Systems and methods for the performance of kidney replacement therapy having or using a dialyzer, control components, sorbent cartridge and fluid reservoirs configured to be of a weight and size suitable to be worn or carried by an individual requiring treatment are disclosed. The system for performing kidney replacement therapy has a controlled compliance dialysis circuit, where a control pump controls the bi-directional movement of fluid across a dialysis membrane. The dialysis circuit and an extracorporeal circuit for circulating blood are in fluid communication through the dialysis membrane. The flux of fluid moving between the extracorporeal circuit and the dialysis circuit is modified by the rate at which the control pump is operating such that a rate of ultrafiltration and convective clearance can be controlled. The system provides for the monitoring of an inlet and outlet conductivity of the sorbent cartridge to provide a facility to quantify or monitor the removal of urea by the sorbent cartridge.

Systems and methods for the performance of kidney replacement therapy having or using a dialyzer, control components, sorbent cartridge and fluid reservoirs configured to be of a weight and size suitable to be worn or carried by an individual requiring treatment are disclosed. The system for performing kidney replacement therapy has a controlled compliance dialysis circuit, where a control pump controls the bi-directional movement of fluid across a dialysis membrane. The dialysis circuit and an extracorporeal circuit for circulating blood are in fluid communication through the dialysis membrane. The flux of fluid moving between the extracorporeal circuit and the dialysis circuit is modified by the rate at which the control pump is operating such that a rate of ultrafiltration and convective clearance can be controlled. The system provides for the monitoring of an inlet and outlet conductivity of the sorbent cartridge to provide a facility to quantify or monitor the removal of urea by the sorbent cartridge.

A disposable cell enrichment kit includes a crossflow filtration device configured to be disposed along a main loop pathway and to receive a process volume containing a biological sample and utilize crossflow filtration, via a micro-porous membrane, to retain a specific cell population in a retentate from the process volume and to remove a permeate including certain biological components from the process volume. The crossflow filtration device includes a laminated filtration unit that includes the micro-porous membrane, a first mating portion, a second mating portion, and a membrane support. The membrane support includes a first plurality of structural features that define a first plurality of openings, wherein the first plurality of structural features are coupled to the micro-porous membrane and provide support to the micro-porous membrane, and the first plurality of openings allow the permeate to flow through them after crossing the micro-porous membrane.

A fluid filtration system comprising a cross-flow filter is arranged to permit a first pump to recirculate part of the retentate of the filter to the inlet of the cross-flow filter and a second pump to return part of the permeate to the inlet of the cross-flow filter. A third pump is configured supply source fluid to the inlet of the filter. The flow path between the second pump and the cross-flow filter inlet may include an adsorption filter that may selectively remove contaminants, toxins, or pathogens in the permeate. A controller may control the first, second and third pumps to provide predetermined flow ratios among the fluid flow paths of the system in order to achieve a desired filtration level. This system may be applicable to the removal of harmful substances from blood, by first separating the plasma from the blood and then removing harmful substances from the plasma.

Systems and methods for the performance of kidney replacement therapy having or using a dialyzer, control components, sorbent cartridge and fluid reservoirs configured to be of a weight and size suitable to be worn or carried by an individual requiring treatment are disclosed. The system for performing kidney replacement therapy has a controlled compliance dialysis circuit, where a control pump controls the bi-directional movement of fluid across a dialysis membrane. The dialysis circuit and an extracorporeal circuit for circulating blood are in fluid communication through the dialysis membrane. The flux of fluid moving between the extracorporeal circuit and the dialysis circuit is modified by the rate at which the control pump is operating such that a rate of ultrafiltration and convective clearance can be controlled. The system provides for the monitoring of an inlet and outlet conductivity of the sorbent cartridge to provide a facility to quantify or monitor the removal of urea by the sorbent cartridge.

A whole blood hollow fiber membrane filter medium is made of a polymeric material having pores of a pore size that ensures permeability to blood plasma or serum but retains blood cells. The whole blood hollow fiber membrane filter medium is used for filtering a whole blood sample so that blood plasma or serum passes through the whole blood hollow fiber membrane filter medium and blood cells are retained. The obtained blood plasma shows no hemolysis.

A fluid filtration system comprising a cross-flow filter is arranged to permit a first pump to recirculate part of the retentate of the filter to the inlet of the cross-flow filter and a second pump to return part of the permeate to the inlet of the cross-flow filter. A third pump is configured supply source fluid to the inlet of the filter. The flow path between the second pump and the cross-flow filter inlet may include an adsorption filter that may selectively remove contaminants, toxins, or pathogens in the permeate. A controller may control the first, second and third pumps to provide predetermined flow ratios among the fluid flow paths of the system in order to achieve a desired filtration level. This system may be applicable to the removal of harmful substances from blood, by first separating the plasma from the blood and then removing harmful substances from the plasma.

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.

There are certain factors in the blood of pregnant women with pre-eclampsia that appear to be associated with the disease. These include a soluble variant of the fms-like tyrosine kinase receptor (sFlt-1), soluble Endoglin (sEndoglin), and Endothelin-1. There is also evidence that hypertension may be caused by Na/K ATPase inhibitors such as digitalis-like factor, ouabain-like factors, marinobufogenin and marinobufotoxin. This invention teaches the removal of multiple harmful factors using a combination of targeted apheresis and dialysis and/or ultrafiltration. Harmful factors that are proteins are bound out using immobilized binding agents such as antibodies, aptamers and binding peptides, while small molecule harmful factors are dialyzed out or filtered out. Removal of multiple harmful factors is expected to ameliorate the symptoms of pre-eclampsia and prolong pregnancy.

The invention relates to an apparatus for extracorporeal removal of protein-bound toxins from blood plasma comprising a first line device, a second line device, a third line device and a fourth line device, a dialyzer or hemofilter arranged between the first line device and the second line device and/or an adsorber, means for generating a field, at least partially surrounding the first line device and/or the dialyzer or hemofilter and/or the adsorber, a controllable fluid conveyance device arranged in the first line device and/or the second line device, and at least one controllable body fluid conveyance unit arranged in the third line device and/or the fourth line device, a filter, wherein the permeate side of the filter is connected to the first line device and the second line device, and the side of the filter to be dialyzed is connected at its inlet to the third line device, which can be connected to a patient and is connected at its outlet to the fourth line device which can be connected to the patient, wherein a controllable flow of fluid through the line devices and the dialyzer or hemofilter and/or the adsorber can be generated by means of the fluid conveyance devices.