Simple-to-use systems, methods, and devices for priming replacement blood treatment devices, for swapping the blood treatment devices out, for replacing swapped-out blood treatment devices, and other related operations are described. In embodiments, a blood treatment device can be primed while a therapy is still running. When the replacement blood treatment device is needed, the therapy can be stopped momentarily (less than a minute) for the rapid and safe swap of the blood treatment device. Blood loss can be minimized. The down time from therapy can be minimized.

The invention relates to an extracorporeal blood treatment device for carrying out an extracorporeal blood treatment, in which blood flows in an extracorporeal blood circuit A through the blood chamber 2 of a dialyser 1 which is divided by a semi-permeable membrane 4 into the blood chamber 2 and a dialysate chamber 3. The invention further relates a method for monitoring the integrity of a dialyser 1. The blood treatment device provides a preparation mode in preparation for the blood treatment, in which the dialysate chamber 3 of the dialyser 1 (filter) is filled with a liquid, while the blood chamber 2 is not filled with blood, and a treatment mode following the preparation mode, in which blood is conveyed through the blood chamber 2. For monitoring the integrity of the dialyser 1, in the preparation mode the fluid system B including the dialysate chamber 3, or a portion of the fluid system including the dialysate chamber, is filled with a liquid. At this time, however, the blood chamber 2 is not filled with blood. After the membrane of the dialyser 1 has been wetted with liquid, liquid is removed from the fluid system B including the dialysate chamber 3 such that a low pressure p is established in the fluid system. The control and arithmetic unit 29 of the blood treatment device is so configured that the increase in the amount of the low pressure p, measured by means of a pressure measuring apparatus 34, in a given time interval is determined, and the leakage rate LR of the fluid system is determined from the increase in the amount of the low pressure in a given time interval and the compliance C of the fluid system B including the dialysate chamber 3. A lack of integrity of the dialyser is then concluded on the basis of the determined leakage rate LR.

A respiratory assistance apparatus is configured to provide a heated and humidified glow of gases and has a control system that is configured to detect a fault in the flow path. A flow path is provided for a gases stream through the apparatus from a gas inlet through a blower unit and humidification unit to a gases outlet. A flow rate sensor is provided in the flow path and is configured to sense the flow rate and generate an flow rate signal and/or a motor speed sensor is provided that is configured to sense the motor speed of the blower unit and generate an indicative motor speed signal.

The invention relates to a control unit (30) for detecting an overshoot of a first limit value (G1) of a first blood concentration (B1) in a first portion (17a) of a dialysate discharge line (17) downstream of a dialysate chamber (7) of a dialyser (4) of a blood treatment device and upstream of a node point (110) at which a bypass line (100) bypassing the dialyser (4) leads into the dialysate discharge line (17), wherein the bypass line (100) branches off, upstream of the dialysate chamber (7), from a dialysate supply line (15) suitable for supplying dialysate from a dialysate source (16) to the dialysate chamber (7).

Simple-to-use systems, methods, and devices for priming replacement blood treatment devices, for swapping the blood treatment devices out, for replacing swapped-out blood treatment devices, and other related operations are described. In embodiments, a blood treatment device can be primed while a therapy is still running. When the replacement blood treatment device is needed, the therapy can be stopped momentarily (less than a minute) for the rapid and safe swap of the blood treatment device. Blood loss can be minimized. The down time from therapy can be minimized.

Simple-to-use systems, methods, and devices for priming replacement blood treatment devices, for swapping the blood treatment devices out, for replacing swapped-out blood treatment devices, and other related operations are described. In embodiments, a blood treatment device can be primed while a therapy is still running. When the replacement blood treatment device is needed, the therapy can be stopped momentarily (less than a minute) for the rapid and safe swap of the blood treatment device. Blood loss can be minimized. The down time from therapy can be minimized.

A peritoneal dialysis system includes a cycler comprising a control unit and a pump actuator. The peritoneal dialysis system also includes a disposable set operable with the cycler and in fluid communication with a source of water made suitable for peritoneal dialysis (WFPD) and a source of concentrate. The disposable set includes a pumping cassette comprising a pump chamber configured to be actuated by the pump actuator and a mixing container. The control unit is programmed to cause (i) the pump actuator to operate the pump chamber to pump a first amount of the WFPD to the mixing container, (ii) the pump actuator to operate the pump chamber to pump a prescribed amount of concentrate from the concentrate source to the mixing container, and (iii) the pump actuator to operate the pump chamber to pump a second amount of the WFPD to the mixing container.

A peritoneal dialysis system includes a water purifier, a cycler, and a disposable set operable with the cycler. The disposable set includes a pumping cassette including a water inlet port, a heater/mixing container in fluid communication with the pumping cassette, a water accumulator, a first water line segment, and a second water line segment. The first water line segment is in fluid communication with the water inlet port and the water accumulator. Additionally, the second water line segment is in fluid communication with the water accumulator and the water purifier.

Methods of combined sterilization and integrity testing of dialyzers such as hollow fiber dialyzers are disclosed. Sterilization and integrity testing may be performed by treating the dialyzer with a sterilization fluid for sterilizing at least the blood-side compartment of the dialyzer and for wetting the dialysis membrane of the dialyzer with the sterilization fluid, and carrying out an integrity testing of the dialysis membrane wetted with the sterilization fluid, wherein the sterilization fluid is selected from aqueous solutions containing peroxide and/or ozone, the peroxide being selected from peroxides which disintegrate into water, oxygen and/or volatile organic compounds, and from aqueous solutions containing chlorine, bromine and/or iodine.

The present invention relates to a method for checking a dialyzer for the presence of a leak in the semipermeable membrane of the dialyzer, wherein the membrane divides the inner dialyzer space into a least one blood chamber and into at least one dialyzate chamber, wherein the blood chamber is flowed through by blood in the operation of the dialyzer and is in fluid communication with a blood-side line system and the vascular system of the patient, and wherein the dialyzate chamber is flowed through by dialysis fluid in the operation of the dialyzer and is in fluid communication with a dialyzate-side line system, wherein the method comprises the following steps: a) emptying the blood chamber or the dialyzate chamber of blood and of dialysis fluid respectively and keeping the fluid (blood or dialyzate) in the non-emptied dialyzate chamber or blood chamber;

b) building up a test pressure by means of a gas, in particular by means of air, in the emptied blood chamber or in the emptied dialyzate chamber; and c) measuring the pressure drop over time in the emptied blood chamber or in the emptied dialyzate chamber or in the line system respectively in fluid communication therewith and/or measuring the pressure increase in the non-emptied blood chamber or in the non-emptied dialyzate chamber or in the line system respectively in fluid communication therewith or measuring the number of air bubbles or of a parameter correlated with the number of air bubbles in the non-emptied blood chamber or in the non-emptied dialyzate chamber or in a line system respectively in fluid communication therewith,
wherein the steps a) to c) are carried out subsequent to the blood treatment of the patient and subsequent to the disconnection of the patient from the blood-side line system.