Dialyzer cartridge and method for its manufacture

Abstract

A dialyzer with a housing includes a pair of inflow and outflow pipes for blood and dialysis solution, and a tubular ring body formed from a plurality of hollow filaments joined to one another at their ends and positioned in the housing such that one pair of the pipes is in communicating relationship with open ends of the hollow filaments and the other pair of the pipes communicates with the interstices between adjacent filament forming said tubular ring body. The invention also provides a dialyzer cartridge and a method of manufacturing such cartridge.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A dialyser comprising housing means having a longitudinal axis and a central plane of symmetry extending perpendicularly to said longitudinal axis, said housing means including first and second housing members each of which has a substantially mirror-symmetrical shape relative to the respective other housing member and relative to said plane of symmetry, each housing member having an open end portion facing said plane of symmetry and means for connecting the open end portions of the two housing members to each other, each housing member further comprising a port section opposite said open end portion, each port section comprising first central port means arranged substantially concentrically relative to said longitudinal axis and a central cavity smoothly merging into said central port means and open opposite the respective first port means, each port section further comprising second port means located radially outwardly of said first, central port means and a ring cavity surrounding said central cavity and smoothly merging into the respective second port means, said ring cavity also being open toward said open end portion of the respective housing member, dialyser cartridge means in said housing means, said dialyser cartridge means comprising hollow tubular core means with a wall therein dividing said hollow tubular core means into two cavities extending coaxially relative to said longitudinal axis and substantually in register with the respective one of said central cavities in the corresponding port section, hollow filaments wound on said hollow, tubular core means, said hollow filaments having open ends, means bonding said open ends of said filaments to each other so as to close the spaces between the filaments adjacent the open ends and to form a ring body of filaments directly around said hollow tubular core means, said ring body of filaments having interstices between adjacent filaments intermediate said bonding means, radially extending holes in said hollow, tubular core means to provide for a smooth flow communication between said first port means through said central cavities, through said radially extending holes, and through said interstices between adjacent filaments, said open ends of said filament ring body extending substantially in register with the respective one of said ring cavities to provide for a further smooth flow communication between said second port means through said ring cavities and longitudinally through said hollow filaments. 
     
     
       2. The dialyser of claim 1, further comprising jacket means surrounding said filaments on said tubular core means. 
     
     
       3. The dialyser of claim 1, wherein said hollow filaments are directly wound on said hollow, tubular core to form winding sections having a curved shape and extending in planes slanting at an angle relative to said longitudinal central axis, said angle being such that said open ends of said filaments face the respective ring cavity (FIG. 2). 
     
     
       4. The dialyser of claim 1, wherein said hollow filaments are directly wound on said hollow tubular core to form winding sections having a substantially rectangular shape initially having axially and radially extending portions, the latter having been cut off so that said open ends of said filaments face the respective ring cavity, (FIG. 3). 
     
     
       5. The dialyser of claim 1, wherein said radially extending holes in said hollow, tubular core means are located near the outer ends of said hollow, tubular core means away from said wall in said hollow tubular core means whereby flow of liquid extends substantially radially adjacent said bonding means into and out of said interstices and substantially axially through said interstices intermediate said holes in said hollow tubular core means. 
     
     
       6. The dialyser of claim 5, wherein said wall is located substantially in said plane of symmetry. 
     
     
       7. The dialyser of claim 1, further comprising shoulder means in said port sections, said shoulder means contacting said hollow, tubular core means in a sealing manner. .Iadd. 8. A dialyzer comprising housing means having a longitudinal axis and a central plane of symmetry extending perpendicularly to said longitudinal axis, said housing means including first and second housing members each of which has a substantially symmetrical shape relative to the respective other housing member and relative to said plane of symmetry, each housing member having an open end portion facing said plane of symmetry and means for connecting the open end portions of the two housing members, each housing member further comprising a port section opposite said open end portion, each port section comprising first central port means arranged substantially concentrically relative to said longitudinal axis and a central cavity coupled into said central port means, each port section further comprising second port means located radially outwardly of said first, central port means and a ring cavity surrounding said central cavity and smoothly merging into the respective second port means, said ring cavity being open toward said open end portion of the respective housing member, hollow filament means in said housing means, core means extending coaxially relative to said longitudinal axis and between the respective central cavities in the corresponding port sections, said hollow filament means being held on said core means, said hollow filament means having open ends, means bonding said open ends of said hollow filaments to one another so as to close the spaces between the filaments adjacent the open ends and to form a ring body of filaments around said core means, said ring body of filaments having interstices between adjacent filaments intermediate said bonding means, radially directed passage openings from the central cavities at the ends of the core means to provide a continuous communication between said first port means through said central cavities, through said radially directed passage openings and through said interstices between adjacent filaments, said core blocking any flow directly between said central cavities, said open ends of said filament ring body extending substantially in register with the respective one of said ring cavities to provide for continuous smooth flow communication between said second port means through said ring cavities and longitudinally through said hollow filaments. .Iaddend..Iadd. 9. The dialyzer of claim 8, wherein said means for connecting the open end portions of the two housing members comprise sealing jacket means (19) surrounding said fiber bundle means. .Iaddend..Iadd. 10. The dialyzer of claim 8, wherein said first or second housing members comprise flanged enclosure portions enclosing said dialyzer and abutting against each other in connecting relationship. .Iaddend..Iadd. 11. A dialyzer comprising elongated housing means having a longitudinal axis, said housing means including outer jacket sealing means extending coaxially to said longitudinal axis, central core means extending coaxially within the outer jacket sealing means, said outer jacket sealing means and central core means defining therebetween an annular space extending along the longitudinal axis of the housing, first and second housing end members engaging the coaxial outer jacket sealing means and central core means at each end of the housing means; hollow filament means comprising hollow filaments positioned about said central core means and substantially occupying the annular space between the outer jacket sealing means and the central core means, said hollow filaments having open ends facing the respective end member at both ends of said housing means; means bonding the open ends of said filaments to each other to close spaces between the filaments at each end of said housing means, thereby forming substantially a ring body of open ended filaments around the core means, whereby the open filament ends face the housing end members; said housing end members defining at each end of the housing means a ring cavity facing the open filament ends, said end members comprising peripheral port means smoothly merging into the ring cavity means for continuous smooth flow communication of fluid from said peripheral port means through said ring cavity and into the hollow filaments of the bundle through the open filament ends; said hollow filament means having interstices between adjacent filaments extending substantially the entire length of the filament bundle intermediate the bonding means at each end; said first and second housing end members further defining in combination with said central core means, central cavity means at each end of said housing means, said end members comprising central port means opening into said central cavity means; said central core means comprising flow blocking means intermediate the ends thereof to prevent passage of fluid through said central core means from one end to the other; said central core means further comprising opening means distributed around the periphery of said core means at each end of the core means for directing fluid from the central cavity radially outwardly into the interstices between said filaments at one end of the filaments and for receiving fluid from the interstices at the other end of the filaments; said outer jacket sealing means and central core means thereby confining the flow of fluid, received through the central port means and distributed radially into the interstices of the filaments, axially along the interstices through substantially the entire length of the filaments between the bonding means. .Iaddend..Iadd. 12. The dialyzer of claim 11, wherein said outer jacket sealing means comprises elongated cylindrical wall means and wherein said central core means comprises coaxial cylindrical core means. .Iaddend..Iadd. 13. The dialyzer of claim 11, wherein said central core means comprises a tubular core and wherein said separating means for sealing the tubular core means to prevent passage of fluid through the core comprises wall means across the tubular core intermediate said opening means at each end of core means. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 14. A dialyzer comprising housing means (10, 11), a first set of ports including inflow port means (14) for blood in said housing means and outflow port means (15) for blood in said housing means, a second set of ports including dialysis liquid inflow port means (12) in said housing means and dialysis outflow port means (13) in said housing means, tubular core means (4) in said housing means to provide an annular space between said housing means and said core means (4), hollow filament means (3, 18) having open filament ends, sealing and bonding means (29, 30) operatively bonding the hollow filament means (3, 18) to one another adjacent said open ends, said hollow filament means occupying said annular space, first flow communication means in said housing means (16, 17) for providing flow communication into and out of said open filament ends and the respective one of said port sets arranged at each end of said hollow filament means, interstices extending between said hollow filament means substantially all along said hollow filament means between said bonding means (29, 30), second flow communication means (9) in said core means (4) for providing flow communication between said interstices and said second set of ports, said second flow communication means consisting of first and second passage openings (9) extending radially outwardly through said core means (4) and located only substantially directly adjacent to each of said bonding means (29, 30), and separation means (6) in said core means (4) for closing off said first passage openings (9) from said second passage openings (9) except through said interstices whereby a liquid flowing from said inflow port means to said outflow port means of said second set of ports is forced to flow through said interstices substantially along the entire effective length of said filament means between said first and second passage openings, for optimally using the available interface surface formed by said hollow filament means. .Iaddend..Iadd. 15. The dialyzer of claim 14, further comprising jacket means (19) surrounding said hollow filament means and said core means in said housing means. .Iaddend.