| CPC A61M 1/1672 (2014.02) [A61M 39/22 (2013.01)] | 6 Claims |
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1. A method for monitoring a treatment of water for dialysis, comprising the steps of
providing an apparatus for treating the water for dialysis, the apparatus comprising
a first hollow fiber membrane filter, wherein the first hollow fiber membrane filter further comprises
a plurality of hollow fiber membranes which form a retentate chamber and a filtrate chamber, wherein the retentate chamber and the filtrate chamber are separated from each other by semipermeable membrane walls of the hollow fiber membranes,
a fluid port for supplying the water to the retentate chamber,
a fluid port for draining the water from the retentate chamber,
at least one fluid port for draining filtered water from the filtrate chamber,
wherein the apparatus further comprises
a fluid line in fluid communication with the fluid port for supplying the water, to the retentate chamber of the first hollow fiber membrane filter,
a fluid line in fluid communication with the fluid port for draining the water, from the retentate chamber of the first hollow fiber membrane filter,
a fluid line in fluid communication with the fluid port for draining the filtered water, from the filtrate chamber of the first hollow fiber membrane filter,
a first valve connection in engagement with the fluid line for draining the water, from the retentate chamber, wherein the first valve connection has at least two valve positions by means of which a flow of water through the fluid line for draining the water from the retentate chamber, can be blocked or conducted,
a first fluid branching point in the fluid line for draining the water, from the retentate chamber of the first hollow fiber membrane filter in fluid communication with a first branching fluid line, a second valve connection in engagement with the first branching fluid line, wherein the second valve connection has at least two valve positions by means of which the flow of water through the first branching fluid line, can be blocked or conducted, and
a sampling point arranged downstream of the first valve connection and being in fluid communication with the fluid line for draining the water, from the retentate chamber, and/or a second sampling point arranged downstream of the second valve connection and being in fluid communication with the first branching fluid line,
wherein the method further comprises the steps of:
setting the first valve connection and the second valve connection into respective blocking positions,
introducing the water, into the retentate chamber of the first hollow fiber membrane filter,
filtering the water, across the semipermeable membrane walls of the hollow fiber membranes from the retentate chamber to the filtrate chamber of the first hollow fiber membrane filter to form the filtered water in the filtrate chamber, and collecting the filtered water in the filtrate chamber whereby contaminants in the water are retained by the hollow fiber membranes during filtration,
draining the filtered water, from the filtrate chamber, and either
(i) setting the first valve connection to a conducting position after a predetermined volume of filtered water has passed into the filtrate chamber by filtration,
wherein the second valve connection remains in the blocking position,
introducing further water, into the retentate chamber of the first hollow fiber membrane filter, and
taking samples at the sampling point downstream of the first valve connection and analyzing the samples for contamination, or
(ii) setting the first valve connection to the blocking position and setting the second valve connection to a conducting position after the predetermined volume of filtered water has passed into the filtrate chamber of the first hollow fiber membrane filter by filtration,
introducing the further water, into the retentate chamber of the first hollow fiber membrane filter, and
taking second samples at the second sampling point downstream of the first fluid branching point and analyzing the second samples for contamination.
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