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 method includes, after an extracorporeal blood treatment, connecting a fluid source to an access line that is connected to a patient, and delivering a fluid from the fluid source to the access line to infuse blood from the access line to the patient, wherein the fluid delivered to the access line has a temperature from about 30 degrees Celsius to about 38 degrees Celsius.

The disclosure relates to a blood treatment device for use in blood treatment therapies, comprising: an extracorporeal blood circuit, a dialyzer and a dialysis fluid circuit, wherein the extracorporeal blood circuit and the dialysis fluid circuit are separated from each other via a membrane provided in the dialyzer, via which blood can be filtered; at least one substitution solution pump, which is configured to supply a substitution solution to the extracorporeal blood circuit before and/or after the dialyzer; an effluent pressure sensor, which is configured to measure a pressure in the dialysis fluid circuit after the dialyzer, and a control unit, which is configured to automatically reduce a flow rate of the at least one substitution solution pump when an effluent pressure measured by the effluent pressure sensor drops during an ongoing blood treatment therapy.

A method includes, after an extracorporeal blood treatment, connecting a fluid source to an access line that is connected to a patient, and delivering a fluid from the fluid source to the access line to infuse blood from the access line to the patient, wherein the fluid delivered to the access line has a temperature from about 30 degrees Celsius to about 38 degrees Celsius.

The disclosure provides a blood treatment method, comprising: (a) conveying a volume of blood via a first conduit from a vascular access of a patient to a blood chamber at a first flow rate, the first conduit having only a single lumen; (b) conveying the blood from the blood chamber through a filtration device at a second flow rate, wherein the filtration device is part of a legacy system, to perform an extracorporeal treatment on the blood and returning the treated blood to the blood chamber; and (c) returning the blood from the blood chamber to the vascular access of the patient at a third flow rate via the first conduit, wherein the second flow rate is decoupled from, and independent of both the first and third flow rates.

Dialysis systems are disclosed comprising new fluid flow circuits. Systems may include blood and dialysate flow paths, where the dialysate flow path includes balancing, mixing, and/or directing circuits. Dialysate preparation may be decoupled from patient dialysis. Circuits may be defined within one or more cassettes. The fluid circuit fluid flow paths may be isolated from electrical components. A gas supply in fluid communication with the dialysate flow path and/or the dialyzer able to urge dialysate through the dialyzer and urge blood back to the patient may be included for certain emergency situations. Fluid handling devices, such as pumps, valves, and mixers that can be actuated using a control fluid may be included. Control fluid may be delivered by an external pump or other device, which may be detachable and/or generally rigid, optionally with a diaphragm dividing the device into first and second compartments.

A method that regulates supply of substituate in an extracorporeal blood treatment with an extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus comprising a dialyzer divided by a semipermeable membrane into a blood chamber and a dialyzing fluid chamber and a device for supplying substituate. An extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus that includes a device for regulating supply of substituate. Regulation of supply of substituate in the extracorporeal blood treatment takes place as a function of the rheological loading of the dialyzer. To regulate supply of substituate during extracorporeal blood treatment, rheological loading of the dialyzer is determined from transmembrane pressure on the dialyzer and flow resistance of the dialyzer and substituate rate is increased or reduced according to the loading. The selection of dialyzer parameters or blood parameters is therefore no longer necessary and the distinction between pre-dilution and post-dilution is also made obsolete.

The present invention relates to a system (100) for extracorporeal blood treatment comprising a first inlet (1) for introducing a bloodstream to be treated into the system (100), three blood treatment apparatus (A, D, G), as well as an outlet (2) for discharging a treated bloodstream from the system (100), wherein the system comprises an adsorber apparatus (A) and/or a plasma separator apparatus, a dialysis apparatus (D) and a gas exchange apparatus (G), and wherein the three blood treatment apparatus (A, D, G) are sequentially connected in series in a functional state of system (100) application between the inlet (1) and the outlet (2) of the system relative to a direction of blood flow of a bloodstream to be treated and can be consecutively perfused extracorporeally by a bloodstream to be treated. The present invention further relates to a treatment apparatus comprising such a system, a kit comprising the components of such a system, a method for operating such a system (100) as well as a method for extracorporeal blood treatment with such a system (100).

The present invention relates to a method for regulating supply of substituate in an extracorporeal blood treatment with an extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus comprising a dialyzer divided by a semipermeable membrane into a blood chamber and a dialyzing fluid chamber and a device for supplying substituate. Moreover, the present invention relates to an extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus having a device for regulating supply of substituate. Regulation of supply of substituate in the extracorporeal blood treatment takes place as a function of the rheological loading of the dialyzer. To regulate supply of substituate during extracorporeal blood treatment, rheological loading of the dialyzer is determined from transmembrane pressure on the dialyzer and flow resistance of the dialyzer and substituate rate is increased or reduced according to the loading. The selection of dialyzer parameters or blood parameters is therefore no longer necessary and the distinction between pre-dilution and post-dilution is also made obsolete.

There is provided a blood purification apparatus with which the efficiency of dialysate purification can be improved and the reduction in the amount of electrolytes contained in dialysate and necessary for treatment can be suppressed. The blood purification apparatus includes a storage device capable of storing a predetermined amount of dialysate that is necessary for blood purification treatment, a dialysate circulation line through which the dialysate is allowed to circulate by introducing the dialysate in the storage device into the dialyzer and draining waste liquid from the dialyzer into the storage device, and the dialysate purification device that purifies the dialysate in the dialysate circulation line. A treatment state in which the dialysate is allowed to be introduced into the dialyzer without flowing through the dialysate purification device and a purification state in which the dialysate is allowed to be purified by the dialysate purification device are taken switchably.