GB2536748A

GB2536748A - An artificial kidney

Info

Publication number: GB2536748A
Application number: GB1519147.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Desmond Lewis Stephen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-03-25
Filing date: 2015-10-29
Publication date: 2016-09-28
Also published as: GB201519147D0; GB201506599D0

Abstract

A means for dialysis comprises a flow of unfiltered fluid or blood 1, said fluid undergoing at least one stage of partial filtration by means of a self-cleaning filter 2, said partially filtered fluid passing through a second filter 3, said second filtered fluid returning to said partially filtered flow. The said partially filtered flow may undergo a second stage of partial filtration 4. At a final stage said second filtered flow enters a storage chamber 5 having means for emptying said chamber and flushing said second filters with said final second filtered flow fluid. A turbine 6 driven by the flow of a patients blood drives a generator 7, which powers a pump 8 for flushing the filters. The self-cleaning filters may be angled to allow particles to be washed past the filter. The means may be wholly contained within a patient.

Description

An Artificial Kidney This invention relates to an artificial device for dialysing inside the body as a replacement for outside the body dialysis for people with kidney failure.

People with kidney failure have to undergo dialysis on a regular basis while waiting for a transplant which is inconvenient, expensive and gives a poor quality of life. This will have to continue until a transplant can take place which could be a number of years. To overcome this, the present invention proposes means for dialysis, said means comprising a plurality of filter stages, each stage isolating a sufficient quantity of a specific size of particulate, wherein means allows an exiting flow of a last filter stage to be collected and stored until a sufficient amount is collected wherein said collected flow flushes and cleans said plurality of filters.

When the fluid passes through the plurality of filters the blood is sufficiently filtered, however, due to the final filtration stage fluid being used to flush the filters this enables a long-lasting and self maintaining device which reduces the cost and is relatively simple.

Preferably, means to isolate a sufficient quantity of a specific size of particulate is a first self cleaning angled filter, followed by a second non self cleaning filter, said second filter having holes slightly smaller that said first filter to trap said particulate.

Preferably, said means to collect said last filtered flow is a chamber, and means to flush said filters is a pump powered by an energy storage medium.

Preferably, said energy storage medium is a clockwork mechanism and/or a cell/s and/or a capacitor.

Preferably, said energy storage medium is energised by means of a turbine driving a generator and/or clockwork mechanism, wherein said turbine is driven by the flow of a patients blood.

An example of the invention will now be described by referring to the accompanying drawing: -figure 1 shows a side view of an artificial kidney.

A flow of blood 1, (largest arrows), passes through a plurality of filter stages, each stage separates a certain amount and size of particulates by means which may be by a self cleaning filter 2, leading to a second non-self cleaning filer 3 which has hole sizes slightly smaller than the first filter to trap the particulates. This process has trapped the largest particulates as they passed through the first filter but not the second. This second filtered fluid then returns to the original blood flow 12 (smallest arrows). A second cycle similar to the first except with slightly smaller hole sizes to trap the next largest particulates then occurs 4, of which a plurality is built up until the desired filtration has taken place. After the final cycle of filtration, in the diagram this is the second stage, the second filtered fluid, after passing through the smallest filters, is then stored by means of which may be a chamber 5 which acts as a reservoir for flushing the non-self cleaning filters. Means of flushing the filters may be by a turbine situated in the blood flow 6 which then winds up energy storing means 7 such as a clockwork mechanism or a cell or battery or capacitor which, when wound with a full reservoir drives a pump 8 that flushes the non-self cleaning filters, this flushed fluid then carries itself and the filtered particulates to a waste chamber such as a bladder 9 (medium arrows). A series of one way valves 10 keep the fluid flowing in the correct directions and double one-way valves 11 manage the flow of the flushing fluid. Where a conflict of interest occurs with one-way valves potentially operating incorrectly the relevant one-way valves are tensioned to only open with the higher pressure flushing flow 13.

The self-cleaning filter is a filter angled such that particulates that do not flow through are washed past the filter due to its angle.

Each individual cycle enables a specific amount of a certain particulate size to be removed from the main stream. The final cycle then takes a certain portion of fluid containing the smallest particulates which remain in the fluid which is used as a flushing cycle for the non self-cleaning filters. The sizes, hole sizes and quantity of holes and angles of the self cleaning filters, number of cycles and variables of the non self-cleaning filters enable a device to be tailor made for the filtration requirements of use.

Claims

Claims 1 Means for dialysis, said means comprising a plurality of filter stages, each stage isolating a sufficient quantity of a specific size of particulate, wherein means allows an exiting flow of a last filter stage to be collected and stored until a sufficient amount is collected wherein said collected flow flushes and cleans said plurality of filters.
2 Means for dialysis according to claim 1, wherein means to isolate a sufficient quantity of a specific size particulate is a first self cleaning angled filter, followed by a second non self cleaning filter, said second filter having holes slightly smaller that said first filter to trap said particulate.
3 Means for dialysis according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said means to collect said last filtered flow is a chamber, and means to flush said filters is a pump powered by an energy storage medium.
4 Means for dialysis according to claim 3, wherein said energy storage medium is a clockwork mechanism and/or a cell/s and/or a capacitor.Means for dialysis according to claim 4, wherein said energy storage medium is energised by means of a turbine driving a generator and/or clockwork mechanism, wherein said turbine is driven by the flow of a patients blood.Amendments to the claims have been made as follows: Claims 1 Means for dialysis, said means comprising a flow of blood, said blood flowing through a plurality of filter stages, each stage isolating a sufficient quantity of a specific size of particulate from said blood, wherein means allows an exiting flow of said blood from a last filter stage to be collected and stored until a sufficient amount is collected wherein said collected filtered blood flow flushes and cleans said plurality of filters.2 Means for dialysis according to claim 1, wherein means to isolate a sufficient quantity of a specific size particulate is a first self cleaning angled filter, followed by a second non self cleaning filter, said second filter having holes slightly smaller that said first filter to trap said particulate.3 Means for dialysis according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said means to collect said last filtered flow is a chamber, and means to flush said filters is a pump powered by an energy storage medium.4 Means for dialysis according to claim 3, wherein said energy storage medium is a clockwork mechanism and/or a cell/s and/or a capacitor.(r) 5 Means for dialysis according to claim 4, wherein said energy storage 1" medium is energised by means of a turbine driving a generator and/or clockwork mechanism, wherein said turbine is driven by the flow of a patients blood.