The present invention relates to a polypeptide or protein for use in a method of diagnosis or treatment of an autoimmune disease in a subject, characterized in that said polypeptide or protein comprises one or more epitopes derived from the protein DPPX. Further, the invention relates to a nucleic acid or vector encoding such polypeptide, to a cell comprising such a vector, to an in vitro diagnostic method and test kit involving such polypeptide, to a pharmaceutical composition comprising such polypeptide, to a medical device coated with such polypeptide or pharmaceutical composition and to methods for treating an autoimmune disease in a subject.

Apparatus and methods for providing extracorporeal blood circulation and oxygenation control include multi-stage deairing of blood to provide automated cardiopulmonary replacement to sustain patient life during a medical procedure such as cardiopulonary bypass graft surgery, keyhole cardiopulmonary bypass graft surgery, percutaneous angioplasty, percutaneous stent placement, and percutaneous atherectomy.

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.

Devices, systems, and methods for auto-retroperfusion of the cerebral venous system. In an exemplary embodiment of a catheter for controlling blood perfusion pressure of the present disclosure, the catheter comprises a body having a proximal open end, a distal end, a lumen extending between the proximal open end and the distal end, and a plurality of orifices disposed thereon, each of the orifices in fluid communication with the lumen, at least one expandable balloon, each of the at least one expandable balloons coupled with the body, having an interior that is in fluid communication with the lumen and adapted to move between an expanded configuration and a deflated configuration, and at least one sensor coupled with the distal end of the body, each of the at least one sensors adapted to gather data relating to a fluid flowing through the lumen, wherein the catheter is configured to be coupled to a flow unit for regulating the flow and pressure of a fluid.

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 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 invention relates to various methods of treatment using a novel blood perfusion device. The blood perfusion device comprises a perfusion chamber comprising at least one compartment A and at least one compartment B, compartment A comprising a first opening which is in direct fluid communication to a second opening, wherein the first opening of compartment A is in direct fluid communication to a first port of the perfusion chamber and the second opening of compartment A is in direct fluid communication to a second port of the perfusion chamber; and compartment B comprising a first opening which is in direct fluid communication to a second opening, wherein the first opening of compartment B is in direct fluid communication to a third port of the perfusion chamber and the second opening of compartment B is in direct fluid communication to a fourth port of the perfusion chamber, wherein compartment A is separated from compartment B by at least one membrane, said membrane being configured to prevent cells from crossing the membrane.

Systems and methods for selective auto-retroperfusion along with regional mild hypothermia. In at least one embodiment of a system for providing a retroperfusion therapy to a venous vessel of the present disclosure, the system comprises a catheter for controlling blood perfusion pressure, the catheter comprising a body having a proximal open end, a distal end, a lumen extending between the proximal open end and the distal end, and a plurality of orifices disposed thereon, each of the orifices in fluid communication with the lumen, and at least one expandable balloon, each of the at least one expandable balloons coupled with the body, having an interior that is in fluid communication with the lumen, and adapted to move between an expanded configuration and a deflated configuration, and a flow unit for regulating the flow and pressure of a bodily fluid, and a regional hypothermia system operably coupled to the catheter, the regional hypothermia system operable to reduce and/or regulate a temperature of the bodily fluid flowing therethrough.

An extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus (1) and a method for checking the connection of a soft bag (30, 24; 33, 34) in the apparatus (1). The apparatus (1) comprises a blood treatment device (2), an extracorporeal blood circuit (3, 5) and a fluid circuit (8, 12, 15, 17, 18, 22; 41, 42, 44). A control unit (32) is configured to check the connection of a soft bag (30, 24; 33, 34) to the extracorporeal blood circuit (3, 5) or to the fluid circuit (22; 41, 42, 44) through the following procedure: sucking a medium from a connecting zone (29) through a blood pump (6) or a fluid pump (23; 37, 39) of the apparatus (1); measuring at least a pressure trend (P1, P1-P2, P2-P1, Pwdr, Pwdr-Pret, Pret-Pwdr) over time in the extracorporeal blood circuit (3, 5) or in the fluid circuit (22; 41, 42, 44) through at least a pressure sensor (25, 26); establishing from said measured pressure trend (P1, P1-P2, P2-P1, Pwdr, Pwdr-Pret, Pret-Pwdr) if the soft bag (30, 24; 33, 34) is connected to the extracorporeal blood circuit (3, 5) or to the fluid circuit (22; 41, 42, 44) at the connecting zone (29).

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 draw blood from a patient into a fluid flow path at a rate, for example, of 5-7 liters per minute. The system may include one or more heat exchangers coupled to the fluid flow path and configured to heat the blood, for example, to a temperature above 42 degrees Celsius and below 43.2 degrees Celsius.