Patent ID: 9550019
Date: 2017-01-24
CPC Classifications: A61M,B01D

Claim:
1. A capillary dialyzer comprising: a) a housing defining a longitudinally extending internal chamber including a first end and a second end; b) a bundle of semi-permeable hollow fiber membranes disposed within the internal chamber and extending longitudinally from the first end of the housing to the second end of the housing, the hollow fiber membranes having an outer surface, and a first end and a second end corresponding to the first end and the second end of the internal chamber; c) end wall supports for supporting the first and second ends of the hollow fiber membranes within the internal chamber so as to sealingly separate the first and second ends of the hollow fiber membranes from the outer surface of the hollow fiber membranes between the first and second ends thereof; d) a first end cap covering the first end of the housing and a second end cap covering the second end of the housing, the first and second end caps being applied to the first and second ends of the housing in a fluid-tight manner; e) an inlet for the introduction of a fluid into the internal chamber and an outlet for the evacuation of a fluid from the internal chamber at a location between the first and second ends of the housing; f) support rings disposed between the end wall supports and the housing at the first and second ends of the internal chamber, each support ring includes a number of ridges distributed circumferentially and defining gaps therebetween; and g) sealing rings interposed between one of the end wall supports and the first end cap and between another of the end wall supports and the second end cap, respectively; wherein a circular groove of the end cap which receives the wall of the housing comprises indentations, which create a fluid conduit between the inside of the capillary dialyzer and its exterior when the end caps are mounted on the housing, and the end caps are fixed to the housing by a weld disposed to close the fluid conduit; wherein header sections of the housing comprise notches on the inside surface which extend from the mouth of the housing to the end of a ledge inside the housing on which the support ring is positioned.