A blood purification apparatus includes a blood circuit, a dialyzer capable of purifying the blood flowing through the blood circuit, a blood pump provided to an arterial blood circuit and that delivers the blood in the blood circuit, and an air-trap chamber capable of collecting air in the blood flowing through the blood circuit. A peristaltic pump (a substitution-fluid-infusion device) that is capable of infusing a substitution fluid is connected to the air-trap chamber. A substitution fluid layer is formable on a blood layer in the air-trap chamber. The air-trap chamber is provided with a blood-interface-detecting device that is capable of detecting an interface between the blood layer and the substitution fluid layer that are formed in the air-trap chamber. A lack of substitution fluid in the air-trap chamber is detectable on the basis of the interface between the blood layer and the substitution fluid layer that is detected by the blood-interface-detecting device.

A hemodialysis system configured to purge air from a blood circuit comprising: a dialyzer; a dialysis fluid circuit operable with the dialyzer via dialysis fluid inlet and outlet lines; the blood circuit operable with the dialyzer and including an arterial line, a venous line, a blood pump operable with the arterial line upstream of the dialyzer, and a physiologically acceptable fluid source in fluid communication with the arterial line upstream of the blood pump; and an air purging scheme wherein, with the dialysis fluid inlet and outlet lines connected to the dialyzer, air is purged using dialysis fluid or other physiologically acceptable fluid pumped by at least one of the fresh or used dialysis fluid pumps from the dialysis fluid circuit, through the dialyzer, into the blood circuit, in combination with dialysis fluid or other physiologically acceptable fluid from the source introduced directly into the blood circuit.

A hemodialysis system configured to purge air from a blood circuit comprises a dialyzer; a dialysis fluid circuit operable with the dialyzer via dialysis fluid inlet and outlet lines, the dialysis fluid circuit including a fresh dialysis fluid pump, and a used dialysis fluid pump; the blood circuit operable with the dialyzer and including an arterial line, a venous line, a blood pump operable with the arterial line upstream of the dialyzer, a physiologically acceptable fluid source in fluid communication with the arterial line upstream of the blood pump, a drip chamber located along the venous line, and a container for accepting air purged from the blood circuit; and an air purging scheme wherein, with the dialysis fluid inlet and outlet lines connected to the dialyzer, the blood pump pumps a fluid through the dialyzer and into the drip chamber, forcing air from the drip chamber into the container.

The present invention provides a method, system, and apparatus that can substantially reduce the recirculation of venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO) associated with the two-site, single-lumen cannulation approach. Actively-controlled flow regulators comprising balloon, occluder and reservoir can be individually or collectively equipped on the drainage and/or infusion cannulas to accomplish the goal of maximizing VV ECMO support efficacy. Three specific embodiments are introduced to illustrate the practical enforcement of the proposed blood flow control in reference to the heart rhythm, aiming at achieving the maximal reduction of oxygenated blood flow recirculating back to the VV ECMO circuit.

The invention relates to a pneumatic manifold for controlling a fluid level in an arterial and/or venous drip chamber of a dialysis system. The pneumatic manifold includes pneumatic valves fluidly connected to conduits and one or more pumps. Selectively activating the pneumatic valves can result in pressure changes for raising or lowering a fluid level in the arterial and/or venous drip chambers.

Devices can be used to detect a level of a fluid in a medical fluid reservoir. Methods for controlling the flow rate of a medical pump, and/or the occlusion amount of a medical fluid tube, that are based on the detected level of fluid in the medical reservoir can be used in a clinical setting.

A hemodialysis system configured to purge air from a blood circuit comprising: a dialyzer; a dialysis fluid circuit operable with the dialyzer via dialysis fluid inlet and outlet lines; the blood circuit operable with the dialyzer and including an arterial line, a venous line, a blood pump operable with the arterial line upstream of the dialyzer, and a physiologically acceptable fluid source in fluid communication with the arterial line upstream of the blood pump; and an air purging scheme wherein, with the dialysis fluid inlet and outlet lines connected to the dialyzer, air is purged using dialysis fluid or other physiologically acceptable fluid pumped by at least one of the fresh or used dialysis fluid pumps from the dialysis fluid circuit, through the dialyzer, into the blood circuit, in combination with dialysis fluid or other physiologically acceptable fluid from the source introduced directly into the blood circuit.

A hemodialysis system configured to purge air from a blood circuit comprises a dialyzer; a dialysis fluid circuit operable with the dialyzer via dialysis fluid inlet and outlet lines, the dialysis fluid circuit including a fresh dialysis fluid pump, and a used dialysis fluid pump; the blood circuit operable with the dialyzer and including an arterial line, a venous line, a blood pump operable with the arterial line upstream of the dialyzer, a physiologically acceptable fluid source in fluid communication with the arterial line upstream of the blood pump, a drip chamber located along the venous line, and a container for accepting air purged from the blood circuit; and an air purging scheme wherein, with the dialysis fluid inlet and outlet lines connected to the dialyzer, the blood pump pumps a fluid through the dialyzer and into the drip chamber, forcing air from the drip chamber into the container.

A blood treatment air purging system and method includes a level detector positioned and arranged to detect a low fluid level in a blood circuit indicating a high amount of air in the blood circuit; a blood pump operable with the blood circuit; a venous patient line of the blood circuit; and at least one blood circuit air vent valve, wherein the system and method are configured or programmed to (i) stop the blood pump, (ii) close the venous patient line, and (iii) open the at least one blood circuit air vent valve to atmosphere or a container when the low fluid level is detected, and (iv) run the blood pump to meter air through the at least one blood circuit air vent valve to atmosphere or the container.

A blood purification device includes a blood circuit for extracorporeally circulating blood of a patient; a liquid supply circuit for supplying a supply liquid to the blood circuit or to a blood purifier provided on the blood circuit and a waste liquid circuit for discharging the waste liquid from the blood purifier. Each of the blood circuit, the liquid supply circuit and the waste liquid circuit comprises a flexible tube. The blood purification device comprises a tube identification unit that performs a tube identification process for identifying a tube used for the blood circuit, the liquid supply circuit or the waste liquid circuit or determining whether or not there is an abnormality in the tube, based on an amount of liquid sent from a peristaltic pump provided on the blood circuit, the liquid supply circuit or the waste liquid circuit, or pressure fluctuation in the circuit, caused when driving the pump for a predetermined time.