A percutaneous urinary catheter configured to be deployed in a urinary tract, including: (a) a proximal portion; and (b) a distal portion including a retention portion configured to be deployed in a kidney and/or a renal pelvis, the retention portion including one or more drainage holes leading to one or more lumen(s) within the proximal portion, wherein the retention portion, when deployed, defines a three-dimensional shape sized and positioned to maintain patency of fluid flow between the kidney and/or renal pelvis and a proximal end of the catheter by inhibiting mucosal tissue from appreciably occluding the one or more drainage holes when negative pressure is applied through the catheter.

A blood component separation device for separating a plurality of blood components from blood sampled from a blood donor, and collecting platelets, includes: an donor calculation unit that calculates a predicted platelet recovery rate from a hematocrit value of the blood and a platelet concentration of the blood, and calculates a recommended processing amount of the blood recommended for collecting a target number of units of platelets on the basis of the calculated predicted platelet recovery rate, wherein the operating unit sets the predicted platelet recovery rate calculated from any the hematocrit value and any the platelet concentration to be smaller by a predetermined value α when the blood donor is female than that when the blood donor is male.

A percutaneous urinary catheter configured to be deployed in a urinary tract, including: (a) a proximal portion; and (b) a distal portion including a retention portion configured to be deployed in a kidney and/or a renal pelvis, the retention portion including one or more drainage holes leading to one or more lumen(s) within the proximal portion, wherein the retention portion, when deployed, defines a three-dimensional shape sized and positioned to maintain patency of fluid flow between the kidney and/or renal pelvis and a proximal end of the catheter by inhibiting mucosal tissue from appreciably occluding the one or more drainage holes when negative pressure is applied through the catheter.

A method of treating a human subject which is effected by intermittent inhalation of gaseous nitric oxide at a concentration of at least 160 ppm is disclosed. The method can be utilized for treating a human subject suffering from, or prone to suffer from, a disease or disorder that is manifested in the respiratory tract, or from a disease or disorder that can be treated via the respiratory tract. The disclosed method can be effected while monitoring one or more of on-site and off-site parameters such as vital signs, methemoglobin levels, pulmonary function parameters, blood chemistry and hematological parameters, blood coagulation parameters, inflammatory marker levels, liver and kidney function parameters and vascular endothelial activation parameters, such that no substantial deviation from a baseline in seen in one or more of the monitored parameters.

The invention relates to a dialysis machine having an extracorporeal blood circuit in which a dialyzer, a blood pump, and an arterial pressure sensor are arranged, wherein the dialysis machine furthermore has a compensation device by means of which the set value for the blood flow through the extracorporeal circuit can be corrected to a compensated value using the arterial blood pressure; wherein the dialysis machine furthermore has recognition means which are configured to recognize whether the arterial pressure sensor is connected to the extracorporeal blood circuit or not; and wherein the dialysis machine has an estimator unit which is configured to estimate a value for the arterial blood pressure if it is recognized by the recognition means that the arterial pressure sensor is not connected to the extracorporeal blood circuit.

A method includes: receiving measurements of a blood-related parameter corresponding to a patient undergoing hemodialysis; estimating a value of one or more hemodialysis treatment-related parameters by applying a vascular refill model based on the received measurements of the blood-related parameter, wherein the one or more hemodialysis treatment-related parameters are indicative of an effect of vascular refill on the patient caused by the hemodialysis; determining, based on the one or more estimated values of the one or more hemodialysis treatment-related parameters, a hemodialysis treatment-related operation; and facilitating performance of the treatment-related operation. The vascular refill model is a two-compartment model based on a first compartment corresponding to blood plasma in the patient's body, a second compartment based on interstitial fluid in the patient's body, and a semi-permeable membrane separating the first compartment and the second compartment.

A fluid processing system for controlling fluid flow comprises a cassette having a defined passageway on a first side. The first side includes flexible sheeting disposed over the passageway. The system comprises a durable processing device configured to engage the first side of the cassette, the durable processing device comprising a valve actuator configured to engage the flexible sheeting at a valve location along the passageway. The system comprises a first pump configured to draw fluid away from the valve location along the passageway. The first pump is disposed downstream of the valve location. The system comprises a second pump configured to pump fluid towards the valve location along the defined passageway. The second pump is disposed upstream of the valve location. The first and second pumps are configured to operate in concert and configured to provide pressure to prevent collapsing of the flexible sheeting against the passageway during operation.

A blood processing apparatus (1) comprises a measurement device (8) having a first chamber element (80) for measuring a haematocrit value of a blood fluid, the first chamber element (80) comprising a first inlet port (800) connectable to a first reservoir container (2) for allowing a flow from the first reservoir container (2) into the first chamber element (80) and a first outlet port (801) for allowing a flow out of the first chamber element (80), and the second chamber element (81) comprising a second inlet port (810) for allowing a flow into the second chamber element (81) and a second outlet port (811) connectable to a second reservoir container (3) for allowing a flow out of the second chamber element (81) towards the second reservoir container (3). The blood processing apparatus furthermore comprises a first pump mechanism (600) for pumping a blood fluid in a flow direction (F1) from the first reservoir container (2) towards the blood processing apparatus (1), and a second pump mechanism (610) for pumping a blood fluid in a flow direction (F2) from the blood processing apparatus (1) towards the second reservoir container (2). Herein, the first pump mechanism (600) is located upstream of the first inlet port (800) of the first chamber element (80) and the second pump mechanism (610) is located upstream of the second inlet port (810) of the second chamber element (81). In this way a blood processing apparatus comprising a measurement device is provided which in an easy and reliable manner allows for a measurement of in particular a haematocrit value in the incoming blood flow as well as the outgoing blood flow.

A method for controlling the concentration of an anticoagulant composition added to a donor's plasma during a fixed volume apheresis extraction process involves utilizing a donor's hematocrit (HCT) measurement to determine a ratio of the anticoagulant composition to the donor's uncoagulated blood during the apheresis extraction process. The ratio of the anticoagulant composition to the donor's uncoagulated blood during the apheresis extraction process is additionally determined as a function of the total collection volume and/or the desired volume of the anticoagulant composition.

Techniques and systems for determining an arteriovenous (AV) fistula maturation in a patient may include detecting a first series of oxygen saturation levels of the patient at a central venous catheter (CVC) associated with a first series of hemodialysis treatments prior to the AV fistula implantation are described. The AV fistula may then be implanted in the patient. A second series of oxygen saturation levels of the patient at the CVC associated with a second series of hemodialysis treatments may be detected. The second series of oxygen saturation levels may be compared to a stable threshold mature AV fistula oxygen saturation level. Among other determinations from the comparison, in response to one or more of the second series of oxygen saturation levels meeting or exceeding the stable threshold mature AV fistula oxygen saturation level, determining the AV fistula is mature. Other embodiments are described.