Peritoneal dialysis systems and methods that regenerate dialysate

Abstract

A method for providing a peritoneal dialysis treatment that regenerates therapy fluid includes coupling a single fluid circuit having a cleaning cartridge to a peritoneal cavity of a patient, feeding a first amount of therapy fluid into the single fluid circuit, circulating the first amount of therapy fluid multiple times through the single fluid circuit and the peritoneal cavity of the patient, removing a therapeutically effective amount of solutes and ultrafiltrate from the patient using the first amount of therapy fluid, cleaning the first amount of therapy fluid using the cleaning cartridge, removing an amount of fluid from the single fluid circuit, the amount of fluid including at least most of the removed solutes, and feeding a second amount of therapy fluid into the single fluid circuit, the second amount of therapy fluid being approximately equal to the amount of fluid removed from the fluid circuit.

1 . A method for providing a peritoneal dialysis treatment that regenerates therapy fluid, the method comprising:
 coupling a single fluid circuit having a cleaning cartridge to a peritoneal cavity of a patient;   feeding a first amount of therapy fluid into the single fluid circuit;   circulating the first amount of therapy fluid multiple times through the single fluid circuit and the peritoneal cavity of the patient;   removing a therapeutically effective amount of solutes and ultrafiltrate from the patient using the first amount of therapy fluid;   cleaning the first amount of therapy fluid using the cleaning cartridge;   removing an amount of fluid from the single fluid circuit, the amount of fluid including at least most of the removed solutes; and   feeding a second amount of therapy fluid into the single fluid circuit, the second amount of therapy fluid being approximately equal to the amount of fluid removed from the fluid circuit.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , which includes operating at least one pump to maintain a desired fluid pressure through the single fluid circuit. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , which includes operating at least one pump to maintain a desired flow rate through the single fluid circuit. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein feeding the first and second amounts of therapy fluid into the single fluid circuit includes feeding the first and second amounts of therapy fluid from a supply of therapy fluid. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , which includes removing the amount of fluid into the supply of therapy fluid. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , which includes removing the amount of fluid into the supply of therapy fluid at a flow rate less than a flow rate of the circulated first amount of therapy fluid. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , which includes coupling the supply of therapy fluid to the single fluid circuit via a single two-way line. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first amount of therapy fluid and the second amount of therapy fluid are collectively less than six liters of dialysate. 
     
     
         9 . A method for providing a peritoneal dialysis treatment that regenerates therapy fluid, the method comprising:
 coupling a single fluid circuit having a cleaning cartridge to a peritoneal cavity of a patient;   feeding a first amount of therapy fluid from a supply of therapy fluid into the single fluid circuit during a first treatment cycle;   circulating the first amount of therapy fluid through the single fluid circuit and the peritoneal cavity of the patient multiple times so as to remove a therapeutically effective amount of solutes and ultrafiltrate from the patient using the first amount of therapy fluid and the cleaning cartridge;   feeding a remaining amount of therapy fluid from the supply of therapy fluid into the single fluid circuit during a subsequent treatment cycle; and   circulating the remaining amount of therapy fluid through the single fluid circuit and the peritoneal cavity of the patient until treatment is complete.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the cleaning cartridge includes a sorbent material including at least one of carbon, activated charcoal or urease. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , which includes feeding the first amount of therapy fluid at a first flow rate and circulating the first amount of therapy fluid through the single fluid circuit at a second flow rate greater than the first flow rate. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , which includes discharging therapy fluid into the supply of therapy fluid after the therapy fluid has been circulated through the peritoneal cavity of the patient at least one time. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein feeding a remaining amount of therapy fluid from the supply of therapy fluid includes feeding an amount of fluid from the supply of therapy fluid equal to an amount of fluid originally in the supply that is not included in the first amount. 
     
     
         14 . A method for providing a peritoneal dialysis treatment that regenerates therapy fluid, the method comprising:
 coupling a single fluid circuit having a cleaning cartridge to a peritoneal cavity of a patient;   feeding therapy fluid from a supply of therapy fluid into the single fluid circuit at a first flow rate;   circulating the therapy fluid multiple times through the single fluid circuit and the peritoneal cavity of the patient at a second flow rate greater than the first flow rate;   removing a therapeutically effective amount of solutes and ultrafiltrate from the patient using the therapy fluid; and   removing at least most of the solutes from the therapy fluid via the cleaning cartridge.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , which includes storing the ultrafiltrate removed from the patient in the supply of therapy fluid. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , which includes storing used therapy fluid in the supply of therapy fluid. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , which includes feeding therapy fluid from the single fluid circuit into the supply of therapy fluid at the first flow rate. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein feeding the therapy fluid includes feeding a first portion of the therapy fluid from the supply of therapy fluid, and which includes feeding at a later time a second portion of the therapy fluid from the supply of therapy fluid into the single fluid circuit. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the second portion is equal to an amount of fluid originally in the supply of therapy fluid that is not included in the first portion. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , which includes feeding the therapy fluid into the supply of therapy fluid after the therapy fluid has been circulated through the peritoneal cavity of the patient multiple times.