A dialysis system may include a blood circuit, a cassette, a subsystem having a processor, a sensor, and a blood pumping mechanism, a housing in which the subsystem is arranged, a movable support arranged in the housing and configured to hold the sensor and/or the blood pumping mechanism of the subsystem, a cassette holder configured to removably receive the cassette, and a loading system. The loading system may be configured to move the movable support, e.g. by an axial movement, to a first position and to a second position relatively to the housing while the cassette holder is fixedly arranged in the housing. The loading system may have an electric motor controlled by the processor, a drive assembly coupled to the electric motor, and a guiding assembly configured to cooperate with the drive assembly.

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.

Disclosed is a membrane oxygenator, comprising a housing, and a blood-oxygen exchange chamber arranged in the housing. A liquid inlet side of the housing is provided with at least two blood inlets, and a liquid outlet side of the housing is provided with at least two blood outlets. The liquid inlet side and the liquid outlet side are respectively located at either side of the housing. Projections of blood inlets at the liquid outlet side do not coincide with blood outlets. By designing the shape of the blood-oxygen exchange chamber, blood inlets and blood outlets, and a blood inlet porous baffle of the membrane oxygenator in a mode fits to the shape design of the blood-oxygen exchange chamber and blood inlets, the effects of evenly distributing the blood flow to enable full blood-gas exchange, relieving the blood stasis and the like are achieved, and thus reduce the clinical thrombosis risk.

A medical appliance for use in extracorporeal blood treatment. The appliance includes a housing component, a cover and a pivot bearing arrangement by which the cover is mounted on the housing component. The cover is pivotable between a covering position, in which the housing component is covered, and a exposure position, in which the housing component is exposed. The pivot bearing arrangement has pivot bearings, each having a bearing element and a bearing element receptacle. The cover can move linearly relative to the housing component between a dismounting position, in which at least one of the bearing elements is disengaged from a bearing element receptacle, and a bearing position, in which both bearing elements engage the bearing element receptacles. The cover is mounted resiliently and elastically preloaded relative to the housing component by a spring arrangement.

Dialysis systems comprising actuators that cooperate to perform dialysis functions and sensors that cooperate to monitor dialysis functions are disclosed. According to one aspect, such a hemodialysis system comprises a user interface model layer, a therapy layer, below the user interface model layer, and a machine layer below the therapy layer. The user interface model layer is configured to manage the state of a graphical user interface and receive inputs from a graphical user interface. The therapy layer is configured to run state machines that generate therapy commands based at least in part on the inputs from the graphical user interface. The machine layer is configured to provide commands for the actuators based on the therapy commands.

A dialyzer for an extracorporeal blood treatment includes an elongated, preferably cylindrical dialyzer housing, and at least one dialysis membrane that separates an internal space of the dialyzer housing into a dialysis liquid chamber and a blood chamber. The dialysis liquid chamber has a dialysis liquid supply port and a dialysis liquid discharge port. The blood chamber has a blood supply port and a blood discharge port. The dialyzer includes an additional ventilation outlet for ventilating the blood chamber. The additional ventilation outlet is located with respect to a blood flow direction in the blood discharge port between an exit area of the blood discharge port and the dialysis liquid supply port. A corresponding dialysis device includes a ventilation outlet on a dialyzer housing or on a hose connected to a blood discharge port.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a method for determining beginning blood volume of a patient during dialysis (e.g., hemodialysis). Ultrafiltration rates are determined at different time stamps during dialysis by obtaining a blood flowrate measurement and hematocrit measurements at input port and output port of a dialyzer connected to the patient. The flowrate and hematocrit measurements are used to determine fluid removed from the patient during dialysis. The ultrafiltration rates and fluid removed from the patient are used to determine the beginning blood volume of the patient.

An extracorporeal blood processing system comprises a plastic molded compact manifold that supports a plurality of molded blood and dialysate fluidic pathways along with a plurality of relevant sensors, valves and pumps. A disposable dialyzer is connected to the molded manifold to complete the blood circuit of the system. The compact manifold is also disposable in one embodiment and can be detachably installed in the dialysis machine.

A fluid cassette, for example, a blood treatment cassette having a cassette body embodied as a hard part and, optionally, a film which is connected to the hard part and at least partially covers the hard part, wherein the hard part comprises at least one first alignment device, and a second alignment device which are optionally arranged at first and second opposite sides of the fluid cassette or are attached thereon. The disclosure relates in addition to a blood treatment apparatus.

The invention pertains to a purification method for a biological fluid comprising at least a filtration step through a membrane obtained from a sulfone polymer [polymer (PSI)] derived from bio-based feed-stocks. In particular the PSI polymer comprises more than 50% moles recurring units (R.sub.PSI) comprising sugar moieties selected from the group consisting of those of formulae (E′-1) to (E′-3):

##STR00001##

The invention further relates to polymer solutions and polymer membranes comprising at least one polymer (PSI) and that are free from pore-forming agents.