Devices and methods for enhancing the operations of fluid systems are provided. For example, this document provides variable-elevation drop tubes that are well suited for use with medical fluid reservoirs. While the variable-elevation drop tubes provided herein are described in the context of a medical fluid system, such as an extracorporeal blood flow circuit, it should be understood that the devices and methods provided herein are not limited to such contexts.

An extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus (1) comprising a control unit (10) connectable to a blood warming device (200). The apparatus (1) comprises: an extracorporeal blood circuit (100) and at least one infusion line (15, 21, 25) connected to the extracorporeal blood circuit (100). A control unit (10) is configured to execute the following procedure: receiving a first value representative of a desired blood temperature (T.sub.des) at an end (70) of a blood return line (7) configured to be connected to a venous vascular access of a patient (P); receiving at least a first signal relating to at least a flow rate (Q.sub.PBP, Q.sub.REP1, Q.sub.REP2) of an infusion fluid in the at least one infusion line (15, 21, 25); calculating a set point value of an operating parameter (T.sub.OUT; P.sub.w) to be imposed on the warming device (200) configured to heat a blood heating zone (H) of the extracorporeal blood circuit (100) in order to maintain the desired blood temperature (T.sub.des) at the end (70) of the blood return line (7). The set point is calculated based on input parameters comprising: at least the first value representative of the desired blood temperature (T.sub.des) and at least one selected in the group of: the first signal (Q.sub.REP1, Q.sub.PBP, Q.sub.REP2) and a second value representative of a temperature (T.sub.REP1, T.sub.PBP, T.sub.REP2) of the at least one infusion fluid in the at least one infusion line (15, 21, 25).

A fluid handling cassette, such as that useable with an automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) cycler device or other infusion apparatus, may include a generally planar body having at least one pump chamber formed as a depression in a first side of the body and a plurality of flowpaths for a fluid that includes a channel. A patient line port may be arranged for connection to a patient line and be in fluid communication with the at least one pump chamber via at least a first one of said flowpaths, and an optional membrane may be attached to the first side of the body over the at least one pump chamber. In one embodiment, the membrane may have a pump chamber portion with an unstressed shape that generally conforms to the depression of the at least one pump chamber in the body and is arranged to be movable for movement of the fluid in a useable space of the at least one pump chamber. One or more spacers may be provided in the at least one pump chamber to prevent the membrane from contacting an inner wall of the at least one pump chamber. The patient line, a drain line, and/or a heater bag line may be positioned to be separately occludable in relation to one or more solution lines that are connectable to the cassette.

An extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus comprises a blood treatment device (2), an extracorporeal blood circuit, a blood pump (8) configured to be coupled to a blood withdrawal line (6) of the extracorporeal blood circuit. A closed fluid line (10) is connected to an inlet port (4a) and to an outlet port (4b) of a fluid chamber (4) of the blood treatment device (2), wherein the closed fluid line (10) together with the fluid chamber (4) forms a recirculation loop. An evacuation line (15) departs from the closed fluid line (10). A warming device (13) and a recirculation pump (17) are coupled or configured to be coupled to the closed fluid line (10). At least one temperature sensor (22) is operative on the extracorporeal blood circuit and it is configured to sense a blood temperature (Tb). A control unit (25), connected to the warming device (13), to the recirculation pump (17) and to the temperature sensor (22), is configured to execute the following procedure: receiving from the temperature sensor (22) at least a signal correlated to the blood temperature (Tb); adjusting the blood temperature (Tb) by controlling at least one of the warming device (13) and the recirculation pump (17).

The invention relates to an oxygenator with a housing wall, defining a housing chamber with a blood inlet and a blood outlet, a gas inlet and a gas outlet, and also with a heating element which is arranged in the oxygenator between the blood inlet and blood outlet in order to control the temperature of the blood flowing through the housing chamber. The oxygenator also comprises an electric connection and the heating element has an electric resistor which is designed as a wire. The invention also relates to a method for controlling the heat emission at the heating element of an oxygenator by measuring the flow of blood through the oxygenator and the power of a pump influencing the flow, with the heating power being adjusted in accordance therewith.

The device of the present invention includes a dual chamber gas exchanger that is configured for increased flexibility and scalability for many clinical applications. The dual chamber oxygenator can be configured and used in various applications, such as in a heart-lung machine for cardiopulmonary support during cardiothoracic surgery, in an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) circuitry, as a respiratory assist device for patients with lung failure, and the like. The dual chamber gas exchanger features two sweep gas flow paths and two gas exchange membrane bundles enclosed in a housing structure with various blood flow distribution and gas distribution mechanisms. The gas exchanger includes an outer housing, an intermediate housing, two gas exchange fiber bundles, a blood inlet, a blood outlet, two gas inlets, two gas outlets, two gas distribution chambers and an optional heat exchanger.

A blood warmer (10) has a first heating plate (12) and a second heating plate (14) as well as an exchangeable conductor (18, 20, 22, 24) for blood, which is arranged between the first heating plate (12) and the second heating plate (14). The blood warmer (10) has an inlet (66) and an outlet (68) for blood to which the conductor (18, 20, 22, 24) is fluidically connected. Due to the roughness of the surface (46) of the conductor (18, 20, 22, 24), an intermediate space (50) remains between the first heating plate (12) and/or the second heating plate (14) and the conductor (18, 20, 22, 24). A medium (52), which has a higher thermal conductivity than air, is at least partially statically arranged in the intermediate space (50). The blood warmer (10) may also have an electromechanical oscillating circuit and/or a vibration motor.

According to some embodiments, a system may treat blood outside the body of a patient. The system may include at least one toxin removal system configured to process blood from at least two places on the patient's body at a rate, for example, of at least 0.5 liters per minute. The system may be configured to raise the pH level of the patient's blood by introducing a fluid at rate of at least 9 liters per hour.

An artificial heart and lung apparatus includes a roller pump; a blood removal line; a first blood transfer line; a blood removal rate sensor; a control unit that performs the linked control of the roller pump in correspondence with a blood removal rate; and a blood transfer rate adjustment unit that instructs the roller pump to transfer a blood transfer rate. The blood transfer rate adjustment unit includes an operation amount input unit to which an operation amount from an arbitrary circumferential position can be input, and which outputs a pulse signal according to the input operation amount. A counter adds and subtracts pulse signals output from the operation amount input unit, and outputs a resultant as blood transfer rate adjustment data. The counter performs a counting operation with respect to the circumferential position of the operation amount input unit when blood transfer control transitions to the normal control.

An improved system and methods for treatment of cancer and other diseases including complications from late-stage viral infections by inducing hyperthermia in a patient relying on withdrawing blood from the patient and returning the withdrawn blood to the patient to establish an extracorporeal flow circuit. Blood is heated by passing through the extracorporeal circuit at a controlled rate until a target body core temperature in is achieved. Usually, the blood will be subjected to a continuously re-circulating dialysis to balance electrolytes. Additionally, the blood will be subjected to a continuously recirculating regeneration through a carbon sorbent column where toxins and contaminants are removed. The blood temperature is maintained at the target blood temperature for a treatment period, and the blood is cooled after the treatment period has been completed. The method can also be effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, hepatitis, sepsis, the Epstein-Barr virus, and patients with life threatening complications from other viruses, including the COVID-19 virus. A method for removing viruses from the blood supply in an external circuit is also presented. An adjunct of the present invention is enhanced production of stem cells as a result of employing the HEATT process. A further adjunct is production of transgenic swine with extant viral infections.