Method and apparatus for limiting diafiltrate waste

摘要

The present invention describes a process and a device for saving diafiltrate by partial regeneration using adsorbers. An object of the invention is to decrease the requirement of dialysate and/or substitute in the depletion of a substance of class X by means of special microstructured adsorption/filtration devices. An object of the invention is also to enable control of the concentration of a substance group X by hemodialysis and/or hemofiltration, such that by partial recirculation of the diafiltrate in the regeneration circuit, the net throughput of diafiltrate can be kept lower. The process serves for saving dialysate and/or substitute solution in control of the concentration of a substance group X in a complex biological liquid compartment, wherein the net throughput of dialysate and/or substitute is minimized by some of the diafiltrate being regenerated by an internal regeneration cycle (RKL) which is able to deplete substrates or products (substance group Y) of the substance group X in the biological liquid compartment.

主权项

1. A dialysis process for the removal of at least one undesired substance from a biological fluid comprising the steps:
supplying an unfiltered biological fluid comprising a concentration of a substance X and a concentration of a substance Y that is a precursor or metabolite of the substance X to a first side of a separation apparatus in which the first side is separated from a second side of the separation apparatus by a porous membrane; providing a dialysate fluid on the second side of the separation apparatus; the porous membrane having pores of a preselected size through which the substance X and the substance Y of the unfiltered biological fluid can pass; whereby the substance X and the substance Y pass through the pores to the second side and enter the dialysate fluid, forming a diafiltrate fluid on the second side, the passing of the substance X from the unfiltered biological fluid producing a filtered biological fluid; removing the filtered biological fluid from the first side of the separation apparatus; removing the diafiltrate fluid from the second side of the separation apparatus; separating the diafiltrate fluid into a first fluid and second fluid; discarding the first fluid as a net-diafiltrate fluid; supplying the second fluid to a regeneration circuit having a substance Y removal component; producing a regenerate flow fluid having a reduced concentration of the substance Y by contacting in the regeneration circuit the second fluid with the substance Y removal component, whereby at least a portion of the substance Y is removed from the second fluid, wherein all regeneration in the regeneration circuit occurring during the dialysis process consists of only regeneration of the second fluid by said producing, and that all regeneration of the second fluid occurs without any substance X removal by any of a filtration, an adsorption, or a biological treatment of substance X; producing a replenishment dialysate fluid comprised of regenerate flow fluid and fresh dialysate fluid; and introducing the replenishment dialysate fluid to the second side of the separation apparatus; whereby, the inclusion of the regenerate flow fluid in the replenishment dialysate fluid effects a reduction in a total amount of dialysate fluid employed in the dialysis process; wherein regeneration of only a portion of the diafiltrate, by said separating and supplying steps, occurs simultaneously with replacing the discarded diafiltrate with the fresh diasylate fluid by said producing and introducing steps; and wherein the substance X is urea, and the substance Y is selected from the group consisting of amino acids, peptides, and proteins, with the proviso that the amino acid is not glutamine, and the substance Y removal component comprises a charcoal-based adsorbent.