A renal failure therapy machine includes a blood cleaning filter, a dialysis fluid circuit including a balance chamber, the balance chamber including a fresh dialysis fluid compartment configured to send fresh dialysis fluid to the blood cleaning filter and a used dialysis fluid compartment configured to receive used dialysis fluid from the blood cleaning filter, a fresh dialysis fluid line in fluid communication with the fresh dialysis fluid compartment of the balance chamber and the blood cleaning filter, and a flow restrictor in fluid communication with the blood cleaning filter, the flow restrictor configured to cause fresh dialysis fluid delivered from the fresh dialysis fluid compartment, through the fresh dialysis fluid line, to the blood cleaning filter to be pressurized so that a first amount of the fresh dialysis fluid performs convective clearance and a second amount of the fresh dialysis fluid performs diffusive clearance.

A hemodiafiltration system with a disposable pumping unit is disclosed. An example system includes a medical fluid pump actuator, a medical fluid heater, a blood filter and a disposable unit. The example disposable unit includes a medical fluid cassette portion including a medical fluid cassette housing configured to be operatively connected to the medical fluid pump actuator to pump medical fluid through the medical fluid cassette portion when the medical fluid cassette portion is in fluid communication with a medical fluid source. The example medical fluid cassette portion is also configured to be placed in fluid communication with the blood filter and with an extracorporeal circuit communicating with the blood filter, the fluid communication enabling hemodiafiltration to be performed. The example disposable unit also includes a heater bag configured to be placed in operable communication with the medical fluid heater and in fluid communication with the medical fluid cassette portion.

A dialysis system includes an on-line dialysate generator, a first dialysate pump in fluid communication with the on-line dialysate generator, and a second dialysate pump in fluid communication with the on-line dialysate generator. The dialysis system also includes a dialyzer in fluid communication with the first and second dialysate pumps. The dialysis system further includes a first valve located between the first dialysate pump and the dialyzer and a second valve located between the second dialysate pump and the dialyzer. The dialysis system is configured to alternate pumping of dialysate from the first and second dialysate pumps to the dialyzer using the first and second valves.

The present invention generally relates to hemodialysis and similar dialysis systems, including a variety of systems and methods that would make hemodialysis more efficient, easier, and/or more affordable. One aspect of the invention is generally directed to new fluid circuits for fluid flow. In one set of embodiments, a hemodialysis system may include a blood flow path and a dialysate flow path, where the dialysate flow path includes one or more of a balancing circuit, a mixing circuit, and/or a directing circuit. Preparation of dialysate by the preparation circuit, in some instances, may be decoupled from patient dialysis. In some cases, the circuits are defined, at least partially, within one or more cassettes, optionally interconnected with conduits, pumps, or the like. In one embodiment, the fluid circuit and/or the various fluid flow paths may be at least partially isolated, spatially and/or thermally, from electrical components of the hemodialysis system. In some cases, a gas supply may be provided in fluid communication with the dialysate flow path and/or the dialyzer that, when activated, is able to urge dialysate to pass through the dialyzer and urge blood in the blood flow path back to the patient. Such a system may be useful, for example, in certain emergency situations (e.g., a power failure) where it is desirable to return as much blood to the patient as possible. The hemodialysis system may also include, in another aspect of the invention, one or more fluid handling devices, such as pumps, valves, mixers, or the like, which can be actuated using a control fluid, such as air. In some cases, the control fluid may be delivered to the fluid handling devices using an external pump or other device, which may be detachable in certain instances. In one embodiment, one or more of the fluid handling devices may be generally rigid (e.g., having a spheroid shape), optionally with a diaphragm contained within the device, dividing it into first and second compartments.

A renal therapy system with cassette-based blood and dialysate pumping is disclosed. An example system includes a blood pump actuator, a dialysis fluid pump actuator, a dialysis fluid heater, a dialyzer, and a disposable unit. The example disposable unit includes a blood cassette portion configured to be operatively connected to the blood pump actuator to pump blood through the blood cassette portion. The example disposable unit also includes a dialysis fluid cassette portion, separate from the blood cassette portion, configured to be operatively connected to the dialysis fluid pump actuator to pump dialysis fluid through the dialysis fluid cassette portion. The blood cassette portion and the dialysis fluid cassette portion are both in fluid communication with the dialyzer. The example disposable unit also includes a heater bag configured to be placed in operable communication with the dialysis fluid heater and in fluid communication with the dialysis fluid cassette portion.

The invention relates to a system for treating blood, which includes a single cassette capable of carrying out the various CRRT treatments.

Methods and systems for performing an apheresis procedure with a reduced risk of citrate reaction occurrences are described. The volume of body water in the apheresis subject is used to predict the likelihood of a citrate reaction during infusion of a blood component to the subject and allows for establishing and maintaining an optimal flow rate of the infused blood component.

A renal therapy system with cassette-based blood and dialysate pumping is disclosed. An example system includes a blood pump actuator, a dialysis fluid pump actuator, a dialysis fluid heater, a dialyzer, and a disposable unit. The example disposable unit includes a blood cassette portion configured to be operatively connected to the blood pump actuator to pump blood through the blood cassette portion. The example disposable unit also includes a dialysis fluid cassette portion, separate from the blood cassette portion, configured to be operatively connected to the dialysis fluid pump actuator to pump dialysis fluid through the dialysis fluid cassette portion. The blood cassette portion and the dialysis fluid cassette portion are both in fluid communication with the dialyzer. The example disposable unit also includes a heater bag configured to be placed in operable communication with the dialysis fluid heater and in fluid communication with the dialysis fluid cassette portion.

A dialysis machine that includes a valve member having a deformable area configured to deform outwardly away when pressurized fluid is introduced into the valve member. The valve member is configured so that, when a dialysis fluid cassette is disposed in a cassette compartment of the dialysis machine and pressurized fluid is introduced into the valve member, the deformable area obstructs a fluid channel of the dialysis fluid cassette to control dialysis fluid flow therethrough.

An external functional means comprises at least one housing body, at least one chamber integrated into the housing body for receiving medical fluids, at least one passage integrated into the housing body for receiving and/or conducting a medical fluid, and at least one valve means completely or partly integrated into the housing body for controlling or regulating a fluid flowing through the external functional means. The invention further specifies a blood treatment apparatus and methods which may be carried out by means of the external functional means of the invention and by means of the blood treatment apparatus, respectively.