Abstract:
A dialysis machine is provided with a dialysate circuit, a blood circuit and a filter having a dialysate compartment connected to the dialysate circuit, a blood compartment connected to the blood circuit, and a semi-permeable membrane to separate the dialysate compartment from the blood compartment. A method for filling and washing the filter includes the recirculation of a physiological saline in the dialysate circuit and the transfer of the physiological saline from the dialysate circuit to the blood circuit through the semi-permeable membrane.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a method for filling and washing a filter for a dialysis machine. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A dialysis machine of the known type generally comprises a blood circulation circuit, a dialysate circulation circuit and a filter, which is provided with a dialysate compartment, a blood compartment and a semi-permeable membrane to separate the dialysate compartment from the blood compartment. The dialysate compartment is connected to the dialysate circuit, while the blood compartment is connected to the blood circuit, in such a way that the blood to be treated and the dialysate, generally flowing in opposite directions, pass through the blood compartment and the dialysate compartment respectively during the dialysis treatment. 
     During the dialysis treatment, unwanted particles contained in the blood migrate from the blood compartment to the dialysate compartment through the semi-permeable membrane both by diffusion and by convection, as a result of the passage of some of the liquid contained in the blood towards the dialysate compartment. Thus the patient will have lost some weight by the end of the dialysis treatment. 
     In operation, the blood circuit is connected to the patient&#39;s cardiovascular system to collect the blood to be treated and return the treated blood to the patient, and comprises a venous branch and an arterial branch, which is partially wrapped around a lobed rotor to form a peristaltic blood circulation pump. 
     Before the dialysis treatment is started, the filter must be filled by an operation generally called “priming”, and the filter must then be washed in order to eliminate air bubbles, which may be formed in the initial stage of circulating a liquid through the filter, and preservatives which are used to sterilize the filter and the blood circuit. According to the known methods of filter washing, the blood circuit is made into a closed loop, a bag of physiological saline is connected to a branch of the blood circuit, and the physiological saline is recirculated in the blood circuit. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a method of filling-and-washing the filter of a dialysis machine which is simple, economical and requires minimum intervention by the operator. 
     According to the present invention, a method of filling and washing the filter of a dialysis machine is provided, the machine comprising a dialysate circuit, a blood circuit and a filter comprising a dialysate compartment connected to the dialysate circuit, a blood compartment connected to the blood circuit, and a semi-permeable membrane to separate the dialysate compartment from the blood compartment; the method comprising the recirculation of a physiological saline in the said dialysate circuit in such a way that the dialysate compartment is filled and washed with the said physiological saline; the method being characterized in that some of the said physiological saline is transferred from the dialysate compartment to the blood compartment through the said semi-permeable membrane. 
     By transferring the physiological saline through the semi-permeable membrane, it is possible to dispense with the bag of physiological saline, which is normally used for filling and washing the blood compartment of the filter. The filling and washing of the blood compartment of the filter are simplified because they do not require special components such as the bag of physiological saline. Consequently the operator&#39;s workload is also reduced. Furthermore, the transfer of some of the physiological saline through the membrane makes it possible to carry out a particularly thorough wash. 
     The physiological saline is transferred from the dialysate compartment to the blood compartment as a result of a pressure difference between the dialysate compartment and the blood compartment, so that some of the physiological saline is transferred from the dialysate compartment to the blood compartment through the semi-permeable membrane. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a dialysis machine of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     To enable the present invention to be understood more clearly, a preferred embodiment will now be described, purely by way of example and without restrictive intent, with reference to the attached FIGURE, which is a schematic view of a dialysis machine, with parts removed for clarity. 
     In the attached FIGURE, the number  1  indicates the whole of a dialysis machine, which comprises a blood circuit  2 , a dialysate circuit  3  and a filter  4 , which is provided with a blood compartment  5  and a dialysate compartment  6  separated by a semi-permeable membrane  7 , an arterial branch  8  connected to the compartment  5 , a venous branch  9  connected to the compartment  5 , a dropper  10  located in the venous branch  9  and a dropper  11  located in the arterial branch. 
     The branches  8  and  9  have at their ends connectors  12  and  13  respectively, which can be connected by a connection device (not illustrated) to a patient, and which, in the attached FIGURE, are connected to each other. The venous branch  9  can be connected, by the connector  13 , to a branch  14 , in which a valve  15  is fitted. In the attached FIGURE, one portion of the venous branch  9  is shown in broken lines in the configuration in which it is connected to the branch  14 . 
     The venous branch  9  is wrapped around a rotor of a peristaltic pump  16  up-line from the dropper  10 , which is provided with a vent tube  17 . 
     The circuit  3  comprises a branch  18  connected to the compartment  6  to supply the dialysate to the filter  4 , and a branch  19  connected to the compartment to remove the dialysate and the impurities transferred through the membrane  7  by the filter  4 . Along the branch  18  there are located a pump  20  providing a flow rate Q di  of dialysate to the inlet of the filter  4 , and a pressure sensor  21  located between the pump  20  and the filter  4 , and along the branch  19  there are located a pump  22  providing a rate of flow Q do  of dialysate from the outlet of the filter  4 , and a pressure sensor  23  located between the filter  4  and the pump  22 . The branch  18  is connected to a device  24 , which supplies the dialysate as a solution of salts in purified water according to methods known in the field of dialysis treatment. In addition to supplying the physiological saline solution, the device  24  is configured to prepare the physiological saline solution from salts and purified water. 
     The machine  1  comprises a control unit  25 , which is connected to the pumps  16 ,  20  and  22 , to the sensors  21  and  23  and to the device  24 , and, in practice, is capable of controlling the operation of the machine  1  during the dialysis treatment and the operations of washing the filter  4 . 
     With specific reference to the filling and washing of the filter  4 , the attached FIGURE shows the circuit  2  in a loop configuration, in other words with the connectors  12  and  13  connected to each other. In this configuration, the circuit  2  and the filter are empty; in other words, they contain air at atmospheric pressure. The control unit  25  is designed to wash the filter  4  in a filling and washing cycle, which comprises the steps of operating the pumps  20  and  22  to fill the compartment  6  with dialysate, in other words with a physiological saline supplied by the device  24 . In this step the pumps  20  and  22  are operated in such a way as to produce a pressure P 1  in the compartment  6  of the filter  4 . When the compartment  6  has been filled, the pumps  20  and  22  are operated in such a way as to produce a pressure P 2  in the compartment  6 . The pumps  20  and  22  are of the positive displacement type, and therefore the pressure in the portion lying between the two pumps  20  and  22 , and consequently in the compartment  6 , can be varied by operating the two pumps  20  and  22 . The pumps  20  and  22  are regulated by the control unit  25 , which processes the pressure signals received by the sensors  21  and  23  and has a knowledge of the atmospheric pressure, and can produce, by means of the pumps  20  and  22 , a pressure difference between the compartment  6  and the compartment  5  such that the physiological saline is transferred from the compartment  6  to the compartment  5 . Some of the dialysate contained in the compartment  6  at the pressure P 2  passes through the semi-permeable membrane  7  and progressively fills the compartment  5  of the filter  4  and the circuit  2 . The membrane  7  has the characteristic of being semi-permeable and of allowing the liquid to flow when there is a pressure difference between the compartment  6  and the compartment  5 . The flow of liquid through the membrane  7  increases as the pressure difference between the compartment  6  and the compartment  5  increases. The pressure in the compartment  5  is equal to atmospheric pressure, since the blood circuit  2  is connected to the exterior through the vent tube  17 . During the filling of the circuit  2 , the peristaltic pump  16  is operated to circulate the physiological saline in the circuit  2  which is in a closed loop configuration, while the air contained in the circuit  2  is progressively discharged through the vent tube  17 . The physiological saline is circulated through the circuit  2  for a specified period, in order to eliminate the air bubbles and the preservative substances used to sterilize the filter  4 , in other words in order to wash the filter  4 . On completion of the washing, the circuit  2  is opened and the connector  12  is connected to the patient, while the connector  13  (shown in broken lines in the attached FIGURE) is connected to the branch  14 . The dialysis treatment is then started, according to the characteristic procedures and operating parameters for the patient. In the initial stage of the dialysis treatment, the valve  15  is open so that the physiological saline used for washing the filter  4  is discharged through the branch  14 , while in the circuit  2  the patient&#39;s blood progressively replaces the physiological saline. When the blood reaches the branch  14 , the valve  15  is closed and the connector is connected to the patient. In the meantime, the device  24  supplies the dialysate to the circuit  3  in a solution whose concentration is determined by the control unit  25 .