The invention relates to a method and to a device for determining an optimum dialysate flow Q.sub.dopt for an extracorporeal blood treatment and to a blood treatment device comprising a device 18 for determining an optimum dialysate flow Qd.sub.opt. The optimum dialysate flow Qd.sub.opt is determined on the basis of a relationship describing the dependence of the clearance K on the dialysate flow Q.sub.d. The device according to the invention comprises a measurement device 18B for measuring at least one value which is characteristic of the clearance K, a calculation and/or evaluation unit 18A of the device according to the invention being configured in such a way that the clearance K is determined on the basis of the at least one value which is characteristic of the clearance. The calculation and/or evaluation unit 18A is configured in such a way that the optimum dialysate flow Q.sub.dopt is determined from the relationship describing the dependence of the clearance K on the dialysate rate Q.sub.d on the basis of the measured clearance K, or the optimum dialysate flow Q.sub.dopt is determined from the measured clearance K.

A diafiltration system comprises a fluid treatment assembly comprising two or more fluid treatment modules, the fluid treatment assembly comprising a feed inlet, a permeate outlet, and a retentate outlet; each module comprising a cross flow treatment assembly including an ultrafiltration membrane and having a feed side and a permeate side, and a diafiltration fluid distribution plate comprising a diafiltration fluid feed inlet and a common feed permeate/diafiltration fluid permeate outlet port; two or more diafiltration fluid conduits, each conduit in fluid communication with a respective single diafiltration fluid feed inlet; and, a diafiltration fluid pump comprising at least a first multiple channel pump head having at least two channels including separate channels for separate conduits in fluid communication with respective single diafiltration fluid feed inlets, wherein the pump provides simultaneously controlled diafiltration fluid flow rates through each of the conduits to the respective diafiltration fluid feed inlets.

A dialysis system includes a dialysis instrument including a blood pump, a dialysate inlet pump, a dialysate outlet pump, and at least one fluid velocity sensor, each sensor including an emitter and a receiver, a dialyzer arranged (i) to receive blood pumped by the blood pump, (ii) to receive fresh dialysate pumped by the dialysate inlet pump and (iii) such that used dialysate is pumped from the dialyzer by the dialysate outlet pump, and a disposable cassette including a to-dialyzer dialysate pathway carrying dialysate pumped by the dialysate inlet pump and a from-dialyzer dialysate pathway carrying used dialysate pumped by the dialysate outlet pump, wherein at least one of the to-dialyzer dialysate pathway or the from-dialyzer dialysate pathway includes at least one sensing area so positioned and arranged such that when the disposable cassette is mounted to the instrument, the sensing area is coupled operably with both the emitter and the receiver of the at least one fluid velocity sensor.

Manifolds suitable for use in hemodialysis, hemofiltration, hemodiafiltration, and peritoneal dialysis are provided. One or more of the manifolds can include a manifold body and an external tube. The manifold body can include at least one conduit including a first conduit and at least one port including a first port in fluid communication with the first conduit. The external tube can be in fluid communication with the first port and can include a main segment, a first branch segment, and a second branch segment containing at least one bacterial filter. The first branch segment and/or second branch segment can include at least one flow restrictor. Dialysis machines, systems, and kits including one or more such manifold are also provided, as are methods of performing hemodiafiltration using such manifolds.

A dialysis machine, in particular for hemodialysis and/or hemofiltration, having a dialyzate system and having a water inlet via which the dialyzate system can be connected to an external water supply. The dialysis machine includes a constant flow regulator that is arranged between the water connection and the dialyzate system.

The present invention pertains to an extracorporeal blood treatment device (1), preferably a hemodialysis device, hemofiltration device, or hemodiafiltration device, comprising a fluidic system (2) having a connection point (20) for adding substances, a detection arrangement (4) for detecting a flow of a substance at the connection point (20), wherein the detection arrangement is configured to generate a flow signal, when a flow of a substance is detected at the connection point (20), and a control unit (5), which is communicatively connected to the detection arrangement (4). The control unit (5) is furthermore configured to output a signal (50) in reaction to a received flow signal. The present invention furthermore pertains to a corresponding method for monitoring at least one connection point.

A technology that provides various modular biomimetic microfluidic modules emulating varieties of microvasculature in body. These microfluidic-base capillaries and lymphatic Technology modules are constructed as multilayered-microfluidic microchannels of various shapes, and aspect ratios using diverse biocompatible microfluidic polymers. Then, various semipermeable membranes are sandwiched in between these multilayered microfluidic microchannels. These membranes have different chemical, physical characteristics and MWCO values. Consequently, this design will produce much smaller dimension channels similar to human vasculature to achieve biomimetic properties like of human organs and tissues. By interchanging microfluidic-layers or the membranes various diverse modules are designed that act as building blocks for constructing various medical devices, various forms of dialysis devices including albumin and lipid dialysis, water purification, bioreactors, bio-artificial organ support systems. Connecting various modules in diverse combinations, permutations, in parallel and/or in series to ultimately design many unrelated medical devices such as dialysis, bioreactors and organ support devices.

A renal failure therapy system having an electrically floating fluid pathway is disclosed. The example system includes a dialyzer, a blood circuit in fluid communication with the dialyzer, and a dialysis fluid circuit in fluid communication with the dialyzer. The system also includes an electrically floating fluid pathway comprising at least a portion of the blood circuit and at least a portion of the dialysis fluid circuit. The only electrical path to ground is via used dialysis fluid traveling through the renal failure therapy system to earth ground. The disclosed system enables at least one electrical component in the at least a portion of the dialysis fluid circuit of the electrically floating fluid pathway to be electrically bypassed.

The present disclosure includes systems and methods for hemodialysis, such as including a first dialysis module and an auxiliary module detachably connectable to the first dialysis module. The first dialysis module can include a dialyzer, a blood circuit, a dialysate circuit, and a sorbent. The auxiliary module can include an ultrafiltrate collector operably couplable to the dialysate circuit for removing excess fluid therefrom.

A blood filtering device includes a filter having two compartments, at least one allows the passage of blood, being separated by a membrane allow passage of a filtered fraction from the first to the second compartment. The filtering device includes an outlet conduit to collect the filtered fraction leaving the filter. The filtered fraction flows along the outlet conduit along a flow direction. A first sensor includes at least one semiconductor laser source with a laser cavity adapted to generate a laser light beam striking the outlet conduit along an irradiation direction incident to the flow direction; and at least one front and one lateral photodiode, at least in correspondence of the semiconductor laser source, the outlet conduit is transparent to the laser light beam.

The filtering device processes said the two electrical signals to generate a signal indicative of the quantity of suspended particles moving along the outlet conduit.