A device and method are described for the treatment of blood, which device may be used in conjunction with or in place of a failed Kidney. The device includes an ultrafiltration unit to remove proteins, red and white blood cells and other high molecular weight components, a nanofiltration unit to remove glucose, at least one electrodeionization unit to transport ions from the blood stream, and a reverse osmosis unit to modulate the flow of water, to both the blood and urine streams. In one embodiment, a specialized electrodeionization unit is provided having multiple chambers defining multiple dilute fluid channels, each channel filled with an ion specific resin wafer, and electrodes at the extremity of the device and proximate each of the resin filled dilute channels. By selective application of voltages to these electrodes, the ion transport functionality of a given dilute channel can be turned on or off.

A catheter (100) for treating hypervolemia in a patient includes a luminal ingress (112) joined to a luminal egress (114) at a distal end portion (116) of the catheter having a closed distal end (102). The distal end portion is configured to at least temporarily reside within a vessel of the patient, the distal end portion including a semipermeable membrane. The luminal ingress is designed to convey an influent having a first osmotic concentration to the distal end portion. The semipermeable membrane is configured to pass blood-borne water from the vessel into the distal portion. The blood-borne water is absorbed by the influent to produce an effluent having a second osmotic concentration lower than the first osmotic concentration. Systems (200) with the catheter and methods for treating hypervolemia are also disclosed.

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 device includes (i) a housing defining an interior, wherein the interior has a blood compartment, a plasma compartment, and a fluid compartment; (ii) a first filter disposed in the interior of the housing, and (iii) a second filter disposed in the interior of the housing. The first filter separates at least a portion of the blood compartment from at least a portion of the plasma compartment. The first filter is configured to allow plasma components, but not cell components, of blood to pass through the first filter from the blood compartment to the plasma compartment. The second filter separates at least a portion of the plasma compartment from at least a portion of the fluid compartment. The second filter is configured to allow fluid and small molecules, but not larger components, to pass through the second filter from the plasma compartment to the fluid compartment. The device may include a sorbent in the plasma compartment to remove or reduce the concentration of selected components of the plasma. In embodiments, a system including the device includes a sorbent with which the plasma may be contacted.

A device can be used to retain circulating tumor cells (CTCs). The device can include a cross-flow module with a retentate channel and a permeate channel. A filter in the cross-flow module can separate the retentate channel from the permeate channel. The filter can be constructed such that CTCs are retained in the retentate channel while other cells can pass through the filter into the permeate channel. A recirculation channel can direct a flow from an outlet of the retentate channel back to an inlet of the retentate channel to thereby concentrate CTCs in the retentate flow.

Extracorporeal blood treatment is performed daily on a large number of patients by use of for example a dialysis filter, plasma filter or a centrifuge. The purpose of the treatment is to separate minor components and molecules in a liquid or in the blood from larger ones, for example in connection with different disease conditions or with a view to extracting blood plasma, target substances such as blood components or molecules from for example blood donors. According to the present invention two separation steps are used together with a solution or a suspension containing at least one component, which specifically may bind to the component or the blood component to be specifically reduced, or to be refined/extracted during the treatment or during the blood treatment.

Disclosed herein is an ultrasonic barrier chamber for fluid systems, for example, which facilitates making fluid lines airless using ultrasonic signals. In some examples, the fluid lines may include an extracorporeal blood circuit, for instance, for use in a dialysis process. In one example, a device for monitoring an extracorporeal circuit in which a blood pump is disposed to convey blood may include one or more ultrasonic transducers positioned in a predetermined vicinity of a vent of a drip chamber of the extracorporeal circuit, and a controller coupled to the one or more ultrasonic transducers, the controller configured to cause the one or more ultrasonic transducers to emit ultrasonic signals that displace particles in contents of the drip chamber away from the vent. Other embodiments are described.

In some examples, a filtration assembly for hemodiafiltration therapy includes a filtration body connector configured to removably mechanically connect the filtration assembly and a dialyzer. In examples, the filtration assembly is configured to remain substantially stationary relative to the dialyzer when the filtration assembly mechanically mates with the dialyzer. The filtration body connector is configured to removably mechanically connect the filtration assembly with a plurality of different types of dialyzers, which may be selected based on a prescription for a particular patient.

Extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus and methods including a main treatment unit and an auxiliary treatment unit, along with one or more sensors for determining a parameter related to a pressure drop across the auxiliary treatment unit, and a control unit configured to control a flow regulator at least based on the parameter value.

The present invention relates to systems, methods and uses for recycling at least a part of water lost during various renal replacement therapy processes, e.g. in the preparation of a fresh dialysate solution or fresh reconstitution fluid for kidney disease dialysis and hemofiltration by utilizing water from the spent fluids. The system of the invention is useful in hemodialysis and in peritoneal dialysis as well as in hemofiltration for reuse of water from filtrates and spent fluids. In addition, the system of the invention is useful in the development of a renal assist device or artificial kidney.