Centralized Sensor Device for Dialysis Liquid Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dialysis machines require multiple sensors for measuring various parameters, leading to increased costs and complexity, as each machine needs to be equipped with its own set of sensors, which is inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
A centralized sensor device is used to measure the dialysis liquid from multiple machines, reducing the number of sensors needed by rerouting fluid flows through a single external sensor system, allowing for simultaneous or staggered use across multiple machines without compromising measurement resolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If each dialysis machine is equipped with its own sensor(s), then measurement capability is provided for each machine, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sensors from different dialysis machines are merged into a single centralized sensor device. The sensor device receives medium flows from multiple machines through a common medium-carrying detection path, allowing one sensor to perform measurements for multiple machines simultaneously, thereby reducing the total number of sensors required while maintaining measurement capability for each machine.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized sensor device is designed with multi-functionality to serve multiple dialysis machines. The sensor can detect measurands from different machines by receiving medium flows through switching mechanisms, enabling a single sensor device to perform the functions that would traditionally require multiple separate sensors across different machines.
2Reliability
If multiple sensors are provided in several dialysis machines, then each machine can perform measurements, but cost increases due to intensive development and equipment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
By combining multiple sensor functions into a single centralized sensor device, the patent reduces the total number of sensors that need to be manufactured, developed, and maintained. This consolidation directly lowers development costs and equipment costs while preserving the ability to measure multiple machines.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized sensor device is designed as a universal device that can serve multiple dialysis machines, eliminating the need for machine-specific sensor configurations. This universality reduces the variety of components that need to be manufactured and certified, thereby lowering overall system cost.
3Device complexity
If a centralized sensor device is used for multiple machines, then the number of sensors is reduced, but measurement resolution may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor device operates periodically by switching between receiving medium flows from different dialysis machines. The sensor performs measurements at periodic intervals for each machine, allowing multiple machines to share the same sensor resource without continuous interference, thereby maintaining measurement resolution while reducing the total number of sensors required.
Solution Approach 2:
A switching mechanism acts as an intermediary between the multiple dialysis machines and the single sensor device. This intermediary controls the medium flow paths to ensure that the sensor receives flow from only one machine at a time, preventing cross-contamination and maintaining measurement precision while enabling shared sensor usage across multiple machines.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces the number of sensors required, lowers costs, simplifies regulatory compliance, and enables the use of sensors for additional variables like creatinine and urea, while allowing integration with low-cost or non-compatible machines, and facilitates data transfer to existing databases.
Implementation Method 1
the cleaning level of the blood is determined with the aid of absorbance measurements in the used dialysis liquid (DF)
Data Source
AI summary
A device for measuring at least one measurand is disclosed which comprises a sensor device with at least one sensor and, via at least one medium-carrying detection path, can be connected to at least one of a plurality of devices outputting at least one flow of a medium to be captured. The at least one sensor is arranged to selectively detect at least one measurand with respect to at least one medium flow output by one of said plurality of devices. A system which includes the sensor device in a centralized way further comprises at least one device outputting the flow of the medium to be measured at least one outlet, wherein one of the devices can be selectively selected and can be connected to the sensor device for a predetermined period of time if several devices outputting a medium flow are connected to the sensor device for measuring at least one measurand.