Optimizing peritoneal dialysis using a patient hand-held scanning device

Abstract

A handheld personal communication apparatus for dialysis includes a reader to read a marking displayed on a dialysis fluid container to acquire data concerning a dialysis fluid type. The apparatus also includes a processor that uses the dialysis fluid type to determine a dialysis dwell time for at least one cycle of a dialysis therapy, the dialysis dwell time being a time to achieve, over the at least one cycle, at least one of (a) a specified ultrafiltrate level, (b) a urea removal level, or (c) a creatinine removal level. The apparatus further includes an output interface that provides an indication to the patient of a completion of the dialysis dwell time.

The invention is claimed as follows: 
     
         1 . A handheld personal communication apparatus for a continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (“CAPD”) treatment, the apparatus comprising:
 a reader configured to read markings displayed on at least two different dialysis fluid containers to acquire data concerning respective dialysis fluid types; 
 a processor communicatively coupled to the reader and configured to
 determine from the markings that each of the dialysis fluid containers has a different dialysis fluid type, 
 determine, as a selected dialysis fluid container, which of the at least two different dialysis fluid containers is to be used for a first cycle of a peritoneal dialysis therapy for a patient, 
 provide a first container indication that specifies the selected dialysis fluid container should be used for the first cycle, 
 use the dialysis fluid type from the marking of the selected dialysis fluid container to determine a first dialysis dwell time for a first dialysis dwell of the first cycle of the peritoneal dialysis therapy, 
 begin a timer upon receiving an indication of a start of the first dialysis dwell, 
 after the timer has reached the first dialysis dwell time, transmit a first output signal, 
 determine, as a second selected dialysis fluid container, which of the at least two different dialysis fluid containers is to be used for a second cycle of the peritoneal dialysis therapy, 
 provide a second container indication that specifies the second selected dialysis fluid container should be used for the second cycle, 
 use the dialysis fluid type from the marking of the second selected dialysis fluid container to determine a second dialysis dwell time for a second dialysis dwell of the second cycle of the peritoneal dialysis therapy, 
 begin the timer upon receiving an indication of a start of the second dialysis dwell, and 
 after the timer has reached the second dialysis dwell time, transmit a second output signal; and 
 
 an output interface configured to, in response to the first output signal, provide a first indication to the patient of a completion of the first dialysis dwell time, and in response to the second output signal, provide a second indication to the patient of a completion of the second dialysis dwell time. 
 
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second indications each includes at least one of (i) a display of a visual notification on a screen of the output interface, (ii) an audio notification via a speaker of the output interface, or (iii) a tactile actuation via an actuator of the output interface. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the output interface is further configured to provide the first container indication and the second container indication. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a transceiver configured to transmit the dialysis fluid types used for the first and second cycles to a remotely located computer to enable the computer to rack a therapy progress of the patient. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a transceiver configured to transmit the first dialysis dwell time and the second dialysis dwell time to a remotely located computer to enable the computer to rack a therapy progress of the patient. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 receive a patient weight value before the first dialysis dwell;   determine the first dialysis dwell time using the patient weight value in conjunction with the dialysis fluid type from the marking of the selected dialysis fluid container; and   determine the second dialysis dwell time using the patient weight value in conjunction with the dialysis fluid type from the marking of the second selected dialysis fluid container.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a start dwell input device communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to receive a first input from the patient corresponding to the indication of the start of the first dialysis dwell and receive a second input from the patient corresponding to the indication of the start of the second dialysis dwell. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the start dwell input device is provided by the output interface. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second dialysis dwell times each corresponds to a time to achieve at least one of (a) a specified ultrafiltration removal level for the cycle, (b) a urea removal level for the cycle, or (c) a creatinine removal level for the cycle. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the reader includes (i) a barcode scanner, the markings displayed on the dialysis fluid containers comprising barcodes, (ii) a radio frequency identification (“RFID”) reader, the markings displayed on the dialysis fluid containers comprising RFID tags, or (iii) a camera of a smartphone. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the handheld personal communication apparatus includes a smartphone. 
     
     
         12 . A handheld personal communication apparatus for a continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (“CAPD”) treatment, the apparatus comprising:
 a reader configured to read markings displayed on at least two different dialysis fluid containers to acquire data concerning respective dialysis fluid types; 
 a processor communicatively coupled to the reader and configured to
 determine from the markings that each of the dialysis fluid containers has a different dialysis fluid type, 
 determine, as a selected dialysis fluid container, which of the at least two different dialysis fluid containers is to be used for a first cycle of a peritoneal dialysis therapy for a patient, the first cycle including a first dialysis dwell time, 
 provide a first container indication that specifies the selected dialysis fluid container should be used for the first cycle, 
 after the first cycle, determine, as a second selected dialysis fluid container, which of the at least two different dialysis fluid containers is to be used for a second cycle of the peritoneal dialysis therapy, the second cycle including a second dialysis dwell time, and 
 provide a second container indication that specifies the selected dialysis fluid container should be used for the second cycle; and 
 
 an output interface configured to display the first container indication, display the second container indication, provide a first indication to the patient of a completion of the first dialysis dwell time, and provide a second indication to the patient of a completion of the second dialysis dwell time. 
 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the first and second indications each includes at least one of (i) a display of a visual notification on a screen of the output interface, (ii) an audio notification via a speaker of the output interface, or (iii) a tactile actuation via an actuator of the output interface. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the reader includes (i) a barcode scanner, the markings displayed on the dialysis fluid containers comprising barcodes, (ii) a radio frequency identification (“RFID”) reader, the markings displayed on the dialysis fluid containers comprising RFID tags, or (iii) a camera of a smartphone. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the handheld personal communication apparatus includes a smartphone. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a transceiver configured to transmit the dialysis fluid types used for the first and second cycles to a remotely located computer to enable the computer to rack a therapy progress of the patient. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a transceiver configured to transmit the first dialysis dwell time and the second dialysis dwell time to a remotely located computer to enable the computer to rack a therapy progress of the patient. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 receive a patient weight value before the first dialysis dwell;   determine the first dialysis dwell time using the patient weight value in conjunction with the dialysis fluid type from the marking of the selected dialysis fluid container; and   determine the second dialysis dwell time using the patient weight value in conjunction with the dialysis fluid type from the marking of the second selected dialysis fluid container.   
     
     
         19 . A handheld personal communication apparatus for a continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (“CAPD”) treatment, the apparatus comprising:
 a reader configured to read markings displayed on at least two different dialysis fluid containers to acquire data concerning respective dialysis fluid types; 
 a processor communicatively coupled to the reader and configured to
 determine from the markings that each of the dialysis fluid containers has a different dialysis fluid type, 
 determine, as a selected dialysis fluid container, which of the at least two different dialysis fluid containers is to be used for a cycle of a peritoneal dialysis therapy for a patient, the cycle including a dialysis dwell time, 
 use the dialysis fluid type from the marking of the selected dialysis fluid container to determine the dialysis dwell time for a dialysis dwell of the cycle of the peritoneal dialysis therapy, and 
 provide a container indication that specifies the selected dialysis fluid container should be used for the cycle; and 
 
 an output interface configured to display the container indication and provide an indication to the patient of a completion of the dialysis dwell time. 
 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the reader includes (i) a barcode scanner, the markings displayed on the dialysis fluid containers comprising barcodes, (ii) a radio frequency identification (“RFID”) reader, the markings displayed on the dialysis fluid containers comprising RFID tags, or (iii) a camera of a smartphone, and
 wherein the handheld personal communication apparatus includes a smartphone.