An extracorporeal blood treatment machine includes a dialyzer and a sensor device downstream of the dialyzer on a dialysis fluid side. The machine is connected to a control and computing unit configured to qualitatively and quantitatively determine at least one preferably selected or selectable blood component in the used dialysis fluid. The control and computing unit is adapted to put the machine into a mode in which a dialysis fluid amount is confined within the dialyzer at least until the concentrations of the blood component on the dialysis fluid side and on the blood side of the dialyzer are in equilibrium, and thereupon to switch the machine into a mode in which the dialysis fluid flow is permitted to leave the dialyzer to feed the confined dialysis fluid amount as a dialysis fluid bolus to the sensor device for determining the blood component concentration contained in the bolus.

A medical treatment system, such as a peritoneal dialysis system, may include a control and other features to enhance patient comfort and ease of use. For example, a cycler device may include a heater bag receiving section and a lid mounted to cover and uncover the heater bag receiving section, potentially enabling faster heating of a dialysate. A user interface may be moveable to be received into the receiving section and covered by the lid, if desired. The system may detect anomalous conditions, such as tilting of a housing of the system, and automatically recover without terminating a treatment. The system may include noise reduction features, such as porting pneumatic outputs to a common chamber, and others. The system may also automatically detect any one of several different solution lines connected to the system, and control operation accordingly, e.g., to mix solutions provided by two or more lines and form a needed dialysate solution. A cassette control surface may be arranged to have one or more ports that can detect a presence of a liquid, e.g., to identify if a cassette is leaking or has otherwise been compromised.

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.

A medical infusion fluid handling system, such as an automated peritoneal dialysis system, may be arranged to de-cap and connect one or more lines (such as solution lines) with one or more spikes or other connection ports on a fluid handling cassette. This feature may reduce a likelihood of contamination since no human interaction is required to de-cap and connect the one or more lines and the one or more spikes. For example, the automated peritoneal dialysis system may include a carriage arranged to receive the one or more lines each having a connector end and a cap. The carriage may move along a first direction so as to move the connector ends of the one or more lines along the first direction, and a cap stripper may be arranged to engage with the caps on the one or more lines on the carriage. The cap stripper may move in a second direction transverse to the first direction, as well as to move with the carriage along the first direction.

A concentrated spent dialysate is produced for by reducing electrolytes in a spent dialysate by electrodialysis and de-watering the spent dialysate by a forward osmosis operation.

A hemodialysis treatment apparatus has an ultrafiltration unit for exchange of solutes of a patient's blood plasma and a dialysate, resulting in a stream of cleaned blood for returning to the patient and a stream of spent dialysate. An electrodialysis device reduces electrolytes in the spent dialysate. A forward osmosis unit with a membrane having a feed side and a draw side that is allows only water to permeate. A stream of spent dialysate from the ultrafiltration unit is in fluid communication with the feed side and a stream of concentrated dialysate is in fluid communication with the draw side. A stream of dialysate results. Blood plasma is pumped from the patient to the ultrafiltration unit.

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.

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 method of performing dialysis includes: recirculating a dialysis fluid from a patient or a dialyzer for at least two cycles, each cycle contacting the dialysis fluid first with a zirconium phosphate layer followed by at least one of a urease layer, a zirconium oxide layer, or a carbon layer; storing the recirculated dialysis fluid in a storage container; and transferring the dialysis fluid from the storage container to the patient or the dialyzer. In one example, the zirconium phosphate layer and the at least one of the urease layer, the zirconium oxide layer, or the carbon layer is provided by a sorbent cartridge.

The specification discloses a portable dialysis machine having a detachable controller unit and base unit with an improved reservoir heating system. The controller unit includes a door having an interior face, a housing with a panel, where the housing and panel define a recessed region configured to receive the interior face of the door, and a manifold receiver fixedly attached to the panel. The base unit has a reservoir with an internal pan and external pan, separated by a space that holds a heating element. The heating element is electrically coupled to electrical contacts attached to the external surface of the external pan.

A method of performing dialysis includes: recirculating a dialysis fluid from a patient or a dialyzer for at least two cycles, each cycle contacting the dialysis fluid first with a zirconium phosphate layer followed by at least one of a urease layer, a zirconium oxide layer, or a carbon layer; storing the recirculated dialysis fluid in a storage container; and transferring the dialysis fluid from the storage container to the patient or the dialyzer. In one example, the zirconium phosphate layer and the at least one of the urease layer, the zirconium oxide layer, or the carbon layer is provided by a sorbent cartridge.