Systems and methods utilize semipermeable nanotubes in conjunction with application of controlled electrical potentials across semipermeable nanotube walls allow selective transport of charged impurities (e.g., charged impurities, ions, etc.) from a fluid into these nanotubes. Impurities collected in these nanotubes can then be removed from the fluid, (e.g., blood) as a waste stream. A collection of semipermeable nanotubes each carrying a waste stream can be aggregated and merged into a ureter for excretion thereby providing an artificial kidney system. Sensors that detect/measure various impurities may be included in the system to feed information to a microprocessor to inform on concentrations of impurities, and thereby control electrical potentials applied to the system.

Disclosed are apparatus and methods for blood and other biological fluid purification using a membrane with cell containing vascular channel systems and filtration channel systems. Also disclosed are methods of making the apparatus as well as methods of making membranes.

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.

The invention relates to a portable ultrafiltration unit A which comprises a blood pump 7 for conveying blood and an ultrafiltration pump 6 for conveying ultrafiltrate. The invention further relates to a stationary device B for supplying dialysate to the portable ultrafiltration unit A, and to a medical treatment system which comprises an ultrafiltration unit and a device for supplying dialysate to the ultrafiltration unit. The ultrafiltration unit according to the invention is in the form of a unit to be connected to a stationary device for supplying dialysate to the ultrafiltration unit, in such a way that a fluid connection can be established for feeding in fresh dialysate and removing used dialysate. As a result, the ultrafiltration unit can not only be used for ultrafiltration, but also, when used in conjunction with the stationary device for supplying dialysate to the ultrafiltration unit, for a blood treatment as carried out by a conventional blood treatment device. It is merely necessary to connect the ultrafiltration unit A to the device B for supplying dialysate to the ultrafiltration unit. There is no need to detach the patient connections 27A, 27B of the venous and arterial blood lines 27, 28 or to attach said connections to the patient, as result of which the preparation time for a blood treatment can be reduced.

An extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus is provided comprising a filtration unit connected to a blood circuit and to a dialysate circuit, a preparation device for preparing and regulating the composition of the dialysis fluid; a control unit is configured for setting a sodium concentration value for the dialysis fluid in the dialysis supply line at a set point based on the physician prescription; starting from the initial patient plasma conductivity, estimated at the beginning of the treatment, and based on the target plasma conductivity/sodium concentration which is equivalent to the dialysate conductivity/sodium concentration prescribed, the control unit determines the minimum constant gradient between dialysis fluid and plasma conductivity/concentration to be maintained during treatment to achieve the conductivity/concentration target in the patient plasma at the end of the session.

A combination kidney and liver dialysis system and method provides a portable, lightweight hemodialysis device that removes uremic toxins, hepatic toxins, water, and impurities from the blood. The method comprises separating the blood into a plasma portion and a cellular portion, immediately returning the cellular portion to the body, providing large volumes of replacement fluids, diluting the plasma portion with replacement fluids, and then manipulating the plasma portion of the blood to pass through hemoperfusion membranes, hemodiafiltration membranes, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation membranes. Dialysis is performed on the plasma portion of the blood with an albumin dialyzer against an albumin dialysate and a high molecular weight cut off membrane. Dialysis is performed on the plasma portion of blood with a lipid dialysate comprising 10-30% lipid composition, and a high flux dialyzer. The system can also use any form of dialysis technology including hollow fiber, flat plate and microfluidic technology.

A dialysis system is configured to enable a patient to undergo both peritoneal dialysis and extracorporeal blood treatments. The example dialysis system includes a base unit configurable to provide a first fluid for use in preforming at least one peritoneal dialysis treatment at a first time. The base unit is further configurable to provide a second, different fluid for use in at least one extracorporeal blood treatment at a second, different time. The example dialysis system also includes a blood treatment unit configured to be docked to the base unit. The blood treatment unit includes a blood pump configured to pump blood from the patient to a blood filter and from the blood filter back to the patient. The blood filter or a blood line in communication with the blood filter receives the second fluid from the base unit for use in the at least one extracorporeal blood treatment.

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 dialyzer composed of: first and second dialyzation chambers, and an intermediate chamber interposed between the first and second dialyzation chambers. Each of the chambers has a respective one of a blood inlet or outlet and a dialysate inlet or outlet arranged so that blood and dialysate flow in counter-current to one another in both chambers. The intermediate chamber is connected to form a dialysate-free blood flow passage between the blood chambers and is configured to maintain a substantially uniform blood flow.

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.