Patent Description:
In the dialysis treatment, a dialysis device is used to remove waste and unnecessary water in the blood, and the dialysis device is provided with a tube pump for feeding a liquid such as blood and a drug solution. As a tube pump, for example, a tube pump disclosed in <CIT> is known. The tube pump of <CIT> includes a housing, a rotor, a tube, and an adapter component. The housing has a pump head formed therein, and the pump head has an opening at a side in front view. In the pump head, a tube is disposed along the pump head, and a rotor is disposed inside the tube. The rotor is configured to be rotatable, and rotates so as to squeeze the tube and feed the liquid in the tube. On the other hand, an adapter component is attached to both ends of the tube, and the tube is connected to the supply tube and the discharge tube of the blood circuit via the adapter component.

The adapter component thus configured can be fitted into the opening of the housing from the front to fix itself to the opening of the housing. More specifically, the adapter component has two recesses to be fixed to the housing, and the housing has clip receivers corresponding to the respective recesses. When the adapter component is fitted into the opening of the housing from the front, the clip receiver fits into the recess, and the adapter member is fixed to the housing by fitting. In this way, by fixing the adapter component to the opening of the housing, the tube can be fixed and held in the housing via the adapter component.

<CIT> discloses a roller pump comprising a tube set according to the preamble of claim <NUM>. <CIT> discloses another roller pump with a flexible hose.

In the tube pump of <CIT> the tube can be fixed by fitting the adapter member into the housing as described above. Further, the tube needs to be replaced each time it is used, and the tube needs to be configured to be detachable from the housing. The tube forms a blood circuit together with the supply tube and the discharge tube, and is attached to the supply tube and the discharge tube via the adapter member before being attached to the housing. Therefore, when replacing the tube, it is necessary to replace the entire blood circuit. In the tube of <CIT> configured as described above, it is required that the adapter member be easily fitted to the housing in order to facilitate replacement of the blood circuit. From such a viewpoint, a flexible material is used for the adapter member of the tube pump of <CIT>.

However, if the flexible material is used, it is difficult to obtain a feeling of mounting (for example, a feeling of clicking) when fitting the adapter member into the housing, that is, at the time of mounting, and it is difficult for a practitioner to determine whether the adapter member is properly fitted to the housing. Therefore, there is a possibility that treatment starts without the adapter member being sufficiently fitted and fixed in the housing, and a malfunction may occur, such as detachment of the adapter member from the housing during the treatment.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a tube set capable of easily determining whether a holder corresponding to an adapter member has been attached to a housing.

This object is solved by a tube set having the features of claim <NUM>. A tube set provided in a tube pump that feeds a liquid includes a pump tube that is curvedly disposed in a housing along an inner peripheral face of the housing, the pump tube being squeezed by a rotor disposed in the housing to pump a liquid in the pump tube, and a holder to which both ends of the pump tube are connected, and which is fixed to the housing so as to attach the pump tube to the housing. The holder has a flexible flat plate and includes a first engagement portion and a second engagement portion that are located away from each other in a first direction. The first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are configured to be fitted into a first engagement groove and a second engagement groove formed in the housing, respectively, when the holder is pushed into the housing in a state of being bent in a thickness direction. The holder is elastically restored to be attached to the housing when the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are fitted into the first engagement groove and the second engagement groove, respectively. The holder has a flexural modulus of <NUM> MPa or more and <NUM> MPa or less.

According to the present invention, it is possible to generate an impact sound (that is, a click sound) generated when the holder elastically returns when the engagement portion of the holder is fitted into the engagement groove, and hits the face that regulates the first engagement groove, and thereby, an impact transmitted to the finger through the impact sound. Thereby, it is possible to generate a click feeling when attaching the holder to the housing. This makes it easy to determine whether the holder has been mounted when the holder is mounted on the housing.

The present invention makes it easy to determine whether the holder has been mounted when the holder is mounted on the housing.

Hereinafter, a tube pump <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

The tube pump <NUM> described below is merely an embodiment of the present invention.

The tube pump <NUM> shown in <FIG> mainly feeds a liquid such as blood or a drug solution, and is provided in, for example, a dialysis device (not shown) for performing dialysis treatment. The dialysis device is an example of a device to which the tube pump <NUM> is applied, and the device to which the tube pump <NUM> is applied is not limited to the dialysis device. That is, the tube pump <NUM> may be applied to a multipurpose blood processing device used for continuous slow blood purification, plasma exchange, plasma adsorption, ascites filtration concentration, and the like. A dialysis device as an example includes a blood circuit. The blood circuit draws blood from the arteries and allows blood to flow, and returns the blood to the vein after removing waste and unnecessary water in the blood. The blood circuit having such a role includes a supply tube <NUM> and a discharge tube <NUM>, and these two tubes <NUM> and <NUM> are connected to the tube pump <NUM>. Blood taken out from a blood vessel flows into the supply tube <NUM>, and this blood is fed out to the discharge tube <NUM> by the tube pump <NUM> and returned to a vein. The tube pump <NUM> having such a function includes a tube set <NUM>, a housing <NUM>, a rotor <NUM>, and a cover <NUM>.

The tube set <NUM> shown in <FIG> constitutes a blood circuit together with the supply tube <NUM> and the discharge tube <NUM>, and has a pump tube <NUM> and a holder <NUM>. The pump tube <NUM> is a long cylindrical member made of, for example, PVC (polyvinyl chloride), through which a liquid can flow. Further, the pump tube <NUM> has flexibility, and is configured to be bent substantially in a C shape as shown in <FIG> without breaking. Further, the pump tube <NUM> is attached to the holder <NUM> in a curved state.

The holder <NUM> shown in <FIG> holds the pump tube <NUM> and fixed to the housing <NUM>. The holder <NUM> is made of a hard synthetic resin material such as PC (polycarbonate), PETG (polyethylene terephthalate), acrylic resin, PVC resin, and Tritan (registered trademark), and is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in front view. The holder <NUM> is formed in a plate shape to have flexibility, and for example, is formed to have a flexural modulus of <NUM> MPa or more and <NUM> MPa or less, preferably <NUM> MPa or more and <NUM> MPa or less. More specifically, the holder <NUM> includes a holder body <NUM>, a pair of connector portions <NUM> and <NUM>, and a pushing portion <NUM>. The holder body <NUM> is a plate-shaped member having a substantially rectangular shape and flexibility when viewed from the front, and has a protrusion <NUM> at a central portion in the longitudinal direction (that is, the first direction). The protrusion <NUM> protrudes in the thickness direction of the holder body <NUM> from the back face 31b which is a surface opposite to the front face 31a of the holder body <NUM>. Further, engagement portions <NUM> and <NUM> are formed at both ends of the holder body <NUM> in the longitudinal direction.

The two engagement portions <NUM> and <NUM> have shapes different from each other, and has a first engagement portion <NUM> at one end of the holder body <NUM> in the longitudinal direction (in the present embodiment, upper end) and has a second engagement portion <NUM> at the other end in the longitudinal direction (in the present embodiment, lower end). The first engagement portion <NUM> is formed at one end of the holder body <NUM> in the longitudinal direction so as to protrude from the front face 31a in the thickness direction, and has a substantially L-shape when viewed from the side. Note that the first engagement portion <NUM> does not necessarily need to protrude from the front face 31a, and may protrude from the back face 31b. Also, a guide <NUM> in addition to the first engagement portion <NUM> is formed at one end of the holder body <NUM> in the longitudinal direction. The guide <NUM> has a substantially elliptical shape when viewed from the side, and protrudes upward from one end in the longitudinal direction.

On the other hand, the second engagement portion <NUM> has four claw-shaped portions 37a to 37d, and the four claw-shaped portions 37a to 37d are disposed side by side at intervals in the short-side direction (the left-right direction in the present embodiment) at the other end of the holder body <NUM> in the longitudinal direction. More specifically, each of the claw-shaped portions 37a to 37d extends downward, and has a distal end formed in a substantially semi-cylindrical shape in side view. In addition, the distal end of each of the claw-shaped portions 37a to 37d protrudes in any of one thickness direction and the other thickness direction, and the claw-shaped portions 37a to 37d are disposed at the other end of the holder body <NUM> in the longitudinal direction such that the distal ends are positioned in a staggered manner (that is, the distal ends alternately protrude in one thickness direction and the other thickness direction).

The distal end side of the second engagement portion <NUM> configured as described above is formed so as to be substantially circular when viewed from the side, and is configured to be elastically deformable. That is, since the substantially semi-cylindrical portions of the claw-shaped portions 37a to 37d are disposed in a staggered manner, when the distal end portion of the second engagement portion <NUM> is pushed upward, each of the claw-shaped portions 37a to 37d moves so as to approach each other in side view, and the distal end portion of the second engagement portion <NUM> moves in the thickness direction and closes. As a result, the second engagement portion <NUM> is pushed upward, the holder body <NUM> contracts in the longitudinal direction, and the first engagement portion <NUM> can be pushed down. As described above, the engagement portions <NUM> and <NUM> are formed at both ends of the holder body <NUM> in the longitudinal direction, respectively. Further, a pair of connector portions <NUM> and <NUM> is integrally provided at an intermediate portion of the holder body <NUM> in the longitudinal direction.

Each of the pair of connector portions <NUM> and <NUM> is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape so that a liquid can flow therein, and is bent at an obtuse angle at an intermediate portion thereof. The pair of connector portions <NUM> and <NUM> having such a shape has insertion ports 32a and 33a at one end thereof. The angle formed by the opening direction of the insertion port 32a and the opening direction of the insertion port 33a is, for example, <NUM>°. The insertion ports 32a and 33a are formed to have a large diameter with respect to the remaining portions of the connector portions <NUM> and <NUM>, and the respective ends of the pump tube <NUM> are inserted and welded to the insertion ports 32a and 33a. Further, the pair of connector portions <NUM> and <NUM> has a supply port 32b and a discharge port 33b at the other end portion, the supply tube <NUM> is inserted and welded into the supply port 32b, and the discharge tube <NUM> is inserted and welded into the discharge port 33b. As a result, the supply tube <NUM> and the pump tube <NUM> communicate with each other via a supply side connector portion <NUM>, and the pump tube <NUM> and the discharge tube <NUM> communicate with each other via a discharge side connector portion <NUM> (see <FIG>). That is, the supply tube <NUM> and the discharge tube <NUM> communicate with each other via the pair of connector portions <NUM> and <NUM> and the pump tube <NUM>. As a result, the liquid in the supply tube <NUM> can be supplied from the supply side connector portion <NUM> to the pump tube <NUM>, and the liquid in the pump tube <NUM> can be discharged from the discharge side connector portion <NUM> to the discharge tube <NUM>.

In the present embodiment, the supply port 32b and the discharge port 33b are orthogonal to the holder body <NUM> and extend in parallel with each other. Further, as shown in <FIG>, the inside of the supply port 32b and the inside of the discharge port 33b are formed in a cylindrical shape extending linearly. With such a configuration, the supply tube <NUM> and the discharge tube <NUM> can be attached to the holder body <NUM> without bending. As a result, the configuration is such that the burden due to the stress on the tube end is reduced.

The pair of connector portions <NUM> and <NUM> configured as described above extends in the shorter direction of the holder body <NUM> and is spaced apart in the longitudinal direction so as to sandwich the protrusion <NUM>. The pair of connector portions <NUM> and <NUM> disposed in this manner is provided integrally in the holder body <NUM> as if the holder body <NUM> penetrates them. More specifically, in the pair of connector portions <NUM> and <NUM>, the supply side connector portion <NUM> is disposed on the first engagement portion <NUM> side, and the discharge side connector portion <NUM> is disposed on the second engagement portion <NUM> side, so that the pair of connector portions <NUM> and <NUM> is away from each other in the longitudinal direction. In addition, the pair of connector portions <NUM> and <NUM> is disposed on a virtual plane in which the respective center axes are predetermined (a virtual plane showing a cross section shown in <FIG> when the tube set <NUM> is cut thereby), further, the holder body <NUM> is disposed along the virtual plane, and the holder body <NUM> and the pair of connector portions <NUM> and <NUM> disposed as described above are integrally formed. Further, the pair of connector portions <NUM> and <NUM> is oriented in a direction in which the insertion ports 32a and 33a are away from each other, that is, in an upper oblique direction and a lower oblique direction. As a result, the pump tube <NUM> is attached to the insertion ports 32a and 33a at its ends in a state where the pump tube <NUM> is curved in a substantially C shape. On the other hand, the supply port 32b and the discharge port 33b of the pair of connector portions <NUM> and <NUM> are orthogonal to the holder body <NUM>, and extend parallel to each other, that is, to the right. The supply tube <NUM> and the discharge tube <NUM> of the blood circuit are attached to the supply port 32b and the discharge port 33b.

Further, the protrusion <NUM> of the holder body <NUM> protrudes in the thickness direction of the holder body <NUM>, and the edge of the protrusion <NUM> is configured by a curved face that spreads as it approaches the face of the holder body <NUM>. With such a configuration, the flexibility is reduced, and the strength of the holder body <NUM> is increased.

Further, a portion outside the visible outline of the holder body <NUM> of the insertion port 32a of the connector portion <NUM> of the present embodiment in plan view of <FIG>, and a portion outside the visible outline of the holder body <NUM> of the insertion port 33a of the connector portion <NUM> in the plan view of <FIG> are not connected by the holder body <NUM>. With such a configuration, the flexibility of the holder body <NUM> increases, and ease of attachment of the holder body <NUM> can be ensured without the strength becoming higher than necessary due to the provision of the protrusion <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, a window <NUM> is formed in the holder body <NUM> between the supply side connector portion <NUM> and the first engagement portion <NUM>. The window <NUM>, which is an example of the weak portion, is formed in the holder body <NUM> so as to be away from the supply side connector portion <NUM> and the first engagement portion <NUM> in the longitudinal direction. The window <NUM> extends in the short direction and penetrates in the thickness direction. The window <NUM> thus formed facilitates bending of a portion between the supply side connector portion <NUM> and the first engagement portion <NUM> side. Further, the pushing portion <NUM> is integrally provided on the front face 31a of the holder body <NUM> so as to cover the window <NUM>.

The pushing portion <NUM> is disposed so as to cross the window <NUM> in the longitudinal direction, and is formed in a substantially U shape when viewed from the right side (see also <FIG> described later). That is, the pushing portion <NUM> is formed to protrude in one thickness direction from the front face 31a of the holder body <NUM>. Further, the pushing portion <NUM> has a placement face 34a at a position away from the front face 31a of the holder body <NUM> in one thickness direction. It is possible to press the placement face 34a with the finger cushion, and the placement face 34a is inclined so as to be away from the front face 31a, from the first engagement portion <NUM> toward the supply side connector portion <NUM>, to be pressed with the finger cushion.

The pushing portion <NUM> configured as described above is disposed to be adjacent to the supply side connector portion <NUM>, and the height of the pushing portion <NUM> and the inclination of the placement face 34a (that is, the angle with respect to the front face 31a) are set as follows. That is, the height of the pushing portion <NUM> and the inclination of the placement face 34a are set such that the virtual plane P1 including the placement face 34a is in contact with the outer peripheral face of the supply side connector portion <NUM>. As a result, the finger placed on the placement face 34a can also be placed on the outer peripheral face of the supply side connector portion <NUM>, so that the supply side connector portion <NUM> as well as the pushing portion <NUM> can be pushed together. On the other hand, although the pushing portion <NUM> is adjacent to the discharge side connector portion <NUM>, it is disposed away from the supply side connector portion <NUM> so as not to be integrated with the supply side connector portion <NUM> (that is, does not contact) (see the distance d in <FIG>). By doing so, the flexibility of the holder body <NUM> is prevented from lowering, and the holder body <NUM> is easily bent. Further, in the holder body <NUM>, the pushing portion <NUM> is formed in a substantially U-shaped hollow shape, so that the flexibility of the holder body <NUM> is prevented from lowering and the holder body <NUM> is easily bent.

The tube set <NUM> configured in this way pumps out the liquid therein by squeezing the pump tube <NUM>, and is detachably fixed to the housing <NUM> for squeezing the pump tube <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. That is, the housing <NUM> has an accommodation recess <NUM> for accommodating the tube set <NUM>. The accommodation recess <NUM> is a recess extending in the left-right direction, and is a substantially U-shaped recess when viewed from the front. That is, the left side of the accommodation recess <NUM> is formed in a substantially semicircular shape, and the opening 11a is formed on the right side of the accommodation recess <NUM>. The accommodation recess <NUM> has a holder accommodation region 41a in a region near the opening 11a, and has a tube accommodation region 41b in the remaining region. The holder <NUM> of the tube set <NUM> is disposed in the holder accommodation region 41a, where the holder <NUM> is fixed to the housing <NUM>. Further, the pump tube <NUM> is accommodated in the tube accommodation region 41b. More specifically, the pump tube <NUM> is accommodated along the inner peripheral face 11b of the housing <NUM> that defines the tube accommodation region 41b. Further, in the tube accommodation region 41b, the rotor <NUM> is disposed so as to be located inside the pump tube <NUM>. That is, the pump tube <NUM> is disposed between the inner peripheral face 11b of the housing <NUM> and the rotor <NUM>, and is squeezed by the rotor <NUM>.

The rotor <NUM> includes a rotor body <NUM>, a pair of rollers <NUM> and <NUM>, and a pair of guide pins <NUM> and <NUM>. The rotor body <NUM> is formed in a substantially hexagonal shape that is horizontally long in the left-right direction, and is provided on the housing <NUM> so as to be rotatable about its center of gravity. More specifically, the rotor body <NUM> is disposed in the tube accommodation region 41b in a state away from the inner peripheral face <NUM>1b of the housing <NUM>, and is provided on the housing <NUM> such that the center of gravity overlaps the center axis L1 of the substantially semicircular portion of the tube accommodation region 41b. Further, the pair of rollers <NUM> and <NUM> is rotatably attached to the rotor body <NUM> so as to squeeze the pump tube <NUM>. More specifically, the pair of rollers <NUM> and <NUM> is disposed at opposite sides, of the rotor body <NUM>, that are away from each other in the longitudinal direction thereof, and is shifted from each other by <NUM> degrees. Note that, in the present embodiment, the pair of rollers <NUM> and <NUM> is disposed so as to be located at a pair of diagonal positions shifted from each other by <NUM> degrees in the rotor body <NUM>. The roller <NUM> disposed in this manner is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and a rotation shaft (not shown) is inserted therein. The rotation shaft is supported by the rotor body <NUM> so as to be parallel to the center axis L1, and the roller <NUM> can rotate around the rotation axis.

The pair of rollers <NUM> and <NUM> configured as described above is pressed against or away from the pump tube <NUM> according to the angular position around the center axis L1. That is, the roller <NUM> is away from the pump tube <NUM> when it is located at about <NUM> degrees as in the right roller <NUM> in <FIG>, and the roller <NUM> contacts the pump tube <NUM> and presses the pump tube <NUM> against the inner peripheral face 11b of the housing <NUM> when rotated counterclockwise to about <NUM> degrees. From there, the roller <NUM> further rotates counterclockwise, so that the roller <NUM> squeezes the pump tube <NUM> to press the pump tube <NUM> against the inner peripheral face 11b (see the left roller <NUM> in <FIG>). Thereby, the liquid in the pump tube <NUM> is fed out counterclockwise. Afterwards, the roller <NUM> is away from the pump tube <NUM> when the rotor <NUM> is rotated counterclockwise to about <NUM> degrees, and continues to be away from the pump tube <NUM> until the roller <NUM> reaches a position of about <NUM> degrees at which the roller <NUM> contacts the pump tube <NUM> again.

As described above, the rotor <NUM> can perform the feeding operation by rotating the rollers <NUM> and <NUM> around the center axis L1. Also, since the pair of rollers <NUM> and <NUM> is disposed with each shifted by <NUM> degrees, at least one of the pair of rollers <NUM> and <NUM> is squeezing the pump tube <NUM> while the rotor <NUM> is rotating, so that the liquid in the pump tube <NUM> is prevented from returning. Therefore, the liquid in the pump tube <NUM> can be fed out by rotating the rotor body <NUM>. An electric motor (not shown) is attached to the rotor body <NUM>. More specifically, the electric motor is disposed on the back side of the housing <NUM> (that is, on the back side of the drawing of <FIG>), and has an output shaft that can be driven to rotate. The output shaft penetrates the housing <NUM> along the center axis L1, and is attached to the rotor body <NUM>. The rotor body <NUM> is attached to the housing <NUM> so as to be rotatable about the center axis L1 as described above, and is configured to rotate about the center axis L1 when the output shaft rotates.

Thus, in the tube pump <NUM>, the pump tube <NUM> can be disposed between the rotor <NUM> and the inner peripheral face 11b of the housing <NUM>, and the liquid can be fed out by squeezing the pump tube <NUM> by the roller <NUM> of the rotor <NUM>. Further, the rotor <NUM> is formed to be horizontally long so as to squeeze the pump tube <NUM>, and as shown in <FIG>, the portion between the laterally protruding portions 12R and <NUM> of the rotor <NUM> and the inner peripheral face 11b is reduced. Therefore, the rotor body <NUM> is provided with the guide pin <NUM> for fitting the pump tube <NUM> between the rotor <NUM> and the inner peripheral face 11b since the pump tube <NUM> cannot be easily fitted. The guide pin <NUM> is provided in the rotor body <NUM> in the counterclockwise front direction of each roller <NUM>, and protrudes from the rotor body <NUM> in a direction perpendicular to the center axis L1.

The guide pins <NUM> disposed in this way function as follows when the pump tube <NUM> is attached. That is, the rotor body <NUM> is rotated counterclockwise in a state where the guide pins <NUM> are disposed on the front side of the pump tube <NUM> (on the front side of the drawing of <FIG>). The guide pins <NUM> rotate while pressing the pump tube <NUM> against the back side face of the housing <NUM>, and one rotation of the rotor body <NUM> causes the entire pump tube <NUM> to be accommodated between the inner peripheral face 11b of the housing <NUM> and the rotor <NUM>. On the other hand, the rotor body <NUM> is rotated counterclockwise in a state in which the guide pin <NUM> is disposed on the back side of the pump tube <NUM> (on the back side of the drawing of <FIG>), that is, in a state where the guide pin <NUM> is inserted between the pump tube <NUM> and the housing <NUM>. The pump tube <NUM> is peeled off from the housing <NUM>, and the pump tube <NUM> can be removed from the tube accommodation region 41b. Although in the present embodiment, the pump tube <NUM> is mounted and removed by rotating the rotor body <NUM> counterclockwise, the pump tube <NUM> may be mounted and removed by rotating the rotor body <NUM> clockwise.

Thus, the tube pump <NUM> is configured such that the pump tube <NUM> is detachable. Therefore, the holder <NUM> is attached to the housing <NUM> and the tube set <NUM> is attached to the housing <NUM> so that the pump tube <NUM> attached does not come off the housing <NUM> when the liquid is being fed out. In order to attach the holder <NUM> to the housing <NUM>, the housing <NUM> has a holder accommodation region 41a near the opening 11a as described above, and the holder <NUM> fits into the holder accommodation region 41a.

More specifically, as shown in <FIG>, the inner peripheral face <NUM>1b of the housing <NUM> has vertically opposing portions 11d and 11e to define the holder accommodation region 41a, and the opposing portions have a pair of engagement grooves <NUM> and <NUM> extending in the left-right direction, respectively. In <FIG>, the illustration of the rotor <NUM> and the cover <NUM> is omitted. The pair of engagement grooves <NUM> and <NUM> is formed so as to be vertically recessed in the opposing portions 11d and 11e of the inner peripheral face 11b so as to face each other in the vertical direction. The first engagement groove <NUM>, which is the upper engagement groove, is formed so that the first engagement portion <NUM> of the holder <NUM> can be fitted therein, and the second engagement groove <NUM>, which is the lower engagement groove, is formed so that the second engagement portion <NUM> of the holder <NUM> can be fitted therein. Also, the housing <NUM> has a guide groove <NUM> extending in the front-rear direction (i.e., the front side and the back side in <FIG>) at a position corresponding to the guide <NUM> of the holder body <NUM> (see <FIG>), and the guide <NUM> is guided by the guide groove <NUM> by inserting the guide <NUM> into the guide groove <NUM>.

In the housing <NUM> configured as described above, the holder <NUM> is mounted and fixed to the housing <NUM> by the following operation. That is, first, the second engagement portion <NUM> of the holder <NUM> is fitted into the second engagement groove <NUM> of the housing <NUM>, and then the first engagement portion <NUM> is fitted into the first engagement groove <NUM>. Thereby, the holder <NUM> can be fixed to the housing <NUM> in a state of being accommodated in the holder accommodation region 41a. In the housing <NUM>, the opposing portions 11d and 11e of the inner peripheral face 11b of the housing <NUM> have the following shape in order to prevent the fixed holder <NUM> from easily coming out of the holder accommodation region 41a. That is, the pair of opposing portions 11d and 11e is formed in a tapered shape on the front side of the respective engagement grooves <NUM> and <NUM>, and the holder accommodation region 41a expands toward the front side from each of the engagement grooves <NUM> and <NUM>. That is, the height h1 of the holder accommodation region 41a (that is, the interval between the surfaces facing each other) is gradually reduced from the front side toward the back side. Also, the height h <NUM> of the holder accommodation region 41a is higher than the height h2 of the holder body <NUM> of the holder <NUM> on the most front side, and it is slightly shorter than h2 on the most back side (that is, the length in the longitudinal direction). Therefore, the holder <NUM> cannot be disengaged from the engagement grooves <NUM> and <NUM> without bending, and cannot be easily removed from the housing <NUM>. The depth of each of the engagement grooves <NUM> and <NUM> is set according to the height of the holder <NUM>. Accordingly, the fixed holder <NUM> is sandwiched between the pair of opposing portions 11d and 11e without bending, and the movement in the vertical direction is restricted so as not to rattle. The housing <NUM> configured as described above has a detection switch <NUM> and a reject mechanism <NUM>.

The detection switch <NUM> is disposed at a position corresponding to the protrusion <NUM> of the holder body <NUM>, and comes into contact with the protrusion <NUM> when the holder <NUM> is accommodated in the holder accommodation region 41a and fixed to the housing <NUM>. The detection switch <NUM> detects that the holder <NUM> has been fixed by the contact of the protrusion <NUM>, and outputs the detection to the control unit of the dialysis device (not shown). The reject mechanism <NUM> is a mechanism for removing the holder <NUM> from the housing <NUM>, and has a reject pin 17a and a direct drive motor 17b. The reject pin 17a penetrates the housing <NUM> on the front side and protrudes into the holder accommodation region 41a, and is configured to be able to move in front-rear direction in the protruding state. In addition, the reject pin 17a is disposed at a position corresponding to the supply port 32b, and comes into contact with the supply port 32b by moving forward. By further advancing in the contact state, this portion is pushed forward, the first engagement portion <NUM> is disengaged from the first engagement groove <NUM>, and the holder <NUM> is detached from the housing <NUM>. The reject pin 17a that operates as described above is provided on the direct drive motor 17b so as to automatically perform the operation, and is driven by the direct drive motor 17b so as to be able to move in the front-rear direction. Accordingly, the holder <NUM> can be automatically removed from the housing <NUM> by giving a signal from the control unit of the dialysis device to the direct drive motor 17b.

The housing <NUM> is provided with the cover <NUM> made of a transparent synthetic resin. The cover <NUM> is configured to cover the entire accommodation recess <NUM> from the front, and is rotatably attached to a hinge 11c of the housing <NUM>. The cover <NUM> configured as described above can cover the accommodation recess <NUM> by its rotation.

In the tube pump <NUM> configured as described above, the tube set <NUM> is attached to the housing <NUM> as described below. That is, in the tube set <NUM>, the supply tube <NUM> is inserted into the supply side connector portion <NUM> of the holder <NUM> in advance, and the discharge tube <NUM> is inserted into the discharge side connector portion <NUM>. That is, the tube set <NUM>, together with the supply tube <NUM> and the discharge tube <NUM>, constitutes a blood circuit in advance. In this state, the tube set <NUM> is mounted on the housing <NUM>, and at the time of mounting, the holder <NUM> is first mounted on the housing <NUM>. More specifically, first, the second engagement portion <NUM> of the holder <NUM> is fitted into the second engagement groove <NUM> of the housing <NUM>. After the fitting, the holder <NUM> is raised to the back side of the housing <NUM> with the second engagement portion <NUM> as a fulcrum by pressing the holder <NUM> with a finger or the like. At this time, the left and right positions of the holder <NUM> are adjusted so that the guide <NUM> of the holder <NUM> enters the guide groove <NUM>. Then, the guide <NUM> enters the guide groove <NUM> while being raised, and the first engagement portion <NUM> contacts the inner peripheral face 11b of the housing <NUM> (more specifically, the opposing portion 11d). From such a state, a finger is placed on the placement face 34a of the pushing portion <NUM> and the supply side connector portion <NUM> in order to further push the holder <NUM> to the back (that is, the holder accommodation region 41a).

After the finger is placed and the pushing portion <NUM> and the supply side connector portion <NUM> are pushed into the holder accommodation region 41a with the finger, the first engagement portion <NUM> is pressed against the opposing portion 11d, and accordingly, a portion between the first engagement portion <NUM> and the supply side connector portion <NUM> is bent so as to fall to the front. By the bending, the position of the first engagement portion <NUM> is lowered, and by the lowering, the first engagement portion <NUM> can be advanced to the back along the inner peripheral face 11b. Further, when the portion between the first engagement portion <NUM> and the supply side connector portion <NUM> falls, the second engagement portion <NUM> is also pushed downward. Thereby, the four claw-shaped portions 37a to 37d of the second engagement portion <NUM> move so as to approach each other in side view, and the second engagement portion <NUM> contracts. This also contributes to lowering the position of the first engagement portion <NUM> and moving the first engagement portion <NUM> to the back along the opposing portion 11d. As described above, the first engagement portion <NUM> is easily moved to the back side by bending the portion between the first engagement portion <NUM> and the supply side connector portion <NUM> and contracting the second engagement portion <NUM>. By advancing the first engagement portion <NUM> to the back side in this way, a portion of the holder <NUM> other than a portion between the first engagement portion <NUM> and the supply side connector portion <NUM> rise. When the holder <NUM> is further pushed into the holder accommodation region 41a with a finger, the first engagement portion <NUM> reaches the first engagement groove <NUM> and is fitted therein. Thereby, both ends of the holder <NUM> in the longitudinal direction are engaged with the pair of engagement grooves <NUM> and <NUM>, that is, the holder <NUM> is mounted and fixed to the housing <NUM>.

In the tube set <NUM>, the material and the shape of each part of the holder <NUM> are set so that the holder <NUM> becomes hard, for example, the flexural modulus of the holder <NUM> is <NUM> MPa or more and <NUM> MPa or less (preferably, <NUM> MPa or more and <NUM> MPa or less). Thereby, a click feeling when the holder <NUM> is mounted on the housing <NUM> can be obtained. For example, the click feeling is obtained by the impact sound (i.e., click sound) generated when the vicinity of the first engagement portion <NUM> of the holder <NUM> elastically returns when the first engagement portion <NUM> is fitted into the first engagement groove <NUM>, and thereby, the impact transmitted to the finger through the impact sound. By generating such a click feeling, it is possible to check whether the holder <NUM> is accurately fixed to the housing <NUM> by sound or response. It should be noted that a relatively soft material such as PP does not have the flexural modulus as described above, and it is difficult to obtain an impact sound or an impact response. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the tube pump <NUM> from performing an undesired operation due to incomplete mounting.

In such a fixed state, the laterally protruding portions 12R and <NUM> of the rotor <NUM> are disposed so as to be located on the left and right, respectively. In this state, the pump tube <NUM> is placed on the right protruding portion 12R of the rotor <NUM>. On the other hand, the left protruding portion <NUM> is located near both ends of the pump tube <NUM> which is largely away. In such a state, the following storage operation is performed in order to accommodate the pump tube <NUM> mounted on the right protruding portion 12R between the inner peripheral face 11b of the housing <NUM> and the rotor <NUM>. That is, by fixing the holder <NUM> to the housing <NUM>, the vicinity of both ends of the pump tube <NUM> is disposed so as to approach the back side face of the housing <NUM>. Therefore, the vicinity of both ends of the pump tube <NUM> is located on the back side relative to the guide pin <NUM> of the rotor <NUM>, and when the rotor <NUM> is rotated counterclockwise, the guide pin <NUM> rotates while pressing the pump tube <NUM> against the back side face of the housing <NUM>. The pump tube <NUM> is sandwiched between the roller <NUM> located on the back side of the guide pin <NUM> in the rotation direction and the inner peripheral face 11b of the housing <NUM>, and by one rotation of the guide pin <NUM> around the center axis L1, the entire pump tube <NUM> is accommodated between the inner peripheral face 11b of the housing <NUM> and the rotor <NUM>. When the entire pump tube <NUM> is thus accommodated between the inner peripheral face <NUM>1b of the housing <NUM> and the rotor <NUM>, the accommodation recess <NUM> is thereafter closed by the cover <NUM>. Thus, the attachment of the tube set <NUM> to the housing <NUM> is completed. After the attachment is completed, when the inside of the pump tube <NUM> is filled with a liquid such as blood or a drug solution, and the rotor <NUM> is driven counterclockwise in this state to squeeze the pump tube <NUM>, the liquid will be fed from the supply tube <NUM> through the pump tube <NUM> to the discharge tube <NUM>.

Next, a method of removing the pump tube <NUM> from the housing <NUM> will be described. First, a signal is given from the control device to the reject mechanism <NUM>. Then, the direct drive motor 17b of the reject mechanism <NUM> is driven to move the reject pin 17a forward. The reject pin 17a eventually contacts the holder <NUM> (more specifically, the supply port 32b), and pushes the holder <NUM> to the front when the reject pin 17a further moves forward. When pressed, the portion between the first engagement portion <NUM> and the supply side connector portion <NUM> of the holder <NUM> bends so as to protrude to the front. Further, when pressed, the claw-shaped portions 37a to 37d of the second engagement portion <NUM> move so as to approach each other in side view, and the second engagement portion <NUM> contracts. As a result, the position of the first engagement portion <NUM> is lowered, and the first engagement portion <NUM> is away from the first engagement groove <NUM>. After the detachment, the control device further advances the reject pin 17a. Then, the holder <NUM> falls to the front with the second engagement portion <NUM> as a starting point while sliding the first engagement portion <NUM> against the inner peripheral face 11b, and the first engagement portion <NUM> is away from the opposing portion 11d of the inner peripheral face 11b when pushed further. Then, the second engagement portion <NUM> can be removed from the second engagement groove <NUM>, and the holder <NUM> can be removed from the housing <NUM>.

On the other hand, the pump tube <NUM> remains accommodated between the inner peripheral face 11b of the housing <NUM> and the rotor <NUM>, and the following removal operation is performed by the rotor <NUM> in order to remove the pump tube <NUM> from therebetween. That is, when the pump tube <NUM> is removed, similarly to the case where the pump tube <NUM> is fixed, the laterally protruding portions 12R and <NUM> of the rotor <NUM> are disposed so as to be located on the left and right, respectively. On the other hand, the vicinity of both ends of the pump tube <NUM>, in particular, one end attached to the supply side connector portion <NUM>, is away from the back side face of the housing <NUM> by removing the holder <NUM>. Therefore, one end of the pump tube <NUM> is located on the front side relative to the guide pin <NUM> of the rotor <NUM>, and when the rotor <NUM> is rotated counterclockwise, the guide pin <NUM> rotates while entering a space between the pump tube <NUM> and the back side face of the housing <NUM>. Then, the pump tube <NUM> is away from the back side face of the housing <NUM> by the guide pin <NUM> and is pushed out toward the front side of the rotor <NUM>, and by one rotation of the guide pin <NUM> around the center axis L1, the entire pump tube <NUM> is pushed out toward the front side of the rotor <NUM>. In this way, the entire pump tube <NUM> is pushed out of the rotor <NUM> toward the front side, the tube set <NUM> can be removed from the housing <NUM>, and in this state, the cover <NUM> is opened and the tube set <NUM> is removed from the housing <NUM>.

In the tube set <NUM> configured as described above, since the holder body <NUM> and the connector portions <NUM> and <NUM> are integrated, the number of components of the tube set <NUM> can be reduced. Also, since the pump tube <NUM> is directly inserted and welded into the connector portions <NUM> and <NUM> formed integrally with the holder body <NUM>, the work of attaching the connector portions <NUM> and <NUM> to the holder body <NUM> can be omitted. Therefore, man-hours for assembling the tube set <NUM> can be reduced.

Furthermore, in tube set <NUM>, as described above, after the second engagement portion <NUM> is fitted into the second engagement groove <NUM>, the holder <NUM> is inserted into the accommodation recess <NUM> by bending mainly the portion between the first engagement portion <NUM> and the supply side connector portion <NUM>, and further pressed to fit the first engagement portion <NUM> into the first engagement groove <NUM>. Therefore, a weak portion such as the window <NUM> is formed in the vicinity of the first engagement portion <NUM>, so that the vicinity of the first engagement portion <NUM> of the holder <NUM> is easily bent. In the holder <NUM>, by configuring the pushing portion <NUM> and the supply side connector portion <NUM> apart, the rigidity of the holder <NUM> is prevented from increasing, and the vicinity of the supply side connector portion <NUM> of the holder <NUM> is easily bent. In this way, in the holder <NUM>, the portion between the first engagement portion <NUM> and the supply side connector portion <NUM> easily bends, so that even when the holder <NUM> is made of a hard material as described above, the holder <NUM> can be easily inserted into the accommodation recess <NUM>, and the difficulty in mounting the holder <NUM> to the housing <NUM> due to the change of the material can be eliminated. In addition, even when a hard material is used, the holder <NUM> can have transparency by using the above-described material, and the flow of the liquid in the tube set <NUM> and the bubbles contained in the liquid can be seen.

Further, in the tube set <NUM>, a finger placed on the placement face 34a of the pushing portion <NUM> can also be put on the supply side connector portion <NUM>. Accordingly, not only the placement face 34a but also the supply side connector portion <NUM> can be pushed, and the area pressed by a finger can be made large, compared with the case in which only the placement face 34a is pushed with a finger. Accordingly, the area of the placement face 34a itself can be reduced, and the rigidity of the holder <NUM> can be prevented from increasing. In addition, since the area that can be pressed by a finger is increased, a load is easily applied to the holder <NUM>, and a larger load can be applied to the holder <NUM>.

Further, in the connector portions <NUM> and <NUM>, the supply port 32b and the discharge port 33b are disposed away from each other. With this configuration, although not shown, the supply tube <NUM> and the discharge tube <NUM> can intersect with a margin. Therefore, the stress acting on these tubes can be reduced, and the deterioration of the tubes can be further suppressed. In the present embodiment, the supply tube <NUM> and the supply port 32b are located on the upper side, and the discharge tube <NUM> and the discharge port 33b are located on the lower side (that is, a configuration in which blood flows counterclockwise), but the configuration is provided for convenience of explanation, and the supply tube and the supply port, and the discharge tube and the discharge port may be upside down (that is, a configuration in which blood flows clockwise).

Next, a tube set according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below differs from the tube set according to the first embodiment in the problem to be solved. In the tube set described in PTL <NUM>, the hoses <NUM> and <NUM> are fixed in the connector <NUM>, and the connection ends of the hoses <NUM> and <NUM> and the connector <NUM> are bent, so that there is a concern that the load on the tube is increased and the tube is likely to deteriorate. An object of the present embodiment is to reduce the load on the tube and obtain a tube set with high reliability during use. First, a description will be given of a holder <NUM> provided in the tube set shown in <FIG> described later. Note that, in the present embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

In the second embodiment, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, in the holder <NUM>, the angle α (see <FIG>) formed by the opening direction of an insertion port 132a, of a connector portion <NUM>, into which one end of the pump tube <NUM> (see <FIG>) is inserted, and an insertion port 133a, of a connector portion <NUM>, into which the other end of the pump tube <NUM> is inserted is made larger than that in the first embodiment. Specifically, the angle α is <NUM>° to <NUM>°, preferably <NUM>° to <NUM>°. Note that, also in the present embodiment, in the connector portions <NUM> and <NUM>, a supply port 133b and a discharge port 132b are configured to be away from each other, but this is defined for convenience of explanation. The supply port and the discharge port may be located upside down, and the supply tube connected to the supply port and the discharge tube connected to the discharge port may be located upside down accordingly.

Further, similarly to the first embodiment, also in the present embodiment, the inside of the supply port 132b and the inside of the discharge port 133b are formed in a cylindrical shape extending linearly. With such a configuration, the supply tube <NUM> and the discharge tube <NUM> can be attached to the holder body <NUM> without bending. As a result, the configuration is such that the burden due to the stress on the tube end is reduced.

Further, similarly to the first embodiment, the protrusion <NUM> of the holder body <NUM> protrudes in the thickness direction of the holder body <NUM>, and the edge of the protrusion <NUM> is formed of a curved face that expands as it approaches the face of the holder body <NUM>. With such a configuration, the flexibility is reduced, and the strength of the holder body <NUM> is increased.

Further, similarly to the first embodiment, a portion outside the visible outline of the holder body <NUM> of the insertion port 132a of the connector portion <NUM> of the present embodiment in plan view of <FIG> and a portion outside the visible outline of the holder body <NUM> of the insertion port 133a of the connector portion <NUM> in plan view of <FIG> are not connected by the holder body <NUM>. With such a configuration, the flexibility of the holder body <NUM> increases, and ease of attachment of the holder body <NUM> can be ensured without the strength becoming higher than necessary due to the provision of the protrusion <NUM>.

Here, the pump tube <NUM> is packed in a state of being inserted into the connector portions <NUM> and <NUM> of the holder <NUM>, and may be stored for several years until it is used. Therefore, the shape of the pump tube <NUM> may change during this period. More specifically, as the stress continues to be applied to the curved portion of the pump tube <NUM> with time, the curvature of the portion increases (the radius of curvature decreases). That is, in the pump tube <NUM>, the dimension from the holder <NUM> to the curved portion of the pump tube <NUM> gradually increases. For this reason, when using tube pump <NUM>, when setting the pump tube <NUM> in the housing <NUM> and closing the cover <NUM>, there is a possibility that the curved portion of the pump tube <NUM> comes into contact with the hinge 11c and the cover <NUM> cannot be closed.

Therefore, as mentioned above, by making the angle α larger than that in the first embodiment, the curvature of the curved portion of the pump tube <NUM> can be made smaller (the radius of curvature is larger) than that in the first embodiment as shown in <FIG>. Further, with such a configuration, it is not necessary to perform the annealing step for preventing the above-described event that the curvature of the curved portion of the pump tube <NUM> increases with time. Thus, there is no adverse effect due to the additional annealing step, such as deterioration of the pump tube <NUM> due to heating and cost increase due to additional steps. Furthermore, even when the angle α is set to be limited to the above-described range, similarly to the first embodiment, the configuration in which the supply port 133b and the discharge port 132b are disposed away from each other is ensured. Thereby, the supply tube <NUM> and the discharge tube <NUM> can intersect with each other with a margin. Thereby, the stress on the supply tube <NUM> and the discharge tube <NUM> can be reduced.

As described above, by making the angle α larger than that in the first embodiment, the interval between the discharge port 132b of the connector portion <NUM> and the supply port 133b of the connector portion <NUM> is smaller than that of the first embodiment, and the curvature of each hole of the connector portions <NUM> and <NUM> is increased so that pins for forming the holes of the connector portions <NUM> and <NUM> shown in <FIG> are not forcibly removed when molding the holder <NUM>. In the present embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the supply port and the discharge port are located upside down, but this is defined for convenience of explanation. The supply port and the discharge port may be located upside down, and the supply tube connected to the supply port and the discharge tube connected to the discharge port may be located upside down accordingly.

The flexibility of the connector portions <NUM> and <NUM> is lower than the flexibility of the plate-shaped holder body <NUM>. In such a situation, as described above, by making the angle α larger than that in the first embodiment, the connection area (contact area) of the connector portions <NUM> and <NUM> with respect to the holder body <NUM> increases, and the flexibility of the holder body <NUM> in the length direction (the vertical direction in the drawing of <FIG> is further impaired due to the presence of the connector portions <NUM> and <NUM>. Since the holder <NUM> is attached to the housing <NUM> while being bent, the workability deteriorates when the flexibility of the holder body <NUM> decreases. Thus, in the present embodiment, a window <NUM> is provided in which the opening of the window (weak portion) <NUM> provided for the purpose of adjusting the flexibility of the holder body <NUM> in the first embodiment is made larger. Thereby, the flexibility of the holder body <NUM> can be maintained, and a decrease in workability when setting the holder <NUM> on the housing <NUM> can be suppressed. With the window <NUM> having a large opening, a pushing portion <NUM> having a placement face 134a larger than the placement face 34a of the pushing portion <NUM> of the first embodiment is employed to cover this window <NUM>.

In the present embodiment, with the discharge tube <NUM> attached to the discharge port 132b and the supply tube <NUM> attached to the supply port 133b as shown in <FIG>, the supply tube <NUM> and the discharge tube <NUM> intersect with each other. In many cases, a tube set <NUM> in which the supply tube <NUM> and the discharge tube <NUM> are each wound in such a state, and the pump tube <NUM>, the holder <NUM>, the supply tube <NUM> and the discharge tube <NUM> are integrally assembled is packed in a bag and stored until use.

By intersecting the supply tube <NUM> and the discharge tube <NUM> with each other in this way, the tube set <NUM> can be stored compactly, and the curvature of each of the supply tube <NUM> and the discharge tube <NUM> can be made small compared with the case where these tubes are wound without the supply tube <NUM> and the discharge tube <NUM> intersecting with each other, so that the stress acting on these tubes can be reduced, and deterioration of the tubes can be suppressed.

Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in <FIG>, a projection <NUM> is provided on the upper side face of the holder <NUM>. The projection <NUM> can be formed in a columnar or spherical shape, for example. There may be a slight clearance between the holder <NUM> and the wall forming the installation space of the holder <NUM> in the housing <NUM>. Therefore, when the rotor body <NUM> (see <FIG>) rotates, the upper portion of the holder <NUM> may move left and right, and a slight squeak noise may occur. Therefore, the provision of the projection <NUM> can eliminate the clearance and reduce squeak noise. In addition, by making the projection <NUM> spherical, it is possible to prevent increase in the feeling of resistance when the holder <NUM> is installed in the housing <NUM>.

Further, in the present embodiment, a second engagement portion <NUM> obtained by modifying the second engagement portion <NUM> in the first embodiment as follows is used.

As shown in <FIG>, the second engagement portion <NUM> has one engagement portion 137a and three claw-shaped portions 137b to 137d which are different from the four claw-shaped portions 37a to 37d in the first embodiment. The engagement portion 137a and the claw-shaped portions 137b to 137d are disposed side by side at intervals in the short-side direction (the left-right direction) at the other end (lower end) of the holder body <NUM> in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the engagement portion 137a extends downward, and has a distal end formed in a columnar shape. The engagement portion 137a protrudes in one thickness direction and the other thickness direction of the holder body <NUM>. The claw-shaped portions 137b to 137d also extend downward, and have the distal ends formed in a substantially semi-cylindrical shape in side view. The distal ends of the claw-shaped portions 137b to 137d alternately protrude in any of one thickness direction and the other thickness direction of the holder body <NUM>. Specifically, the outer peripheral curved face portion of the claw-shaped portion 137b is disposed on the back face 31b side of the holder body <NUM>, the outer peripheral curved face portion of the claw-shaped portion 137c is disposed on the front face 31a side of the holder body <NUM>, and the outer peripheral curved face portion of the claw-shaped portion 137d is disposed on the back face 31b side of the holder body <NUM>. Note that the axis of the engagement portion 137a and each axis of the claw-shaped portions 137b to 137d substantially coincide with each other.

On the other hand, as shown in <FIG> in the second embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, a portion (bank portion) 11e is formed below the inner peripheral face 11b of the housing <NUM>, and the second engagement groove <NUM> extending in the left-right direction is formed in this portion 11e. The second engagement groove <NUM> is formed to be a substantially semicircular recess in side view. That is, as shown in <FIG>, in a state where the engagement portion 137a is fitted into the second engagement groove <NUM>, a portion of the outer peripheral curved face of the engagement portion 137a does not come into contact with the second engagement groove <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, a high bank portion <NUM> having an upper face higher than the portion 11e is formed on a side (right side) of the portion 11e on the inner peripheral face 11b of the housing <NUM> (<FIG>). The thick wall portion of the high bank portion <NUM> has a third engagement groove <NUM> which is formed continuously with the second engagement groove <NUM> and into which the engagement portion 137d is fitted. The third engagement groove <NUM> is formed to be a substantially <NUM>/<NUM> circular recess in side view. As a result, as shown in <FIG>, in a state where the engagement portion 137d is fitted into the third engagement groove <NUM>, most of the outer peripheral curved face of the engagement portion 137d disposed on the back face 31b side of the holder body <NUM> is in contact with the third engagement groove <NUM>.

Here, as described above, when the curvature of the curved portion of the pump tube <NUM> is reduced (the radius of curvature is increased), the reaction force from this inner peripheral face 11b easily acts on the pump tube <NUM> that contacts the inner peripheral face 11b of the housing <NUM>, so that there is a possibility that the pump tube <NUM> will move toward the front from the set position due to the reaction force. Along with this, the holder is displaced so that its upper part is released and inclined forward. When the holder is automatically ejected, the holder is displaced so that its upper part is released and inclined forward. In these cases, when the second engagement portion of the holder is not securely engaged with the second engagement groove, the holder may be displaced forward and sideward, or the second engagement portion may come off the second engagement groove.

Therefore, by configuring the second engagement portion <NUM> as described above, even in the state in which the holder <NUM> is in the forwardly inclined posture toward the front, that is, the engagement portion 137a of <FIG> rotates counterclockwise on the drawing of <FIG>, and the claw-shaped portion 137d of <FIG> rotates counterclockwise on the drawing of <FIG>, the outer peripheral curved face of the engagement portion 137a disposed on the left end of the holder <NUM> can maintain the state of coming into contact with the inner peripheral wall of the second engagement groove <NUM>, and the outer peripheral curved face of the claw-shaped portion 137d disposed at the right end of the holder <NUM> can maintain the state of coming into contact with the inner peripheral wall of the third engagement groove <NUM>. That is, even when the holder <NUM> is in the forwardly inclined posture, the engagement with the grooves of the holder <NUM> at both left and right end portions can be maintained. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the holder <NUM> from being displaced toward the front and the side, and the second engagement portion <NUM> from coming off the second engagement groove <NUM> or the third engagement portion <NUM>.

Also, as shown in <FIG> of the first embodiment, an inner peripheral face of one end of the supply tube <NUM> and an inner peripheral face of one end of the discharge tube <NUM> are connected to connection flow paths 22a and 22b located in the holder <NUM>, and the connection flow paths 22a and 22b have curved faces that are tangent to the blood flow. In a sectional view, the arc portions of the curved face are provided so as to face each other. With such a configuration, hemolysis of blood can be prevented as compared with the case where the connection flow paths 22a and 22b are not curved. It should be noted that the configuration of <FIG> of the second embodiment can be similarly configured.

Further, in <FIG> of the first embodiment, the inner peripheral face at the downstream end of the supply tube <NUM> and the inner peripheral face at the upstream end of the discharge tube <NUM> may be connected to the curved face without any step. With this configuration, hemolysis of blood can be further prevented. It should be noted that the configuration of <FIG> of the second embodiment can be similarly configured.

Although the holder <NUM> is formed in a substantial shape in the tube set <NUM> of the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited to such a shape but may be a roughly square or roughly polygonal shape, and it is also possible to use a partially curved shape. That is, the holder <NUM> may have any shape as long as the holder body <NUM> and the connector portions <NUM> and <NUM> are integrally formed. Further, the shapes of the engagement portions <NUM> and <NUM> of the holder <NUM> are not limited to the shapes described above, but may be disposed upside down. The engagement portions <NUM> and <NUM> are provided at both ends of the holder body <NUM> in the longitudinal direction, but may not be provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction as long as they are formed in the holder body <NUM> so as to be located apart from each other in the longitudinal direction. For example, the engagement portions <NUM> and <NUM> may be formed so as to protrude from the back face 31b of the holder body <NUM>.

In the tube set <NUM> of the present embodiment, the window <NUM> is formed as a weak portion of the holder <NUM>, but the present invention is not limited to the window <NUM>. For example, a recess may be formed in the vicinity of the first engagement portion <NUM>, or the thickness in the vicinity thereof may be reduced. In addition, two-color molding may be performed so as to be easily bent partially, and a plurality of windows may be formed. Further, first, the first engagement portion <NUM> may be attached to the housing, and then the second engagement portion <NUM> may be attached to the housing.

Claim 1:
A tube set (<NUM>) attachable to and detachable from a tube pump (<NUM>) that feeds a liquid, the tube set (<NUM>) comprising:
a pump tube (<NUM>) that is curvedly disposed in a housing (<NUM>) along an inner peripheral face of the housing (<NUM>), the pump tube (<NUM>) is squeezable by a rotor (<NUM>) disposed in the housing (<NUM>) to pump a liquid in the pump tube (<NUM>); and
a holder (<NUM>) to which both ends of the pump tube (<NUM>) are connected, and which is fixed to the housing (<NUM>) so as to attach the pump tube (<NUM>) to the housing (<NUM>),
wherein the holder (<NUM>) has a flexible flat plate and includes a first engagement portion and a second engagement portion that are located away from each other in a first direction, characterized in that the first engagement portion (<NUM>) and the second engagement portion (<NUM>) being configured to be fitted into a first engagement groove and a second engagement groove formed in the housing (<NUM>), respectively, when the holder (<NUM>) is pushed into the housing (<NUM>) in a state of being bent in a thickness direction, the holder (<NUM>) being elastically restored to be attached to the housing (<NUM>) when the first engagement portion (<NUM>) and the second engagement portion (<NUM>) are fitted into the first engagement groove and the second engagement groove, respectively, and
the holder (<NUM>) has a flexural modulus of <NUM> MPa or more and <NUM> MPa or less.