Rechargeable Sorbent Bag Layout for Custom Dialysate Purification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sorbent cartridges for dialysis are costly, lack customization for individual patient needs, and do not allow for interchangeable or rechargeable sorbent layers, leading to inefficient and costly disposal of entire cartridges.
Innovation Solution
Sorbent bags made of reinforced plastic with luer extensions, clamps, and recharge/reactivation lines, allowing for customizable arrangements, interchanging of layers, and separate handling of sorbent materials, enabling reuse and venting of gases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If sorbent cartridges use a single housing design with all sorbent layers integrated, then manufacturing is simplified, but customization for individual patient needs and recharging of specific layers becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the sorbent system into separate replaceable layers (hemoperfusion layer, hemodialysis layer, adsorption layer) that can be independently selected and recharged. Each layer is contained in its own housing or can be separately accessed, allowing customization for different patient conditions without redesigning the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing design incorporates universal features such as standardized connectors, recharge ports, and mounting mechanisms that work across all layer types. This allows the same housing structure to support various sorbent layer configurations tailored to different patient needs while maintaining manufacturing efficiency.
2Ease of operation
If entire sorbent cartridges are discarded after use, then simplicity of operation is maintained, but operational costs increase due to inability to recharge or reuse components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables recovery and recharging of sorbent layers by providing dedicated recharge ports and regeneration pathways. Used layers can be removed, recharged with fresh sorbent material or regenerated in place, and reused multiple times, significantly reducing waste while maintaining simple operation through standardized procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates self-contained recharge mechanisms where the sorbent layers can be regenerated using built-in pathways and ports. The layers serve themselves by allowing direct access for recharging without requiring complete cartridge replacement or complex external processing equipment.
3Manufacturing precision
If sorbent layers are arranged in fixed configuration within cartridge, then manufacturing precision is improved, but ability to rearrange layers during operation to optimize treatment is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic mounting mechanisms that allow sorbent layers to be easily repositioned, removed, or rearranged during operation. Connectors and mounting structures are designed to facilitate quick changes in layer configuration while maintaining precise alignment and sealing, enabling optimization of treatment protocols without compromising manufacturing precision.
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
Facilitates cost-effective, customizable, and efficient dialysis by allowing separate handling and reuse of sorbent layers, reducing waste and operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
A sorbent based regenerative dialysis, is a process that recycles a dialysate fluid (spent dialysate) after it has been used to purify a biological fluid
Implementation Method 2
The purification is typically done by contacting a biological fluid, such as blood, with a purifying liquid such as a dialysate, through a semipermeable membrane
Implementation Method 3
Said 'sorbent pouch' can have a porous structure to allow fluid to pass through but will not allow the sorbent material contained within the sorbent pouch to pass out of it
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure relates to sorbent bags that is used in the purification and regeneration of a dialysis solution. Each sorbent bag comprises a sorbent material in a reinforced plastic sealed portion with luer extensions and clamps to facilitate the inlet and outlet of the dialysate solution and to facilitate the mechanism of operation. Furthermore, each sorbent bag has recharge/reactivation line with luer and a vent line. The recharge/reactivation line with luer is located at the inlet line of the sorbent bag at its distal portion before a porous portion. While a vent line is located at the outlet line of the sorbent bag after a second porous portion. Each sorbent bag has shape that is gradually increased in diameter until a diameter “D” and then gradually decreased in diameter through the remaining length of the bag in the direction of the fluid flow.