Dialysis Concentrate Mixing Unit with Suction and Return Line
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for supplying dialysis machines with dialysis concentrate are either costly due to ring line systems or labor-intensive and environmentally unfriendly due to canister-based systems, with limited flexibility in composition and significant waste generation.
Innovation Solution
A device with a self-regulating mixing unit and suction unit that mixes raw material with solvent within a mixing chamber, allowing for on-site preparation of dialysis concentrate without a circuit flow, returning the solution to the original container, optimizing dissolving through pressure regulation and minimizing waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a ring line system with central supply unit is used to supply dialysis concentrate, then the dialysis machines can receive dialysis concentrate, but the investment costs are high
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the concentrate preparation function from the complex ring line central supply system and places it directly at the dialysis machine. The machine now contains its own concentrate preparation system with mixing chambers and pumps, eliminating the need for external ring line infrastructure while maintaining reliable concentrate supply.
Solution Approach 2:
The dialysis machine is equipped with multi-functionality by integrating both dialysis treatment and concentrate preparation capabilities. The same machine that performs dialysis also contains mixing chambers, pumps, and control systems that enable on-site concentrate preparation, reducing dependency on external supply systems.
2Adaptability or versatility
If canisters with completed dialysis concentrate are used, then flexibility in solution composition is improved, but labor and time effort increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The concentrate components are pre-prepared and stored in separate containers within the machine, ready for mixing. The system performs preliminary preparation of concentrate constituents, which are then automatically mixed during the dialysis treatment, eliminating the need for manual canister handling and setup.
Solution Approach 2:
The dialysis machine performs self-service by automatically mixing concentrate components according to programmed recipes. The integrated control system manages the mixing process, pump operations, and solution preparation without requiring manual intervention, reducing labor effort while maintaining composition flexibility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If canisters with completed dialysis concentrate are used, then solution composition flexibility is improved, but storage and transport requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The concentrate is segmented into separate component containers stored within the machine rather than requiring large external storage areas for completed concentrate. Each component is stored in its own container, and the machine combines them as needed, reducing overall storage volume requirements while maintaining composition flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The concentrate component containers are nested within the dialysis machine structure. The storage containers are integrated into the machine's internal volume, utilizing the space efficiently and eliminating the need for separate external storage areas, thereby reducing the total volume required for storage.
4Adaptability or versatility
If canisters with completed dialysis concentrate are used, then solution composition flexibility is improved, but plastic waste accumulation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system recovers and reuses water and other resources during the concentrate preparation process. The mixing process uses controlled amounts of water that can be recovered, and the machine minimizes waste generation by precisely metering ingredients and recovering fluids, thereby reducing plastic waste from discarded canisters.
5Reliability
If dialysis concentrate is transported in canisters, then completed solution is available locally, but water transport effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The concentrate components are pre-prepared and stored in concentrated form within the machine. Rather than transporting large volumes of diluted water in canisters, the system performs preliminary concentration of the solution components, which are then mixed with water from the local supply during treatment, eliminating water transport effort while ensuring local availability.
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 investment and labor costs, enhances flexibility in solution composition, minimizes storage and transport needs, and reduces environmental impact by eliminating excess water transport and plastic waste.
Implementation Method 1
a suction unit P1 arranged in the mixing line M and a mixing chamber F1, wherein the suction unit P1 can be brought into fluid communication with the inflow for the solvent and with the container (131) by means of a suction line L1
Implementation Method 2
The preparation of the dialysis concentrate takes place by adding water in the concentrate bag itself and by the dissolving of the raw material in the bag
Implementation Method 3
a mixing unit that is self-regulating and comprises a mixing line and a suction unit arranged in the mixing line and a mixing chamber
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a device for preparing a dialysis concentrate or another fluid, wherein the device includes an inflow for the raw material for the dissolving of or mixing with a raw material located in a container that can be dissolved in the solvent or can be mixed with it and a container having a raw material to be dissolved by means of the solvent or miscible with the solvent, wherein the device has connection means for connecting to the container, characterized in that the device has a mixing unit that is self-regulating and a mixing line and a suction unit arranged in the mixing line and a mixing chamber, with the suction unit being able to be brought into fluid communication with the inflow for the solvent and, by means of a suction line, with the container connectable to the device, and with a return line downstream of the mixing chamber leading back to the container connectable to the device.