This disclosure relates to dialysis systems and methods. In some implementations, a dialysis system includes a dialysis machine with a fluid line and a drain line, a blood line set configured to be connected to the dialysis machine, and a drain apparatus coupled to the dialysis machine. The drain apparatus includes a chamber configured to receive an end of a patient line of the blood line set, an inlet line, an outlet line, and a valve. The inlet line has a first end configured to be coupled to the chamber and a second end configured to be coupled to the fluid line of the dialysis machine. The outlet line has a first end configured to be coupled to the chamber and a second end configured to be coupled to the drain line of the dialysis machine. The valve is configured to control flow of fluid through the outlet line.

Dialysis machines comprising a feed arrangement (170) to supply a dialysis fluid to a dialyzer (150) during dialysis treatment and a return arrangement (171) to remove the dialysis fluid from the dialyzer during dialysis treatment and forward it to an exit (129); a feed recirculation circuit (172) to allow a fluid of the feed arrangement to be re-circulated in a fluid loop path comprising, at least a portion of, the feed arrangement and the feed recirculation circuit and a return recirculation circuit (173) to allow a fluid of the return arrangement to re-circulate in an auxiliary fluid loop path comprising, at least a portion of, the return arrangement and the return recirculation circuit. A controller (160) configured to perform disinfection by re-circulating a disinfectant and/or a heated fluid through said fluid loop path and/or through said auxiliary fluid loop path. The dialysis machine (1) further comprises a feed forward arrangement (172) connected to the fluid loop path and arranged to enable a fluid of the feed arrangement (170) to be forwarded to the exit (129) by-passing the auxiliary fluid loop path.

A portable hemodialysis system is provided including a dialyzer, a closed loop blood flow path which transports blood from a patient to the dialyzer and back to the patient, and a closed loop dialysate flow path which transports dialysate through the dialyzer. In addition, the hemodialysis system includes two reservoirs which can be alternately placed in the dialysis flow path using various controllable fluid valves. The hemodialysis system may include a sorbent filter in the dialysate flow path which filters used dialysate. Alternatively, the filter may be positioned within a separate closed loop filter flow path which is isolated from the blood flow path and dialysate flow path. For this embodiment, the hemodialysis system includes additional controllable fluid valves which selectively connect the filter flow path to the reservoir which is not currently providing dialysis treatment to a patient.

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 device for extracorporeal blood treatment and a method for operating an extracorporeal blood treatment device provide for an ultrafiltrate pump of an ultrafiltration apparatus to be operated in a first and second operating mode. The ultrafiltrate pump is operated in the first operating mode in such a way that the pressure on the blood-side of the semipermeable membrane is higher than the pressure on the dialysate-side of the semipermeable membrane of a dialyser, so that during the first operating mode a predetermined amount of fluid is removed from an extracorporeal blood circuit via the semipermeable membrane of the dialyser. In the second operating mode, the ultrafiltrate pump is operated in such a way that the pressure on the blood-side of the semipermeable membrane is, at successive intervals, alternately higher and lower than the pressure on the dialysate-side of the semipermeable membrane of the dialyser, so that fluid is continuously removed from and supplied to the extracorporeal blood circuit via the semipermeable membrane (push/pull mode). Additional components, in particular a separate push/pull pump, are not required for operation of the blood treatment device in push/pull mode. This results in both lower dimensions and lower weight. Operation in push/pull mode can increase the service life of the dialyser and the clearance of the dialysis treatment can also be increased for certain substances.

An extracorporeal blood treatment machine includes a dialyzer and a sensor device downstream of the dialyzer on a dialysis fluid side. The machine is connected to a control and computing unit configured to qualitatively and quantitatively determine at least one preferably selected or selectable blood component in the used dialysis fluid. The control and computing unit is adapted to put the machine into a mode in which a dialysis fluid amount is confined within the dialyzer at least until the concentrations of the blood component on the dialysis fluid side and on the blood side of the dialyzer are in equilibrium, and thereupon to switch the machine into a mode in which the dialysis fluid flow is permitted to leave the dialyzer to feed the confined dialysis fluid amount as a dialysis fluid bolus to the sensor device for determining the blood component concentration contained in the bolus.

A blood circuit and a dialysate circuit bidirectionally circulate a fluid through a blood purification membrane of a blood purifier, and include a first flow route that causes a dialysate to flow from the dialysate circuit into the blood circuit through a connection flow route connecting the dialysate circuit to the blood circuit while bypassing the blood purifier, and a second flow route that causes the dialysate to flow from the dialysate circuit into the blood circuit through the blood purification membrane. The controller performs control such that blood in the blood circuit is returned to the body by feeding the dialysate to one of these flow routes, determine if a flow amount of the dialysate reaches a predetermined flow amount, and control such that the blood in the blood circuit is returned to the body by feeding the dialysate to the other one of these flow routes.

A method for operating a dialysis machine to conduct a dialysis treatment on a patient (e.g., a peritoneal dialysis machine) may include transferring dialysate from a first bag, and automatically determining the dialysate from the first bag has completely transferred. After determining the dialysate has completely transferred from the first bag, switching from the first bag to a second bag of dialysate. The method may further include transferring dialysate from the second bag in response to the detection of the completed transfer of the first bag, and automatically determining the dialysate from the second bag has completely transferred. The method may further include determining if the respective first or second bag has completely transferred by comparing a dialysate bag volume transferred to the patient to a detected volume of the respective first or second bag. Systems with dialysis machines for performing such a method are disclosed as well.

The current invention relates to a peritoneal dialysis filter device, which comprises a housing comprising a first port and a second port, and a hollow fibre membrane formed from hollow hydrophilic fibres within the housing. When in use, a dialysate from a subject enters the filter device through the first port and exits via the second port in an outflow direction, and a regenerated dialysate from a sorbent system enters the filter device through the second port and exits via the first port in an inflow direction. Also disclosed herein is a peritoneal dialysis system comprising said filter device, a method for controlling dialysate flow in a peritoneal dialysis system, and a haemodialysis device.

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.