Method and apparatus for zirconium oxide recharging
View Patent ↗Methods and related apparatuses for sorbent recharging are provided. The methods and related apparatuses for recharging can recharge a specific rechargeable layer of a sorbent material such as zirconium oxide and/or zirconium phosphate in a sorbent cartridge. The methods and apparatuses include passing solutions containing aqueous basic solutions through the zirconium oxide. The apparatus allows for recharging the zirconium oxide, and also for recharging zirconium phosphate, wherein the sorbent materials are contained in reusable sorbent modules.
1. A method, comprising the steps of:
recharging zirconium oxide by passing a basic aqueous solution through the zirconium oxide; wherein the zirconium oxide is present in at least one sorbent module for use in sorbent dialysis;
wherein the basic aqueous solution is passed through the zirconium oxide from a first fluid source of a recharger through a fluid flow path fluidly connecting the first fluid source to the at least one sorbent module containing zirconium oxide; wherein the first fluid source contains the basic aqueous solution.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the basic aqueous solution comprises any one or more bases selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and combinations thereof.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein a concentration of the base is between any of 0.1 M and 5.0 M, 0.1 M and 0.5 M, 0.3 M and 0.7 M, 0.6 M and 1.0 M, 0.5 M and 1.5 M, 1.0 M and 2.5 M, 2.0 M and 3.5 M, or 3.0 M and 5.0 M.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising maintaining a temperature of the basic aqueous solution at between any of about 20° C. and about 105° C., 25° C. to about 80° C., 35° C. to about 75° C., 40° C. to about 70° C., 50° C. to about 60° C., 25° C. to about 50° C., 50° C. to about 75° C., or 60° C. to about 105° C.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein a flow rate of the basic aqueous solution passed through the zirconium oxide is between any of 10 ml/min to 750 ml/min, 10 ml/min to 100 ml/min, 50 ml/min to 250 ml/min, 200 ml/min to 250 ml/min, 250 ml/min to 400 ml/min, 300 ml/min to 550 ml/min and 500 ml/min to 750 ml/min.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising rinsing the zirconium oxide with water after passing the basic aqueous solution through the zirconium oxide.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising draining the zirconium oxide after rinsing the zirconium oxide by blowing air through the zirconium oxide.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sorbent module is fluidly connectable to one or more additional sorbent modules containing sorbent materials to form a sorbent cartridge.
9. A recharger, comprising:
a first fluid source fluidly connectable to at least a first sorbent module for use in sorbent dialysis; wherein the first sorbent module is configured to contain zirconium oxide; wherein the first fluid source is configured to contain a first recharging solution capable of recharging the zirconium oxide in the first sorbent module; and
a fluid flow path fluidly connected to the first fluid source and fluidly connectable to an inlet of the first sorbent module;
wherein the first recharging solution is a basic aqueous solution.
10. The recharger of claim 9 , further comprising a pump to pump fluid flow through the fluid flow path.
11. The recharger of claim 9 , wherein the recharger is fluidly connectable to at least a second sorbent module.
12. The recharger of claim 11 , wherein the first and second sorbent modules both contain zirconium oxide.
13. The recharger of claim 12 , wherein the fluid flow path is fluidly connected to the first fluid source and is fluidly connectable to each of the first and second sorbent modules.
14. The recharger of claim 11 , wherein the first sorbent module contains a sorbent material that is different from a sorbent material contained in the second sorbent module.
15. The recharger of claim 14 , wherein the recharger comprises a second fluid source configured to contain a second recharging solution that is different from the first recharging solution, and a second fluid flow path fluidly connected to the second fluid source and fluidly connectable to the second sorbent module.
16. The recharger of claim 15 wherein the second sorbent module is configured to contain zirconium phosphate; and wherein the second recharging solution is a solution of an acid, a buffer, a sodium salt or combinations thereof.
17. The recharger of claim 15 , wherein fluid flow through the first fluid flow path is controlled by a first pump; and wherein fluid flow through the second fluid flow path is controlled by a second pump.
18. The recharger of claim 9 , further comprising a water source, wherein the water source is fluidly connectable to the fluid flow path.
19. The recharger of claim 18 , wherein the fluid flow path further comprises a valve, wherein the valve controls movement of fluid from either the first fluid source or the water source into the fluid flow path.
20. The recharger of claim 9 , further comprising a heater in the fluid flow path; wherein the heater heats the first recharging fluid before the first recharging fluid enters the first sorbent module.
21. The recharger of claim 20 , further comprising a heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger comprises at least a first compartment and a second compartment, wherein fluid in the fluid flow path enters the first compartment before the heater heats the fluid and before entering the first sorbent module, and wherein the fluid flow path fluidly connects an outlet of the first sorbent module to the second compartment of the heat exchanger.
22. The recharger of claim 15 , further comprising a first heater and a second heater, wherein the first heater heats the first recharging solution before the first recharging solution enters the first sorbent module, and wherein the second heater heats the second recharging solution before the second recharging solution enters the second sorbent module.
23. The recharger of claim 15 , further comprising a heater, wherein the heater heats the first recharging solution before the first recharging solution enters the first sorbent module, and wherein the heater heats the second recharging solution before the second recharging solution enters the second sorbent module.
24. The recharger of claim 11 , wherein the recharger is fluidly connectable to at least two sorbent modules each configured to contain zirconium oxide.
25. The recharger of claim 14 , wherein the recharger is fluidly connectable to one or more sorbent modules configured to contain zirconium oxide and one or more sorbent modules configured to contain zirconium phosphate.
26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sorbent module is a multi-use sorbent module.
27. The recharger of claim 9 , wherein the first sorbent module is a multi-use sorbent module.