Patent ID: 6607697
Filing Date: 2003-08-19
Classification: A61M,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of supplying ready-to-use dialysis fluid in extracorporeal blood treatment, comprising the steps of:(a) providing blood to be treated to an extracorporeal blood treatment machine having: a dialyzer divided by a semipermeable membrane into a dialysis fluid chamber connected to a dialysis fluid path and having a dialysis fluid chamber inlet and a dialysis fluid chamber outlet and a blood chamber connected to a blood path, the dialysis fluid path having a dialysis fluid inlet line and a dialysis fluid outlet line; a fluid filter provided in the dialysis fluid path, the fluid filter divided by a microbe-retaining membrane into a first filter chamber and a second filter chamber, the first filter chamber having an inlet and each filter chamber having an outlet; a first bypass line, having a first bypass valve and providing fluid connection between the first filter chamber outlet and the dialysis fluid outlet line; a second bypass line, having a second bypass valve and providing fluid connection between the dialysis fluid inlet line and the dialysis fluid outlet line; a measuring device provided in the dialysis fluid outlet line downstream of the first bypass line, the measuring device capable of measuring a dialysis fluid parameter selected from the group consisting of temperature and conductivity, and of generating a signal in response to the measured parameter; and a comparing device connected to the measuring device arranged and composed for receiving a signal from the measuring device and calculating the difference between the measured dialysis fluid parameter and a predetermined value for the parameter; (b) providing fresh dialysis fluid with the first bypass valve open, such that fluid flows through the first filter chamber into the first bypass line; (c) closing the first bypass valve and opening the second bypass valve such that fluid flows through the microbe retaining membrane into the second filter chamber, out the second filter chamber outlet through the second bypass line into the dialysis fluid outlet line and through the measuring device; (d) measuring the dialysis fluid parameter; (e) comparing the measured value for the parameter and a predetermined value for the parameter; and (f) closing the second bypass valve when the calculated difference is outside a pre-set limit value, such that dialysis fluid flows to the dialysis fluid chamber.