A device for determining a dialysis efficiency/dialysis dose of an extracorporeal blood treatment process has a radiation source, a cuvette, a detection unit and a control unit. The radiation source emits radiation, the intensity of which is controlled by adjusting a current intensity applied to the radiation source. The cuvette is preferably provided with an inlet and outlet, and is penetrated by radiation emitted by the radiation source. The detection unit detects the intensity of the radiation after the radiation passes the cuvette. The control unit determines the dialysis efficiency/dialysis dose from the intensity detected by the detection unit. The control unit, which is connected to the radiation source and detection unit, reduces the intensity of the radiation by adjusting the current intensity during the extracorporeal blood treatment process at least once, based on a drop in concentration of substances excreted in the urine in the dialysis fluid.

A catheter insertion device which employs back-and-forth longitudinal axial movement to advance the catheter by the cooperative interface of an incline ramp and a decline ramp with a split gripping mechanism is described.

A cartridge to be used for adsorption dialysis. A container having flexible walls are arranged to provide an inner space enclosing adsorption powder, comprising activated carbon, a phosphate adsorbent and a potassium ion adsorbent and other adsorbents. A sufficient amount of activated carbon is provided for adsorption of urea by the activated carbon. The cartridge forms a vacuum-packed transportation cartridge by generating a sub-pressure in the inner space, whereby the powder particles are immobilized and the cartridge becomes stiff. Before use, the cartridge is primed by introducing a liquid into the inner space, which introduction takes place at a low pressure. During use, dialysis solution is circulated through the cartridge, which is still exposed to a sub-pressure, whereby the flexible walls are sucked against the powder material. A peritoneal dialysis circuit comprises a filter, in which a primary circuit is formed with the filter and the peritoneal cavity and a secondary circuit is formed with the filter and the adsorbent cartridge.

Embodiments described herein provide a dialysate comprising a polyglycerol. The polyglycerol may be of a molecular weight between about 0.15 kDa and about 60 kDa. Also provided herein is the use of the dialysate as a diffusion agent and as an osmotic agent.

Dialysis is enhanced by using nanoclay sorbents to better absorb body wastes in a flow-through system. The nanoclay sorbents, using montmorillonite, bentonite, and other clays, absorb significantly more ammonium, phosphate, and creatinine, and the like, than conventional sorbents. The montmorillonite, the bentonite, and the other clays may be used in wearable systems, in which a dialysis fluid is circulated through a filter with the nanoclay sorbents. Waste products are absorbed by the montmorillonite, the bentonite, and the other clays and the dialysis fluid is recycled to a patient's peritoneum. Using an ion-exchange capability of the montmorillonite, the bentonite, and the other clays, waste ions in the dialysis fluid are replaced with desirable ions, such as calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate. The nanoclay sorbents are also useful for refreshing a dialysis fluid used in hemodialysis and thus reducing a quantity of the dialysis fluid needed for the hemodialysis.

A device for determining a dialysis efficiency/dialysis dose of an extracorporeal blood treatment process has a radiation source, a cuvette, a detection unit and a control unit. The radiation source emits radiation, the intensity of which is controlled by adjusting a current intensity applied to the radiation source. The cuvette is preferably provided with an inlet and outlet, and is penetrated by radiation emitted by the radiation source. The detection unit detects the intensity of the radiation after the radiation passes the cuvette. The control unit determines the dialysis efficiency/dialysis dose from the intensity detected by the detection unit. The control unit, which is connected to the radiation source and detection unit, reduces the intensity of the radiation by adjusting the current intensity during the extracorporeal blood treatment process at least once, based on a drop in concentration of substances excreted in the urine in the dialysis fluid.

A processor of a medical device configured to communicate with a remote server can be programmed to protect the medical device from exposure to unauthorized or malicious software. A system or method to implement this form of protection can include, for example, at least one processor on the medical device, a control software module that controls the operation of the medical device and is executable on the processor, a data management module that manages data flow to and from the control software module from sources external to the medical device, and an agent module that has access to a limited number of designated memory locations in the medical device. In addition, a hemodialysis apparatus can be configured to operate in conjunction with an apparatus for providing purified water from a source such as a municipal water supply or a well. A system for controlling delivery of purified water to the hemodialysis apparatus can comprise a therapy controller of the hemodialysis apparatus configured to communicate with a controller of a water purification device, and a user interface controller of the hemodialysis apparatus configured to communicate with the therapy controller, and to send data to and receive data from a user interface.

A blood based solute monitoring system for measuring at least one blood solute species that has a first recirculation flow path in fluid communication with a dialyzer. The first recirculation flow path is configured to allow a fluid to recirculate through a dialyzer such that the concentration of at least one solute species in the fluid becomes equilibrated to the solute species concentration of the blood in a blood compartment of the dialyzer. The blood solute monitoring system has at least one sensor to measure a fluid characteristic.

A device for extracorporeal blood treatment is disclosed that includes a detection equipment for detecting uremic toxins in a used dialysis liquid by measuring the absorbance, the detection equipment being provided at such a position downstream the outflow of the dialysis liquid from a filter element that at least one of the following requirements is fulfilled: a) the filling volume of the fluid line and of the components starting from the outflow of the used dialysis liquid from the filter element to the detection equipment is less than or equal to 100 ml; and b) the length of the fluid line starting from the outflow of the used dialysis liquid from the filter element to the detection equipment is at most 250 cm.

A renal failure blood therapy system includes a renal failure blood therapy machine, concentration levels for each of a plurality of solutes removed from a patient's blood at each of the multiple times, a display device configured to display for selection at least one removed blood solute from the plurality of removed blood solutes, and a device programmed to (i) estimate at least one renal failure blood therapy patient parameter using the determined concentration levels for the at least one selected removed blood solute, (ii) determine a plurality of acceptable renal failure blood therapy treatments that meet a predetermined removed blood solute clearance for the at least one selected removed blood solute using the at least one renal failure blood therapy patient parameter, and (iii) enable selection of at least one of the plurality of acceptable renal failure blood therapy treatments for operation at the renal failure blood therapy machine.