Water treatment systems, devices, and methods for fluid preparation

Abstract

A water purification component, which may be integrated in a medicament production plant and/or a blood treatment system, removes chloramine and other chlorine compounds and deionizes water. The deionization is selected to be effective for providing product water whose resistivity is sufficiently high to allow chloramine to be detected in the product water if the chloramine removal filtration fails. This allows a chloramine removal filter to be changed based on a predicted exhaustion schedule with the safety of automatic chloramine breakthrough provided.

1 . A fluid processing system adapted for providing purified water for use in preparing dialysate and having no more than a predefined level of chloramine, the system comprising:
 a controller and a fluid circuit, the fluid circuit including at least one of a pump and a control valve, the controller being adapted for controlling said at least one of a pump and a control valve to permit the control of a product water from said fluid circuit;   the fluid circuit including a replaceable activated carbon filter module configured to remove chloramine from primary water;   the fluid circuit connecting a primary deionization filter to the activated carbon filter, the primary deionization filter being configured to remove ions from the water to produce first deionized water with a resistivity of more than 5 megohm-cm;   a first resistivity sensor positioned by the fluid circuit at the outlet of the primary deionization filter and adapted for indicating a resistivity of the first deionized water to detect exhaustion of said primary deionization filter, the controller being adapted to generate an exhaustion alarm signal responsively to said resistivity sensor;   a secondary deionization filter positioned by the fluid circuit at the outlet of the resistivity sensor from the first filter to provide a backup in the event of exhaustion of the primary deionization filter;   a chloramine detection element, including a second resistivity sensor and a temperature sensor, positioned by the fluid circuit at the outlet of the secondary deionization filter and configured to apply signals indicating temperature and resistivity to the controller;   the controller storing data for converting said signals indicating temperature and resistivity to data indicating a chloramine level;   the controller further being configured to control the flow of product water responsively to said data indicating a chloramine level, the control of flow being effective to prevent the flow of product water in the event of a chloramine level higher than said predefined level;   the controller further being configured to generate a signal predicting when said activated carbon filter should be replaced, the predicting being responsive to at least one of a lapsed time since the first filter was replaced, a cumulative volume of water processed by said first filter, a quality of tap water processed thereby;   a proportioning system configured to mix the product water from the fluid circuit with dialysate concentrate to generate dialysate; and   a medical treatment system connected to said proportioning system and configured to consume said dialysate in performing a dialysis treatment.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the replaceable activated carbon filter module is configured to be replaced as a modular unit. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the replaceable activated carbon filter and the primary deionization filter module are configured to be replaced as a single modular unit. 
     
     
         4 - 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said first resistivity sensor is a flow through sensor and said controller is configured to continuously monitor the resistivity of a flow therethrough such that the controller generates the exhaustion alarm signal immediately upon the detection of a resistivity associated with exhaustion of said primary deionization filter. 
     
     
         7 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said second resistivity sensor is a flow through sensor and said controller is configured to continuously monitor the resistivity of a flow therethrough such that a flow of product water is controlled immediately upon the detection of a resistivity associated with exhaustion of said primary deionization filter. 
     
     
         13 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said controller has a user interface and said controller is further configured to selectively output an indication of excessive chloramine levels responsively to said data indicating a chloramine level. 
     
     
         16 - 101 . (canceled) 
     
     
         102 . A system for generating medicament, the system comprising:
 at least one filter module constructed to receive a supply of water and to generate purified product water therefrom;   a first sensor disposed downstream of the filter module and constructed to continuously detect a resistivity of the product water from the filter module, the sensor generating a first signal responsively to the detected resistivity;   a second sensor constructed to measure temperature of the product water and to generate a second signal responsively to the measured temperature; and   a controller coupled to the first and second sensors to receive said first and second signals, the controller being configured to monitor for a threshold concentration of chloramine in said product water responsively to the detected resistivity and the measured temperature.   
     
     
         103 . The system of  claim 102 , further comprising at least one of a pump or valve that controls flow of the product water, the controller being operatively coupled to said at least one of a pump or valve, the controller being configured to control said at least one of a pump or valve responsively to the monitored concentration of chloramine. 
     
     
         104 . The system of  claim 102 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate an alarm signal responsively to the monitored concentration of chloramine. 
     
     
         105 . The system of  claim 102 , wherein the at least one filter module comprises an activated carbon filter. 
     
     
         106 . The system of  claim 102 , wherein the at least one filter module comprises a deionization filter downstream from an activated carbon filter. 
     
     
         107 . The system of  claim 102 , wherein the first sensor is a flow-through resistivity testing element adapted to continuously detect the resistivity of product water passing therethrough. 
     
     
         108 . The system of  claim 102 , further comprising a third sensor constructed to detect a resistivity of water passing from a first of the filter modules to a second of the filter modules, the first sensor being disposed downstream of both the first and second filter modules. 
     
     
         109 . The system of  claim 102 , further comprising a proportioning system configured to mix the purified product water with a medicament concentrate to generate said medicament. 
     
     
         110 - 122 . (canceled) 
     
     
         123 . A water purification system for medicament preparation, comprising:
 a chloramine removal filter stage and a deionization filter stage adapted for receiving raw water and filtering the same to produce product water suitable for use in a medicament;   a controller and a flow control element adapted to control a flow of water through said chloramine filter stage and said deionization filter stage;   a chloramine sensor configured to continuously monitor a level of chloramine in said product water and apply at least a signal indicating resistivity of said product water to said controller;   said controller being configured to control a flow of water responsively to said at least a signal.   
     
     
         124 . The system of  claim 123 , wherein the controller includes a data store that stores data that permits a level of chloramine to be determined from a combination of resistivity and temperature measurements of water that flows in said chloramine sensor. 
     
     
         125 . The system of  claim 123 , where said chloramine sensor includes a resistivity cell adapted for measuring fluid resistance and temperature of a fluid flowing therethrough. 
     
     
         126 . The system of  claim 123 , where said chloramine sensor includes a resistivity cell adapted for measuring fluid resistance and temperature of a fluid flowing therethrough and said controller includes a data store that stores data that permits a level of chloramine to be determined from a combination of resistivity and temperature measurements of water that flows in said chloramine sensor. 
     
     
         127 . The system of  claim 123 , where said chloramine sensor includes a resistivity cell adapted for measuring fluid resistance and temperature of a fluid flowing therethrough and said controller includes a data store that stores data with calibration data representing a level of chloramine corresponding to combinations of resistivity and temperature. 
     
     
         128 . The system of  claim 123 , where said chloramine sensor includes a resistivity cell adapted for measuring fluid resistance and temperature of a fluid flowing therethrough and said controller includes a data store that stores data with calibration data experimentally derived from tests of chloramine-containing water and adapted to represent a level of chloramine corresponding to combinations of resistivity and temperature. 
     
     
         129 - 212 . (canceled)