The disclosed subject matter relates to extracorporeal blood processing or other processing of fluids. Volumetric fluid balance, a required element of many such processes, may be achieved with multiple pumps or other proportioning or balancing devices which are to some extent independent of each other. This need may arise in treatments that involve multiple fluids. Safe and secure mechanisms to ensure fluid balance in such systems are described.

A blood treatment apparatus is disclosed. The example apparatus includes a blood treatment unit including a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and a blood line. The apparatus also includes a fluid line including an upstream fluid line configured to receive electrically conductive treatment fluid from a fluid source and pass the electrically conductive treatment fluid to the fluid inlet of the blood treatment unit and a downstream fluid line connected to the fluid outlet of the blood treatment unit for delivering the used electrically conductive treatment fluid to a fluid sink. The apparatus further includes a flow divider arranged in the downstream fluid line and configured to separate the used electrically conductive treatment fluid in the downstream fluid line into to a first fluid section and a second fluid section, thereby electrically isolating the first and second fluid sections.

A renal failure therapy system having an electrically floating fluid pathway is disclosed. The example system includes a dialyzer, a blood circuit in fluid communication with the dialyzer, and a dialysis fluid circuit in fluid communication with the dialyzer. The system also includes an electrically floating fluid pathway comprising at least a portion of the blood circuit and at least a portion of the dialysis fluid circuit. The only electrical path to ground is via used dialysis fluid traveling through the renal failure therapy system to earth ground. The disclosed system enables at least one electrical component in the at least a portion of the dialysis fluid circuit of the electrically floating fluid pathway to be electrically bypassed.

A needle cap and a dialysis circuit priming device with increased safety and convenience in the cleaning and priming of a blood circuit are provided. According to the present invention, a needle cap is provided including two needle connecting parts, and a flow path connecting the two needle connecting parts. A dialysis circuit priming device is also provided including two needles, two needle connecting parts each arranged with the two needles respectively, and a flow path for connecting the two needle connecting parts.

Systems and methods are provided for performing a medical procedure within a patient's body that involves a thoracic duct including an ostium communicating with the patient's venous system. A distal end of a catheter is introduced through the patient's venous system into a body lumen adjacent the ostium of the thoracic duct. An expandable member on the distal end of the tubular member may be expanded adjacent the ostium, e.g., within the body lumen or the thoracic duct itself, and used to isolate the thoracic duct from the body lumen, whereupon a medical procedure may be performed via the thoracic duct. For example, lymphatic fluid may be removed from the thoracic duct through a lumen of the tubular member and/or one or more agents may be introduced into the thoracic duct through the tubular member.

A medical treatment device is configured to be used during a treatment session at a first location and includes a medical treatment component configured to perform at least one of hemodialysis, hemofiltration, and peritoneal dialysis on a patient during the treatment session at the first location. The device also includes a monitoring system configured to receive data from one or more sensors connected to the monitoring system, and to confirm a presence of an authorized helper at the first location. A user interface permits an operator to control functions of the medical treatment component and the monitoring system is configured to perform the presence confirmation automatically and at the predefined time intervals during the treatment session. The monitoring system is also configured to generate an alarm and to cause the medical treatment component to go into a failsafe operational mode.

This disclosure relates to symmetric tubing clamps for blood treatment systems and related systems and methods. In some aspects, a tubing clamp includes a resilient body that has symmetry with respect to a first plane with a normal along a longitudinal axis of the resilient body, the resilient body comprising a sidewall defining an opening such that a tubing is arrangeable through the opening along the longitudinal axis of the resilient body; first and second snap-fit features configured to engage with each other when the resilient body is compressed along a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis; and a protrusion configured to constrict the tubing when the resilient body is compressed along the direction transverse to the longitudinal axis.

A frangible connector has a first side that forms a female luer when a second side is fractured at a predefined break line. The second side may be connected to a fluid circuit, for example, a source of medical treatment fluid such as dialysate.

Medical devices and methods thereof for determining bacterial infections in blood. The medical devices and methods thereof can utilize a coating including an antibody conjugated to a reporter protein configured to indicate a bacterial infection in a patient's blood by way of an antigen thereof. Exemplary medical devices include, but are not limited to, a catheter assembly, an AV fistula needle set, an extension set for either a catheter assembly or an AV fistula needle set, and a hemodialysis tubing set. The medical devices and methods thereof can utilize immunochromatographic separation of the antibody and an antigen-antibody complex to indicate a bacterial infection in a patient's blood.

The present disclosure relates to a contact protection apparatus for covering connection point(s) of a medical fluid-conducting cassette used for a medical treatment. The contact protection apparatus includes at least one covering section for covering the connection point before the use of the cassette, and at least one connection section for detachably connecting the contact protection apparatus or for holding the contact protection apparatus on the cassette. It further relates to a medical fluid-conducting cassette with a contact protection apparatus.