Sorbent Pouch for Modular Dialysis Fluid Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sorbent dialysis systems are costly due to expensive materials, lack modularity and customizability, and do not allow for the reuse of sorbent components, leading to inefficiencies in material usage and increased waste generation.
Innovation Solution
The development of sorbent pouches made from porous materials that allow fluid to pass through while retaining sorbent materials inside, enabling modular and customizable systems where reusable materials can be recharged and non-reusable materials discarded, facilitating easier packaging, shipping, and manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate housings are used for different sorbent materials, then functional customization is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the sorbent system into separate pouches, each containing different sorbent materials. These pouches can be independently configured and combined within a single housing, allowing functional customization without requiring separate housings for each material type.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal housing design that can accommodate multiple types of sorbent pouches with different functions. This single housing structure serves multiple purposes by containing various sorbent materials (e.g., sodium-binding, urea-removing) in separate pouches, eliminating the need for multiple specialized housings.
2Ease of operation
If all sorbent materials are disposed of after each use, then ease of operation is improved, but loss of substance and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables selective recovery and reuse of expensive sorbent materials by containing them in removable pouches. After use, the pouches can be opened and the sorbent materials recovered for recharging, while only the pouch structure itself is discarded. This maintains operational simplicity while reducing material waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the sorbent materials from permanent housing structures and places them in removable pouches. This extraction allows the sorbent materials to be separated from the housing, enabling their recovery and reuse while the housing remains for continued use.
3Device complexity
If a single housing design is used for all sorbent systems, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability and customization options are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sorbent system into interchangeable pouches that can be configured in different combinations within a standard housing. This allows customization of sorbent material combinations without requiring custom housing designs for each configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs a universal housing that can accommodate various types of sorbent pouches. This single housing design provides multi-functionality by supporting different sorbent material configurations to meet diverse patient needs without requiring multiple specialized housing designs.
4Reliability
If expensive sorbent materials are used throughout the system, then treatment effectiveness is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables recovery and reuse of expensive sorbent materials by containing them in removable pouches. The pouches can be opened, the expensive sorbent materials extracted and recharged, and the pouches themselves discarded. This maintains treatment effectiveness while reducing long-term costs through material recovery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses inexpensive disposable pouches to contain expensive sorbent materials. The pouches themselves are cheap and disposable, but they protect and enable the recovery of the expensive sorbent materials inside, effectively separating the disposable component from the valuable material.
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 solution reduces long-term costs by allowing for the reuse of expensive sorbent materials, enhances system flexibility, and minimizes waste, while also providing a secure and efficient method for dialysis fluid treatment.
Implementation Method 1
a porous material forming in-part a sorbent pouch containing at least one sorbent material wherein the porous material can allow fluid to pass through the sorbent pouch
Implementation Method 2
a first housing has a sorbent material capable of performing a first function such as releasing sodium into dialysate fluid flowing through the first housing
Data Source
AI summary
A sorbent pouch for use in sorbent dialysis. The sorbent pouch allows for fluid to freely pass into and through the sorbent materials, while keeping the sorbent materials inside the sorbent pouch.