Sorbent Recharger Effluent pH Neutralization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for recharging zirconium phosphate and zirconium oxide in sorbent dialysis systems require separate treatment and disposal of chemical waste, increasing costs, complexity, and infrastructure needs, and lack efficient coordination for simultaneous recharging of both materials.

Innovation Solution

A sorbent recharger system that includes compartments for zirconium phosphate and zirconium oxide modules, with fluid connections for disinfectant, base, and brine solutions, and conductivity/pH sensors for automatic neutralization of effluents, allowing for concurrent or independent recharging and in-line mixing of solutions to manage pH levels for safe disposal.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If separate treatment and disposal of chemical waste is implemented, then complete neutralization of effluents is achieved, but waste management complexity and infrastructure requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveeffluent neutralizationVSAvoidwaste management infrastructure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the effluent streams from zirconium phosphate and zirconium oxide recharging processes into a single common reservoir. The acidic effluent from zirconium phosphate recharging neutralizes the basic effluent from zirconium oxide recharging, eliminating the need for separate treatment systems and reducing infrastructure complexity while maintaining complete neutralization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful acidic and basic effluents into a beneficial neutralization process. By combining the effluent streams, the harmful properties of each effluent neutralize each other, transforming waste management from a burden into a self-solving process that eliminates the need for additional treatment chemicals and infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Reliability

If zirconium phosphate and zirconium oxide are recharged separately, then each material is properly recharged, but coordination difficulties and process inefficiency occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesorbent rechargingVSAvoidrecharging process efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables continuous operation by allowing zirconium phosphate and zirconium oxide modules to be recharged simultaneously in different receiving compartments. The system maintains continuous useful action by processing both sorbent materials concurrently, eliminating idle time and improving overall productivity while ensuring proper recharging of each material.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent divides the recharging system into separate receiving compartments for zirconium phosphate and zirconium oxide modules. This segmentation allows independent yet coordinated recharging of each material type, ensuring proper chemical treatment for each sorbent while enabling parallel processing to improve efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If additional chemical treatment is applied to effluents, then pH neutralization is ensured, but costs and waste management complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovepH neutralizationVSAvoidchemical waste

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful acidic and basic effluents into a beneficial mutual neutralization process. By combining the effluent streams from zirconium phosphate and zirconium oxide recharging, the harmful properties neutralize each other naturally, eliminating the need for additional chemical treatment and reducing chemical waste.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The system achieves self-service neutralization where the effluents from the two recharging processes automatically neutralize each other in the common reservoir. This self-regulating process eliminates the need for external chemical treatment, reducing both costs and chemical waste while ensuring reliable pH neutralization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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 system enables efficient recharging of zirconium phosphate and zirconium oxide without additional chemical treatment, reducing waste management complexity and costs, while ensuring safe disposal of effluents by automatically neutralizing pH levels, thus enhancing the sustainability and efficiency of sorbent dialysis processes.

Implementation Method 1

at least one of the disinfectant source, base source, water source and brine source is fluidly connected to connected to the first effluent line at a common reservoir or a junction with a static mixer at or downstream of the junction

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectNeutralization: Chemical Bonding

Data Source

PatentUS10099215B2Management of recharger effluent pH

Publication Date: 2018.10.16 MOZARC MEDICAL US LLC

AI summary

Systems and methods for managing effluent from recharging zirconium phosphate and/or zirconium oxide are provided. The systems and methods control the pH of the zirconium phosphate and zirconium oxide effluent to allow for safe disposal. The systems and methods provide for management of the recharger effluent pH while recharging zirconium phosphate and zirconium oxide either independently or concurrently.