Described are embodiments that include methods and devices for separating composite liquids into components. Embodiments involve the use of a flexible membrane for separating a composite liquid into components. The composite liquid may include, in embodiments, a cellular containing liquid, such as whole blood or components of whole blood. In one specific embodiment, the composite liquid is a buffy coat.

The invention provides means, methods, and compositions of matter useful for enhancing tumor response to checkpoint inhibitors. In one embodiment, the invention teaches utilization of extracorporeal apheresis, specifically removal of various tumor derived, or tumor microenvironment derived immunological “blocking factors”. In one embodiment the invention provides the removal of soluble TNF-alpha receptors (sTNF-Rs) as a means of augmenting efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors. In one specific embodiment removal of sTNF-Rs is utilized to enhance efficacy of inhibitors of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway, and/or the CD28/CTLA-4 pathway.

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.

This invention teaches a targeted apheresis method of treating a pregnant woman with preeclampsia, or who is predisposed to developing preeclampsia, utilizing immobilized binding agents contained within an apheresis device to remove sVEGFR-1 and sVEGFR-2, and one or more other harmful factors associated with preeclampsia selected from a list that includes: sEndoglin, Endothelin-1, TNF, IL-1, IL-6, IL-12, IL-18, digitalis-like factor, ouabain-like factor,

marinobufagenin, .marinobufotoxenin, and telocinobufagin. The binding agents used are antibodies or aptamers or binding peptides. Reducing the concentration of sVEGFR-1, sVEGFR-2 and other harmful factors in the pregnant woman's blood using targeted apheresis will alleviate or delay the symptoms of preeclampsia, and thus postpone premature delivery of the baby so that the baby is born at term or as close to term as possible.

The present invention relates to an insert piece for a blood tubing set that includes a first connection site for connecting a first tubing portion of the blood tubing set to the insert piece; a second connection site for connecting a second tubing portion of the blood tubing set to the insert piece; a third connection site for connecting a third tubing portion of the blood tubing set to the insert piece; a first main line for conducting a first liquid through the insert piece; a second main line for conducting the first liquid through the insert piece; a secondary line for conducting a second liquid into at least one of the first main line, and the second main line; and a connection portion which connects both main lines to each other or to the second connection site.

A system with container volume tracking includes a pump receiving a line connected to a tracked container, an air sensor to detect air in the line, and a controller coupled to pump and sensor. The controller is configured to monitor pump operation, and determine a volume removed from the container based thereon. If the volume removed is less than a first percentage of a target volume and there is air, continue operation after an air purge. If the volume removed is more than the first percentage and less than a second percentage and if there is air, prompt the user for an input, and continue operation after an air purge if a first input is received or end operation if a second input is received. If the volume removed is more than the second percentage and if there is air, end operation.

According to some embodiments, a system may treat blood outside the body of a patient. The system may include one or more pumps configured to pump blood in a fluid flow path at a collective rate over 4 liters per minute. The system may include one or more heat exchangers operable to heat at least a portion of the blood to a temperature of at least 42 degrees Celsius and to allow the blood to cool one or more degrees following heating. The system may include one or more albumin dialysis modules configured to perform albumin dialysis on at least a portion of the blood at least after the one or more heat exchangers allow the blood to cool one or more degrees.

Methods and systems are presented for analyzing the blood of a living being. Equations are presented for volume-aware extension of the concept of Hematocrit. A method for calculating these volume-aware measures and using said measures to evaluate and guide possible treatments is described. A system comprising an automated analyzer and a processor and other components is described which can carry out said calculations. Methods of treatment for volume abnormalities are described which are guided by the volume-aware Hct measures. In one exemplary embodiment, a method of treatment for plasma volume excess using ultrafiltration is described. In another exemplary embodiment, a method of treatment for red cell volume excess using erythrocytapheresis is described.

A blood filtration system can reduce the amount of plasma constituents (e.g., water and/or electrolytes) in the blood of the patient, and accordingly increase the hematocrit value of the patient. The blood filtration system (e.g., a controller, or the like) can determine a hematocrit value of a patient. The blood filtration system can determine a venous pressure of vasculature of a patient. The blood filtration system can compensate for pressure head in a component of a blood circuit (e.g., a withdrawal line of a catheter), for example to improve the accuracy of the venous pressure determination. The blood filtration system can determine one or more resistance characteristics of a blood circuit for the blood filtration system. The resistance characteristics can correspond to a resistance to a flow of blood through a component of the blood circuit.

Filtering device for filtering cerebrospinal fluid are disclosed. An example filtering device may include a filter housing having an inlet for receiving cerebrospinal fluid from a patient and an outlet for returning filtered cerebrospinal fluid to the patient. The filter housing may include a plurality of layers coupled together and defining a fluid pathway therein between the inlet and the outlet. A filtering section may be defined within the filter housing along the fluid pathway. The filtering section may include a widened region of the fluid pathway that is configured to slow the passage of fluid therethrough.