Patent ID: 9649420
Date: 2017-05-16
CPC Classifications: A61M

Claim:
1. A hemodialysis system with dialysate flow sensor comprising: an arterial blood line for connecting to a patient's artery for collecting blood from a patient; a venous blood line for connecting to a patient's vein for returning blood to a patient; a reusable dialysis machine and a disposable cartridge wherein said disposable cartridge is connectable and disconnectable to said reusable dialysis machine; a dialyzer; a blood flow path connected to said arterial blood line and said venous blood line for transporting blood from a patient to said dialyzer and back to a patient; a reservoir for storing a dialysate solution, said reservoir including a nominal fill level below the top of said reservoir; a dialysate flow path, isolated from the blood flow path, for transporting a dialysate from said reservoir to said dialyzer and back to said reservoir; a first pump for pumping dialysate through said dialysate flow path; a second pump for pumping blood through said blood flow path; a filter connected to said dialysate flow path for removing uremic toxins from dialysate; a flow sensor including a rotatable spoked wheel in said dialysate flow path and rotating with the flow of dialysate in said dialysate flow path, said spoked wheel including one or more magnets, and said flow sensor including a magnetic field sensor adjacent to said one or more magnets for detecting the rotation of said spoked wheel; and a processor connected to said flow sensor's magnetic field sensor for monitoring the rotation of said spoked wheel for determining the flow rate of dialysis through said dialysate flow path; and wherein said processor and magnetic field sensor are located within said reusable dialysis machine, and said spoked wheel is located within said disposable cartridge.