A bioartificial liver (BAL) based on human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)-derived hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) and a multilayer porous bioreactor is provided. The plasma separation/retransfusion loop part includes a blood input pipe, an exhaust pipe spring clamp, a blood input peristaltic pump, a heparin pump, a plasma separation column, a first pressure monitor, and a heater. The cell reactor/plasma component exchange double-loop part includes a plasma input peristaltic pump, and a semipermeable membrane exchange column, a plasma exchange peristaltic pump, a red blood cell (RBC) pool, a membrane lung, a multilayer porous bioreactor, a second pressure monitor, and a third pressure monitor arranged in a 37° C. dedicated incubator. An outlet of the third pressure monitor and a blood cell outlet are connected to an inlet of the first pressure monitor, and then connected to the heater and a blood output pipe in sequence.

An extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus (1) and a method for checking the connection of a soft bag (30, 24; 33, 34) in the apparatus (1). The apparatus (1) comprises a blood treatment device (2), an extracorporeal blood circuit (3, 5) and a fluid circuit (8, 12, 15, 17, 18, 22; 41, 42, 44). A control unit (32) is configured to check the connection of a soft bag (30, 24; 33, 34) to the extracorporeal blood circuit (3, 5) or to the fluid circuit (22; 41, 42, 44) through the following procedure: sucking a medium from a connecting zone (29) through a blood pump (6) or a fluid pump (23; 37, 39) of the apparatus (1); measuring at least a pressure trend (P1, P1-P2, P2-PI, Pwdr, Pwdr-Pret, Pret-Pwdr) over time in the extracorporeal blood circuit (3, 5) or in the fluid circuit (22; 41, 42, 44) through at least a pressure sensor (25, 26); establishing from said measured pressure trend (P1, P1-P2, P2-PI, Pwdr, Pwdr-Pret, Pret-Pwdr) if the soft bag (30, 24; 33, 34) is connected to the extracorporeal blood circuit (3, 5) or to the fluid circuit (22; 41, 42, 44) at the connecting zone (29).

A blood purification apparatus in which whether or not the connection of a communicating line is appropriate can be determined more accurately. A blood purification apparatus includes a control device that is capable of executing a pressure-applying step in which a negative pressure or a positive pressure is applied to a flow route of one of a tube section and a blood circuit; a propagating step in which the negative pressure or the positive pressure applied in the pressure-applying step is propagated to the flow route of an other of the tube section and the blood circuit through the communicating line; and a checking step in which whether or not the propagation of the negative pressure or the positive pressure in the propagating step is successful is checked with reference to the pressure detected by the pressure-detecting device, and in which whether or not the connection of the communicating line is appropriate is checked with reference to whether or not the propagation of the negative pressure or the positive pressure is successful.

A method of placing a cardiac drainage cannula into a patient's heart is provided. The method may comprise the steps of (a) inserting the cannula percutaneously into an internal jugular vein, (b) advancing the cannula through the internal jugular vein and into the right atrium of the heart, and (c) advancing the cannula through the atrial septum into the left atrium of the heart. A method of draining blood from the left atrium or left ventricle of a patient's heart using a cardiac drainage cannula is provided. A cardiac drainage cannula and a mechanical circulatory support system are also provided.

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.

A pressure measuring device 30 installs on a tube 11 for transferring a medium (e.g., blood in a extracorporeal blood circulator) so as to measure a pressure of the medium inside the tube 11. The pressure measuring device 30 includes a main body portion 31 mountable to the tube 11, an image acquisition unit 32 disposed in the main body portion 31 so as to acquire image information on a pressure receiver that is deformed in response to the received pressure of the medium inside the tube 11, and a control unit 100 that converts the image information acquired by the image acquisition unit into pressure information about the pressure.

A blood purifier includes a porous molded body; exhibits an excellent blood compatibility wherein platelet adherence is inhibited and exhibits a good cytokine adsorption capacity and a low pressure loss before and after blood treatment; and can be safely used. A blood purifier includes a main vessel and a porous molded body housed in the main vessel. The porous molded body contains a hydrophobic polymer and a hydrophilic polymer. The amount of low-melting-point water per 1 g of dry weight of the porous molded body is 0.12 g to 2.00 g. The contact change ratio for the porous molded body is 0% to 0.2%. The ratio L/D is 1.00 to 2.30 where, for the region taken up by the porous molded body in the main vessel, L is the length in the flow direction and D is the circle-equivalent diameter of the cross section in the direction perpendicular to the flow direction.

A system includes a dialyzer having a blood side and a dialysate side, a first extracorporeal circuit including one or more first fluid connectors structurally configured to connect the blood side of the dialyzer to the vascular system of a kidney patient, and a second extracorporeal circuit including one or more second fluid connectors structurally configured to connect the dialysate side of the dialyzer to the vascular system of a healthy animal. The present teachings may thus include a system where hemodialysis is performed using a healthy animal (e.g., a person with normal kidney function) to help remove harmful solutes from, and provide helpful solutes to, a kidney patient. In this manner, the healthy animal is “virtually donating” its kidney function to the kidney patient.

This disclosure provides for the application of a multi-disciplinary analysis of information sources to draw novel conclusions that result in new methods to diagnose, prevent or treat COVID-19. COVID-19 appears to be an extremely complex disease, encompassing three critical aspects at least: a viral infection, an immune system disorder, and a cardiovascular/pulmonary/renal disease with significant coagulation system dysregulation. This disclosure principally focuses on the design and methods of use of a combinatorial apparatus that addresses critical needs to treat patients with COVID-19, especially those at high risk of, or experiencing, adverse effects of COVID-19 infection, including but not limited to kidney function support, supplemental oxygen administration, correction of cardiovascular dysfunction, and removal or modification of deleterious molecules or agents from or in a patient's blood, including virus particles or molecular components thereof. Applications of the combinatorial device for disease management other than for use with respect to COVID-19 are also described.

A stopcock, comprising a housing element defining a central bore and at least first, second and third ports; and a handle element which is selectably positionable relative to the housing element; at least one of the housing element and the handle element defining: a first fluid flow passageway communicating between two of the at least first, second and third ports; a second fluid flow passageway communicating between at least two of the at least first, second and third ports, and a fluid flow guide associated with the second fluid flow passageway, the fluid flow guide extending radially towards an inner facing wall of the central bore.