Provided is a filtration module for separating plasma from blood comprising a feeder channel lid, a feeder channel defined by a feeder channel laminating layer having a thickness of less than 5 mil, a filter element in fluid communication with the feeder channel and having a pore size of less than 2 microns and low surface area, and a filtrate take-off port having a dead volume of less than 10 I. Also provided is a method for filtering a blood sample comprising supplying the blood sample to a feeder channel of a filtration module and drawing the blood sample over a filter element of the filtration module in a single pass to provide a retentate and a plasma filtrate.

A renal therapy apparatus including at least two feedback controls is disclosed. Each control includes an estimated volume calculator to calculate an estimated volume based on a set flow, a comparator to compare the estimated volume with a measured volume, a volume deviation determining means to determine a volume deviation based on the comparison, a correction calculator to calculate a correction based on the volume deviation, a flow control generator to generate a flow control signal based on the calculated correction amount and the set flow, and a feedback control output to output the controlled flow control signal to a pump associated with each feedback control. A flow correction distributor includes an input to receive correction signals from the correction calculator, a limited correction signal calculator to calculate a limited correction signal for the input correction required signals, and an output to output each calculated limited correction signal to the feedback control from which its underlying correction required signal has been received.

A method of detecting an indication of a potential intradialytic morbid event (IME) by monitoring a patient's condition during excess fluid removal by ultrafiltration during a hemodialysis treatment includes determining the patient's relative blood volume (RBV), and removing a portion of the volume of excess fluid from blood of the patient at an initial ultrafiltration rate while periodically monitoring a second derivative over time of the relative blood volume (SDRBV). The method then includes continuing to remove excess fluid from blood of the patient at the same ultrafilration rate, or, optionally, incrementally increasing the ultrafiltration rate. The method further includes triggering an alarm for an IME for the patient if the SDRBV is in a range of between a low SDRBV alarm level and a high SDRBV alarm level, and, alternatively or additionally monitoring the patient's normalized blood pressure ratio, and taking a remedial action if the alarm is triggered.

A medical device system including a physiological sensor and ultrafiltration unit senses a physiological signal in a patient and computes a fluid status measurement of the patient using the physiological signal. Ultrafiltration therapy is delivered to the patient according to a therapy delivery control parameter established in response to the fluid status measurement.

It is disclosed an apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment (1) having a control unit (15) connected to an ultrafiltration device (20) and to a fluid preparation section (30) of fresh dialysis liquid. The control unit (15) is configured to receive measured values of the change of blood volume, the amount of ultrafiltration volume, and conductivity or to the concentration for at least one substance in the blood (BV %.sub.mes(t); U.sub.Fmes(t), WL.sub.mes(t); Cb.sub.mes(t)); the control unit (15) is also configured to receive prescription values for the same parameters and to control ultrafiltration and adjust conductivity in the fresh dialysis liquid based on the difference between said measured values and said prescription values.

An enclosure for containing a portable hemodialysis unit includes a housing suitable to support components for performing hemodialysis including a dialyzer, one or more pumps to circulate blood through the dialyzer, a source of dialysate, and one or more pumps to circulate the dialysate through the dialyzer. The housing may have a front panel at which blood circuit connections and dialysate fluidic connections are located, e.g., blood line connections for patient blood access, connections for a reagent supply, dialyzer connections for both blood flow and dialysate, etc. The enclosure may also include a pair of vertical, side-by-side doors hingedly mounted to the housing. With the doors in the closed position, access to the patient access and dialysate fluidic connections may be blocked, and the doors may allow for the retention of heat in the housing suitable for disinfection during a disinfection cycle.

Filtering systems, methods, and devices, particularly adapted for apheresis of cellular bodies and more specifically for apheresis of circulating tumor cell bodies (CTCs) employs a cross-flow channel. Systems and methods as well as devices for such a system are described. Embodiments include a cylindrical filter that employs a thin micro-machined porous filter membrane with a regular array of pores and reliably pass blood while trapping CTCs.

The invention relates to systems and methods for optimizing a peritoneal dialysate prescription based on one or more fluid characteristics sensed from a filtrate removed from a patient. The systems and methods include sensors, flow paths, and processors to adjust a peritoneal dialysate prescription and deliver peritoneal dialysis therapy to a patient based on the adjusted prescription. The method can include the steps of removing fluid from a peritoneal cavity of a patient; sampling one or more characteristics of the removed fluid; and adjusting a peritoneal dialysate prescription based on the one or more characteristics of the removed fluid. The system can include a peritoneal dialysate effluent line; at least one concentrate source fluidly connectable to the peritoneal dialysate flow path; and at least one sensor positioned in the peritoneal dialysate effluent line.

A hemodialysis system comprising: a source of priming fluid; an extracorporeal circuit including an arterial line, a venous line, and a drip chamber; a level sensor operable with the drip chamber; a reversible blood pump operable with the extracorporeal circuit; a connection between the arterial and the venous line; and a priming sequence in which priming fluid from the source is pumped in a reverse pump direction through the extracorporeal circuit and reversibly in a normal pump direction through the extracorporeal circuit, wherein an output from the level sensor is used to determine when to stop pumping in at least one of the directions.

A renal therapy system includes: a filter; an arterial blood flowpath in fluid communication with the filter; a venous blood flowpath in fluid communication with the filter; a renal therapy fluid flowpath in fluid communication with the filter; first and second renal therapy fluid pumps; a plurality of valve actuators; and a dialysis fluid cassette including a plurality of valve portions configured to operate with the plurality of valve actuators so that (i) the first renal therapy fluid pump pumps renal therapy fluid through the renal therapy fluid flowpath for a number of first pump actuations, and (ii) the second renal therapy fluid pump pumps renal therapy fluid through the renal therapy fluid flowpath for a number of second pump actuations.