly convex shape is less likely to affect the ease (flowability) of blood and replacement fluid inside the chamber main body 110, and can achieve improved flowability compared to conventional chambers not configured in this way. Note that the filter 190 is not limited to a downwardly convex shape, and may also be an upwardly convex shape. Furthermore, the filter 190 may be made of a mesh material or may be an injection-molded product with holes formed therein.

[0039] The protrusion 160 is formed to protrude downward from the ceiling 120 of the chamber body 110 along the central axis 110x. The lower end 160t of the protrusion 160 has a bottom. In other words, the interior of the protrusion 160 is not configured to allow liquid to pass through. Note that the ceiling 120 is not limited to the uppermost part of the chamber body 110. Furthermore, the protrusion 160 is not limited to the form shown in FIG. 2 , and does not have to be completely aligned with the central axis 110x, and may be inclined.

[0040] Blood inlet 140 is a nozzle-shaped portion (blood nozzle) that serves as an entrance for introducing blood sent through blood inlet tube 40 into chamber body 110 (see FIG. 2). Blood inlet 140 is located below chamber body 110 with respect to lower end 160t of protrusion 160 (see FIG. 2). The specific location and shape of such blood inlet 140 are not particularly limited, and it may be located at any position on side portion 130 of chamber body 110.

[0041] The replacement fluid inlet 150 is a nozzle-shaped portion (replacement fluid nozzle) that serves as an inlet for introducing the replacement fluid sent through the replacement fluid inlet tube 50 into the chamber body 110, and is located above the lower end 160t of the protrusion 160 (see FIG. 2). The specific location and shape of the replacement fluid inlet 150 are not particularly limited, and the replacement fluid inlet 150 may be provided on the side portion 130 of the chamber body 110 or on the ceiling portion 120 of the chamber body 110 (see FIG. 2). The pressure monitor line connection port 170 is connected to the pressure measurement unit via the inlet tube 70.

[0042] In the present embodiment, chamber 100 is configured as described above with blood inlet 140, replacement fluid inlet 150, and protrusion 160. Because protrusion 160's lower end 160t is located above blood inlet 140, protrusion 160's lower end 160t prevents blood from rising, promoting the creation of an interface between the blood and replacement fluid, thereby preventing the blood from coming into contact with air (see FIG. 9 ). In FIG. 9 , the dark gray portion primarily represents blood, and the nearly transparent portion above the dark gray portion primarily represents replacement fluid, clearly showing interface 180 between the blood and replacement fluid. While blood may be prone to coagulation inside chamber body 110, chamber 100 prevents such a situation and reduces the risk of blood clotting.

[0043] In addition to minimizing blood coagulation within chamber 100 by minimizing blood exposure to air as described above, other measures include improving the flowability of fluids (blood, replacement fluid). In this regard, in chamber 100, blood inlet 140 is configured to introduce blood laterally into chamber body 110 (horizontal entry), which makes it easier to generate a swirling flow within chamber body 110 compared to a vertical entry chamber in which blood is introduced vertically along the vertical direction, making it easier to improve flowability. From a similar perspective, if replacement fluid inlet 150 is configured to introduce replacement fluid laterally into chamber body 110 (horizontal entry), it can be said that it is easier to generate a swirling flow within chamber body 110 compared to a vertical entry chamber in which replacement fluid is introduced vertically along the vertical direction. In addition, when replacement fluid is introduced from the side, the center of the swirling portion is most likely to stagnate, but the protrusions can reduce this stagnation.

[0044] [First Embodiment of Chamber] A first embodiment of the chamber 100 will be described (see FIGS. 3 to 5). The fluid replacement inlet 150 in this chamber 100 is provided in the ceiling portion 120 of the chamber body 110 and is arranged to extend vertically (see FIG. 3). The same applies to the pressure monitor line connection port 170. The protrusion 160 is generally cylindrical and is provided in approximately the center of the interior of the chamber body 110 so as to extend vertically downward (see FIG. 4). The lower end 160t of the protrusion 160 has a tapered shape, such as a pointed cone, pointing downward. The two fluid replacement inlets 150 described above are provided in relation to this protrusion 160 so as to be continuous with the surface of the protrusion 160 at an open end 151 within the chamber body 110 (see FIG. 5A). In this chamber 100, there is no step between the open end 151 of the replacement fluid inlet 150 and the surface of the protrusion 160 (the part shown by the oval in FIG. 5A), so the replacement fluid introduced from the replacement fluid inlet 150 flows down the surface of the protrusion 160 and flows along the surface. This reduces dripping, and as a result, the interface between the blood and the replacement fluid in the chamber body 110 is not disturbed.

[0045] To avoid disturbing the interface between the blood and the replacement fluid, the replacement fluid inlet tube 50 and the replacement fluid inlet 150 may be provided so that the replacement fluid introduced from the replacement fluid inlet 150 drips down the inner circumferential surface (inner surface) 112 of the chamber body 110. In the chamber 100 of this embodiment, there is no step between the opening ends 151 of the two replacement fluid inlets 150 and the inner circumferential surface 112 (see FIG. 5B ), and the surface is continuous from the opening ends 151 to the inner circumferential surface 112.

[0046] Blood inlet 140 is positioned at a position offset from central axis 110x of cylindrical chamber body 110 (see FIG. 3 ). Blood inlet tube 40 connected to blood inlet 140 extends toward the side of chamber body 110, more specifically, extends along the tangent direction of inner circumferential surface 112 of cylindrical chamber body 110 or a direction similar thereto, and introduces blood into chamber body 110 so that the blood swirls within chamber body 110.

[0047] Second Embodiment of Chamber A second embodiment of the chamber 100 will be described (see FIGS. 6 to 8). In this chamber 100, the replacement fluid inlet 150 is positioned off the central axis 110x of the cylindrical chamber body 110 (see FIG. 6). The replacement fluid inlet 50 connected to this replacement fluid inlet 150 extends toward the side of the chamber body 110, more specifically, extends along a tangent to the inner circumferential surface 112 of the cylindrical chamber body 110 or a direction similar thereto, thereby introducing the replacement fluid into the chamber body 110 so that the replacement fluid swirls within the chamber body 110 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). Similar to the first embodiment, the chamber 100 of the second embodiment also includes a protrusion 160.

[0048] The blood inlet port 140 and blood introduction tube 40 in the chamber 100 of this embodiment are configured in the same manner as those in the first embodiment described above (see FIG. 6), and the blood is introduced into the chamber body 110 so as to swirl within the chamber body 110 (see FIG. 8).

[0049] Third Embodiment of Chamber A third embodiment of the chamber 100 will be described (see FIG. 10 ). In this chamber 100, a stepped portion 114 with a varying inner diameter is provided on the inner circumferential surface (inner surface) 112 of the chamber body 110 between the blood inlet 140 and the replacement fluid inlet 150 (see FIG. 10B ). This stepped portion 114 is formed so that the inner diameter decreases upward, so that the portion where the blood inlet 140 is located is in a state of increased diameter. The stepped portion 114 thus formed functions to suppress the upward movement of the swirling flow of blood (see FIG. 8 ) inside the chamber body 110, thereby further promoting the formation of an interface between the blood and the replacement fluid. Note that the shape of the stepped portion 114 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 10 , and it is sufficient that the stepped portion 114 is formed so that the inner diameter decreases upward.

[0050] [Fourth Embodiment of Chamber] A fourth embodiment of chamber 100 will be described (see FIG. 11 ). In this chamber 100, blood inlet 140 is tilted so that blood inlet tube 40 is connected to blood inlet 140 with the blood inlet tube 40 facing diagonally downward relative to the vertical direction. With this chamber 100, the axis of rotation of the blood inside chamber body 110 is tilted, making it difficult for the blood to rise, further promoting the formation of an interface between the blood and the replacement fluid.

[0051] Fifth Embodiment of Chamber A fifth embodiment of chamber 100 will be described (see FIGS. 12 to 14). In this chamber 100, replacement fluid inlet 150 is provided in a horizontal position on ceiling 120 of chamber body 110 (see FIG. 13). The flow path within replacement fluid inlet 150 bends downward midway from a horizontal position, and is shaped to introduce replacement fluid vertically from the ceiling 120 into chamber body 110 (see FIG. 14).

[0052] Sixth Embodiment of Chamber A sixth embodiment of the chamber 100 will now be described (see FIGS. 15 to 17). This chamber 100 is configured similarly to the chamber described in the first embodiment, except that a protrusion 118 is provided in the chamber body 110 at a portion downstream of the replacement fluid inlet 150. The protrusion 118 is semi-cylindrical with an L-shaped cross section, and redirects the flow of replacement fluid introduced downward through the replacement fluid inlet 150 so that it flows laterally (radially) (see FIG. 17).

[0053] The above-described embodiment is one example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but is not limited thereto and various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, an elliptical truncated cone shape was shown as a specific example of the bottomed lower end 160t of the protrusion 160 (see FIG. 2, etc.), but this is merely one preferred example, and the lower end 160t may also be flat, bulged, or the like. In essence, the lower end 160t of the protrusion 160 serves the function of suppressing the rise of blood and promoting the creation of an interface between the blood and the replacement fluid, thereby keeping the blood less likely to come into contact with air. Therefore, as long as this function is fulfilled, the specific shape of the lower end 160t is not particularly limited.

[0054] In the above-described embodiment, specific examples of blood inlet 140 and replacement fluid inlet 150 are shown as being formed on a part of chamber body 110, such as ceiling portion 120 or outer peripheral surface 132 (see FIG. 2 , etc.), but this is merely a preferred example. Another embodiment of blood inlet 140 or replacement fluid inlet 150 includes a tube-shaped supply path extending into chamber body 110 (see FIG. 18 ). In this embodiment, tip 145 of tubular blood inlet 140 is located below lower end 160t of protrusion 160, and tip 155 of tubular replacement fluid inlet 150 is located above the lower end of the protrusion.

[0055] Some or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as follows: However, the present invention is not limited to the following supplementary notes.

[0056] [Appendix 1] A chamber used for blood purification, comprising: a chamber body for storing blood and replacement fluid; a blood inlet formed in a blood inlet path for introducing blood into the chamber body; a replacement fluid inlet formed in a replacement fluid inlet path for introducing replacement fluid into the chamber body; and a protrusion with a bottom that protrudes downward from the ceiling of the chamber body, wherein the blood inlet is located below the main body from a lower end of the protrusion, and the replacement fluid inlet is located above the main body from a lower end of the protrusion.

[0057] [Supplementary Note 2] The chamber according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the blood introduction channel is arranged to extend toward a side of the chamber body.

[0058] [Supplementary Note 3] The chamber according to Supplementary Note 1 or 2, wherein the blood introduction channel extends toward a position deviated from the central axis of the cylindrical chamber body.

[0059] [Supplementary Note 4] The chamber according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, wherein the blood introduction channel extends along a tangent direction to the inner circumferential surface of the chamber body.

[0060] [Supplementary Note 5] The chamber according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 4, wherein the replacement fluid inlet is disposed in the ceiling portion of the chamber body.

[0061] [Supplementary Note 6] The chamber according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 5, wherein the replacement fluid inlet is disposed at a position connected to the surface of the protrusion.

[0062] [Appendix 7] A chamber described in any one of Appendices 1 to 5, wherein the replacement fluid inlet path and the replacement fluid inlet are positioned so that the replacement fluid drips down the surface of the protrusion introduced from the replacement fluid inlet into the chamber body.

[0063] [Appendix 8] The chamber according to any one of appendices 1 to 5, wherein the replacement fluid inlet path and the replacement fluid inlet are positioned so that the replacement fluid drips from the replacement fluid inlet down the side of the chamber body.

[0064] [Supplementary Note 9] The chamber according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 8, wherein the replacement fluid introduction channel extends toward a side of the chamber body.

[0065] [Supplementary Note 10] The chamber according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 9, wherein the replacement blood fluid introduction channel extends toward a position deviated from the central axis of the cylindrical chamber body.

[0066] [Supplementary Note 11] The chamber according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 10, wherein the replacement fluid introduction channel extends along a tangential direction of the inner circumferential surface of the chamber body.

[0067] [Appendix 12] The chamber according to any one of appendices 1 to 11, wherein a filter for capturing thrombi and the like is provided in a downwardly convex or upwardly convex state.

[0068] [Supplementary Note 13] The chamber according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 12, wherein the protrusion suppresses a rise in the interface between the replacement fluid and the blood.

[0069] [Supplementary Note 14] The chamber according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 13, wherein the lower end of the protrusion has a closed shape.

[0070] [Supplementary Note 15] The chamber according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 14, wherein the lower end of the protrusion is tapered.

[0071] [Supplementary Note 16] The chamber according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 15, wherein the lower end of the protrusion has a conical shape.

[0072] [Appendix 17] The chamber according to any one of Appendices 1 to 16, wherein a step is provided on the inner surface of the chamber body between the blood inlet and the replacement fluid inlet, such that the inner diameter of the chamber body decreases vertically upward.

[0073] [Supplementary Note 18] The chamber according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 17, wherein the blood inlet faces diagonally downward relative to the vertical direction.

[0074] [Supplementary Note 19] The chamber according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 18, wherein the lower part of the body, which serves as an outlet for blood and replacement fluid from the chamber body, has an elliptical truncated cone shape.

[0075] [Supplementary Note 20] A blood circuit comprising the chamber according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 19.

[0076] [Appendix 21] A blood purification device using the blood circuit described in Appendix 20.

[0077] [Appendix 22] A chamber used for blood purification, comprising: a chamber body for storing blood and replacement fluid; a blood inlet port formed in a blood inlet path for introducing blood into the chamber body; and a replacement fluid inlet port formed in a replacement fluid inlet path for introducing replacement fluid into the chamber body, wherein a step is provided on the inner surface of the chamber body between the blood inlet port and the replacement fluid inlet port, so that the inner diameter in the vertically upward direction is smaller.

[0078] [Appendix 23] A chamber used for blood purification, comprising: a chamber body for storing blood and replacement fluid; a blood inlet formed in a blood inlet path for introducing blood into the chamber body; and a replacement fluid inlet formed in a replacement fluid inlet path for introducing replacement fluid into the chamber body, wherein the replacement fluid inlet is disposed in the ceiling of the chamber body, and the blood inlet faces diagonally downward in the vertical direction.

[0079] The present invention is suitable for application to a chamber, a blood circuit including the chamber, and a blood purification apparatus.

[0080] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Blood purification device 10...Blood circuit 20...Blood pump 32...Filtrate flow path 34...Pump 36...Bag 40...Blood inlet tube (blood inlet path) 42...Dialysate flow path 44...Pump 46...Dialysate bag 50...Replacement fluid inlet tube (replacement fluid inlet path) 54...Pump 56...Replacement fluid bag 100...Chamber 110...Main body (chamber main body) 110u...Lower body part 110x...Central axis 112...Inner peripheral surface (inner surface) 114...Step portion 116...Outlet 118...Projection piece 120...Ceiling part 130...Side part 132...Outer peripheral surface 140...Blood inlet port 145...Tip part 150...Replacement fluid inlet port 151...Open end 155...Tip part 160...Projection part 160t...Lower end 170...Pressure monitor line connection port 190...Filter 300... Hollow fiber membrane type blood purifier 302... (filtrate) passage port 304... (blood) passage port 306...

Claims

1. A chamber used for blood purification, comprising: a chamber body for storing blood and replacement fluid; a blood inlet formed in a blood inlet path for introducing blood into the chamber body; a replacement fluid inlet formed in a replacement fluid inlet path for introducing replacement fluid into the chamber body; and a protrusion with a bottom that protrudes downward from the ceiling of the chamber body, wherein the blood inlet is located below the main body relative to the lower end of the protrusion, and the replacement fluid inlet is located above the main body relative to the lower end of the protrusion.

2. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the blood introduction channel is disposed extending toward a side of the chamber body.

3. The chamber of claim 2, wherein the blood introduction channel extends toward a position deviated from the central axis of the cylindrical chamber body.

4. The chamber according to claim 3, wherein the blood introduction passage extends along a tangential direction of the inner circumferential surface of the chamber body.

5. The chamber according to claim 1, wherein the replacement fluid inlet is disposed in the ceiling of the chamber body.

6. The chamber according to claim 5, wherein the replacement fluid inlet is positioned adjacent to the surface of the protrusion.

7. A chamber as described in claim 5, wherein the replacement fluid inlet path and the replacement fluid inlet are positioned so that the replacement fluid drips down the surface of the protrusion introduced from the replacement fluid inlet into the chamber body.

8. The chamber according to claim 5, wherein the replacement fluid introduction path and the replacement fluid introduction port are positioned so that the replacement fluid drips from the replacement fluid introduction port down the side of the chamber body.

9. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the replacement fluid inlet channel extends toward a side of the chamber body.

10. The chamber according to claim 9, wherein the replacement blood introduction channel extends toward a position deviated from the central axis of the cylindrical chamber body.

11. The chamber according to claim 10, wherein the replacement fluid introduction channel extends along a tangential direction of the inner circumferential surface of the chamber body.

12. A chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 11, in which a filter for capturing thrombi and the like is provided in a downwardly or upwardly convex state.

13. A chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the protrusions suppress the rise of the interface between the replacement fluid and the blood.

14. A chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the lower end of the protrusion is closed.

15. A chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the lower end of the protrusion is tapered.

16. The chamber of claim 15, wherein the lower end of the protrusion is conical in shape.

17. A chamber described in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein a step portion is provided on the inner surface of the chamber body between the blood inlet and the replacement fluid inlet, so that the inner diameter in the vertically upward direction becomes smaller.

18. A chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the blood inlet faces obliquely downward relative to the vertical direction.

19. A chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the lower part of the body, which serves as an outlet for blood and replacement fluid from the chamber body, is shaped like an elliptical truncated cone.

20. A blood circuit comprising a chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

21. A blood purification device using the blood circuit according to claim 20.

22. A chamber used for blood purification, comprising: a chamber body for storing blood and replacement fluid; a blood inlet port formed in a blood inlet path for introducing blood into the chamber body; and a replacement fluid inlet port formed in a replacement fluid inlet path for introducing replacement fluid into the chamber body, wherein a step is provided on the inner surface of the chamber body between the blood inlet port and the replacement fluid inlet port so that the inner diameter in the vertically upward direction is smaller.

23. A chamber used for blood purification, comprising: a chamber body for storing blood and replacement fluid; a blood inlet formed in a blood inlet path for introducing blood into the chamber body; and a replacement fluid inlet formed in a replacement fluid inlet path for introducing replacement fluid into the chamber body, wherein the replacement fluid inlet is positioned on the ceiling of the chamber body, and the blood inlet faces diagonally downward in the vertical direction.

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