Dialysate Regeneration System Using Selective Toxin Trap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dialysis machines are large, non-portable, and require significant amounts of dialysate, leading to increased costs, environmental concerns, and limitations for patients in terms of mobility and convenience.
Innovation Solution
A dialysate regeneration chamber that includes a toxin trap configured to selectively trap toxins and repel essential cations, allowing for the regeneration and reuse of dialysate, reducing the volume of dialysate needed and enabling a more compact, portable dialysis system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional dialysis machines use large volumes of dialysate, then effective toxin removal is achieved, but device portability and treatment facility requirements deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dialysate regeneration system that recovers and reuses dialysate after toxin removal. The spent dialysate is passed through a toxin trap to remove accumulated toxins, then regenerated dialysate is reused in subsequent dialysis cycles. This recovering approach reduces the quantity of fresh dialysate needed while maintaining effective toxin removal capability, thereby enabling portability without sacrificing treatment efficacy.
2Ease of operation
If dialysis machines are made portable, then patient mobility and convenience improve, but dialysate regeneration capability and toxin removal efficiency worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the toxin removal function into a separate, compact toxin trap module that can be integrated into portable dialysis machines. This extracted toxin trap uses selective adsorption materials to remove toxins from regenerated dialysate, ensuring reliable toxin removal efficiency while maintaining a compact form factor suitable for portability. The separation of functions allows the machine to be portable without compromising treatment reliability.
3Device complexity
If spent dialysate is discarded after single use, then system complexity is reduced, but environmental impact and treatment costs worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service dialysate regeneration system where the spent dialysate automatically passes through a toxin trap that selectively removes toxins without requiring complex external processing equipment. The regenerated dialysate is then automatically reused in subsequent cycles. This self-service approach reduces environmental impact by minimizing waste dialysate disposal while keeping the system relatively simple through the use of passive adsorption-based toxin traps rather than complex active regeneration systems.
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
The dialysate regeneration system significantly reduces the volume of dialysate required, making dialysis machines more portable, cost-effective, and convenient for patients, while also minimizing environmental impact and treatment facility requirements.
Implementation Method 1
a toxin trap configured to selectively trap toxins and repel select cations
Implementation Method 2
the dialysis solution contacts the patient's peritoneal membrane and waste, toxins and excess water pass from the patient's bloodstream through the peritoneal membrane and into the dialysate. The transfer of the waste, toxins and water from the bloodstream into the dialysate occurs due to diffusion and osmosis
Implementation Method 3
The transfer of the waste, toxins and water from the bloodstream into the dialysate occurs due to diffusion and osmosis, i.e., an osmotic gradient occurs across the membrane
Data Source
AI summary
A dialysate regeneration chamber is provided. In one embodiment, the dialysate regeneration chamber may include a toxin trap configured to selectively trap toxins and repel select cations.