Dialysis machine and method for determining the furring in a dialysis machine

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dialysis machine comprising at least one filter for the filtration of the dialysis liquid and comprising means for determining the calcification of the dialysis machine, wherein the means for the determining of the calcification of the dialysis machine comprising one or more sensors, with the sensor or sensors being configured and arranged such that the ion concentration or a parameter representative of the ion concentration or of its change of the dialysis liquid, of a solution serving the decalcification or of another measuring solution can be detected by these either downstream or upstream and downstream of the at least one filter, and wherein the means for determining the calcification of the dialysis machine furthermore have an evaluation or calculation unit which is configured such that it determines the calcification of the dialysis machine on the basis of the ion concentration or parameter value detected by means of the sensor or sensors. The invention further relates to a method of determining the calcification of a dialysis machine.

1 . A dialysis machine comprising at least one filter (D, D 1 , D 2 ) for the filtration of the dialysis liquid and comprising means for determining the calcification of the dialysis machine, characterized in that the means for the determining of the calcification of the dialysis machine comprise one or more sensors ( 1 ,  2 ,  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40 ), with the sensor or sensors ( 1 ,  2 ,  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40 ) being configured and arranged such that the ion concentration or a parameter of the dialysis liquid representative of the ion concentration or of its change, of a solution serving the decalcification or of another measuring solution can be detected either downstream or upstream and downstream of the at least one filter (D, D 1 , D 2 ); and in that the means for determining the calcification of the dialysis machine furthermore comprise an evaluation or calculation unit which is configured such that it determines the calcification of the dialysis machine on the basis of the ion concentration or parameter value detected by means of the sensor or sensors ( 1 ,  2 ,  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40 ). 
   
   
       2 . A dialysis machine in accordance with  claim 1 , characterized in that the sensor or sensors ( 1 ,  2 ,  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40 ) are conductivity sensors, ion-selective electrodes, pH electrodes or sensors working according to spectroscopic processes. 
   
   
       3 . A dialysis machine in accordance with  claim 1 , characterized in that the ion concentration is the Ca 2+  ion concentration or the H +  ion concentration. 
   
   
       4 . A dialysis machine in accordance with  claim 1 , characterized in that two sensors ( 1 ,  2 ,  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40 ) are associated with at least one of the filters (D, D 1 , D 2 ), of which one is arranged upstream and one downstream of the filter (D, D 1 , D 2 ). 
   
   
       5 . A dialysis machine in accordance with  claim 1 , characterized in that one respective sensor ( 10 ,  20 ,  40 ) is associated with at least one of the filters (D 1 ) both on the primary side and on the secondary side of the filter (D 1 ) upstream and downstream. 
   
   
       6 . A dialysis machine in accordance with  claim 1 , characterized in that at least one bypass line ( 100 ) is provided which can be cut off and which is arranged such that, in the open state of the bypass line ( 100 ), the dialysis liquid, the solution serving the decalcification or the measuring solution is guided by a sensor ( 1 ,  10 ,  20 ,  30 ) while bypassing at least one of the filters (D, D 1 , D 2 ) to another sensor ( 2 ,  40 ). 
   
   
       7 . A dialysis machine in accordance with  claim 1 , characterized in that only one sensor ( 2 ,  40 ) is provided per filter (D, D 1 , D 2 ) or for a plurality of filters (D 1 , D 2 ) and is arranged downstream of the filter or filters (D, D 1 , D 2 ). 
   
   
       8 . A dialysis machine in accordance with  claim 7 , characterized in that at least one bypass line ( 200 ) is provided which can be cut off and is arranged such that, in the open state, the dialysis liquid, the solution serving the decalcification or the measuring solution is supplied to the sensor ( 2 ,  40 ) while bypassing at least one filter (D, D 1 , D 2 ). 
   
   
       9 . A method of determining the calcification of a dialysis machine, in particular of a dialysis machine in accordance with  claim 1 , which comprises at least one filter (D, D 1 , D 2 ) for the filtration of the dialysis liquid, characterized in that the ion concentration or a parameter representative of the ion concentration or of its change of the dialysis liquid, of a solution serving the decalcification or of another measuring solution is measured either downstream or upstream and downstream of the filter (D, D 1 , D 2 ) for the determining of the calcification of the dialysis machine; and in that the calcification of the dialysis machine is determined on the basis of the ion concentration or the parameter value measured. 
   
   
       10 . A method in accordance with  claim 9 , characterized in that the parameter representative of the ion concentration is the conductivity, the pH or a parameter determined by means of an ion-selective electrode or of a spectroscopic method. 
   
   
       11 . A method in accordance with  claim 9 , characterized in that two sensors ( 1 ,  2 ,  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40 ) are associated with at least one of the filters (D, D 1 , D 2 ), one of which is arranged upstream and one downstream of the filter (D, D 1 , D 2 ); and in that the calcification of the filter is determined by a comparison of the ion concentration or of the parameter representative of the ion concentration or of its change measured upstream and downstream. 
   
   
       12 . A method in accordance with  claim 11 , characterized in that differences in the measured values of the sensors ( 1 ,  2 ,  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40 ) are determined at a first point in time, preferably before or at the start of a treatment, and these differences are then taken into account in the determination of the calcification at a second point in time disposed after the first time point, in particular during the treatment. 
   
   
       13 . A method in accordance with  claim 9 , characterized in that at least one bypass line ( 100 ) is provided which can be cut off and which is arranged such that, in the open state of the bypass ( 100 ), the dialysis liquid, the solution serving the decalcification or the measuring solution is guided from a sensor ( 1 ,  10 ,  20 ,  30 ) to another sensor ( 2 ,  40 ) while bypassing at least one of the filters (D, D 1 , D 2 ); and in that the bypass line ( 100 ) is opened for the purpose of determining measured value differences of the sensors ( 1 ,  2 ,  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40 ) or for the calibration of the sensors ( 1 ,  2 ,  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40 ). 
   
   
       14 . A method in accordance with  claim 9 , characterized in that only one sensor ( 40 ) is provided per filter (D, D 1 , D 2 ) or for a plurality of filters (D 1 , D 2 ) and is arranged downstream of the filter or filters (D, D 1 , D 2 ); and in that a measured value is determined by means of the sensor ( 2 ,  40 ) at a first point in time, preferably before or at the start of a treatment; and in that check is made after a second point in time disposed after the first point in time, in particular during the treatment, whether a measured value change occurs. 
   
   
       15 . A method in accordance with  claim 9 , characterized in that only one sensor ( 2 ,  40 ) is provided per filter (D, D 1 , D 2 ) or for a plurality of filters (D 1 , D 2 ) and is arranged downstream of the filter or filters (D, D 1 , D 2 ); and in that at least one bypass line ( 200 ) is provided which can be cut off and which is arranged such that, in the open state of the bypass line ( 200 ), the dialysis liquid, the solution serving the decalcification or another measuring solution is supplied to the sensor ( 2 ,  40 ) while bypassing at least one filter (D, D 1 , D 2 ), with the measured value of the sensor being determined with an open bypass line and this measured value being compared with the measured value obtained after flowing through the filter (D, D 1 , D 2 ). 
   
   
       16 . A method in accordance with  claim 9 , characterized in that a decalcification is carried out; and in that an evaluation of the decalcification is made after the decalcification or during the decalcification which is based on a comparison of measured values of the one or several sensors ( 1 ,  2 ,  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40 ) by means of which the ion concentration or the parameter representative of the ion concentration or of its change is detected upstream and downstream of the filter (D, D 1 , D 2 ). 
   
   
       17 . A method in accordance with  claim 9 , characterized in that an evaluation of the decalcification is carried out after the decalcification which is based on a comparison of measured values of a sensor ( 2 ,  40 ) before and after the decalcification, with the sensor ( 2 ,  40 ) being arranged downstream of the filter or filters (D, D 1 , D 2 ) and being configured such that the ion concentration or the parameter representative of the ion concentration or of its change is detected. 
   
   
       18 . A method in accordance with  claim 9 , characterized in that the ion concentration is the Ca 2+  ion concentration or the H +  ion concentration.