A control unit of an apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment is configured to perform a control procedure. The control procedure includes calculating parameter control values to be set during a time interval after the instant in which the control is made, on the basis of actual values and of prescription values of variation in blood volume, ultrafiltration flow rate, and concentration of sodium. The control procedure further includes imposing the parameter control values during the time interval consecutive to the instant in which the control is made such that the actual values of the variation in blood volume track the prescription values of the variation in blood volume over a predetermined treatment time. The control unit is further configured to perform a procedure for automatically estimating/calculating a target plasma conductivity and/or a target concentration of sodium in plasma to be reached at the end of the extracorporeal blood treatment.

An apparatus for extracorporeal treatment of blood (1) comprising a treatment unit (2), a blood withdrawal line (6), a blood return line (7), a preparation line (19) and a spent dialysate line (13); a non-invasive blood volume sensor (50) for determining an additional property of blood is active on a tube segment (61) of the blood withdrawal line or of the blood return line; the sensor includes one source (53) for directing a signal towards the blood, a plurality of detectors (57) for receiving the signal, and a controller (65) receiving the output signals from the detectors (57) and determining a blood volume variation and a value of sodium concentration in the blood (Na.sub.pl) both based on the output signals. A process of determining at least one parameter and on property of blood circulating an extracorporeal blood circuit is also disclosed.

Apparatus and methods for providing extracorporeal blood circulation and oxygenation control include multi-stage deairing of blood to provide automated cardiopulmonary replacement to sustain patient life during a medical procedure such as; cardiopulmonary bypass graft surgery, keyhole cardiopulmonary bypass graft surgery, percutaneous angioplasty, percutaneous stent placement, and percutaneous atherectomy, repairing or replacing the heart valve and/or for perfusing an organ or the body of an organ donor to preserve viability of organ(s) for transplantation.

Methods include monitoring indicators of blood pH or blood electrolyte levels during a blood fluid removal session and adjusting concentrations of pH buffers or electrolytes in dialysate or replacement fluid used during the session based on the monitored indicators. Blood fluid removal systems may employ sensors that monitor blood pH or electrolyte levels to adjust the fluid parameters during a blood fluid removal session.

The invention relates to a device for hemodiafiltration with an extracorporeal circulation (10) for receiving blood to be purified and having a hemodialyzer and/or hemofilter (20) which is connected to the blood circulation (10), such that the blood circulation (10) has at least one inlet line (12, 14) for the supply of a replacement fluid upstream and downstream from the hemodialyzer and/or hemofilter (20), characterized in that the apparatus also comprises measurement apparatuses for recording the transmembrane pressure and/or hematocrit (HKT) and/or blood density, such that the measurement apparatuses are connected to a control unit (100) for controlling one or more of the transmembrane pressure and/or the hematocrit (HKT) and/or the blood density, the control unit (100) being constructed so that the control is implemented with the help of at least one of the infusion rates (Q.sub.spre, Q.sub.spost) of the replacement fluid (13, 15), and the blood to be purified is exposed to a high-frequency electromagnetic field and/or an electric DC field (70) before and/or during contact with the hemodialyzer and/or hemofilter (20).

An irradiation device for photopheresis, comprising an exposure chamber configured to receive an illumination container holding a target cell suspension; an irradiation source configured to irradiate the illumination container and target cell suspension for a certain exposure time period; an irradiation sensor configured to detect the intensity of irradiation emitted by the irradiation source; and a processing circuit coupled to the irradiation sensor and configured to treat the target cell suspension with a predetermined treatment dosage of radiation, wherein the processing circuit adjusts the exposure time period based on the intensity of irradiation in order to achieve the predetermined treatment dosage.

Described herein are compositions and methods for performing plasmapheresis. The compositions and methods for performing plasmapheresis are innovative at least in their application towards the treatment and prevention of aging and conditions associated with aging. Plasmapheresis compositions and methods described herein are directed towards reducing or eliminating conditions associated with aging.

A device for the continuous monitoring of blood characteristic quantities in an external cardiovascular supporting circuit, said circuit including a venous line which conveys blood from the patient to an oxygenator, and along which at least one pump is arranged, and an arterial line which returns blood from the oxygenator to the patient, where said oxygenator comprises at least one blood inlet port connected to said venous line and at least one blood outlet port connected to said arterial line, at least one inlet channel and at least one outlet channel of a work gas intended to supply oxygen to the blood and/or to remove carbon dioxide from the same.

A method and device for linearizing an optical sensor in a dialysis apparatus. The method includes introducing a sensor to the dialysate-side drain line, determining the linear range of the optical sensor, backwards extrapolating the data from the linear range and correcting the data from the non-linear range.

A method for operating a blood treatment apparatus including an extracorporeal blood circuit having a blood filter with a blood chamber and a dialysate chamber, between which a membrane is arranged. The method encompasses operating a blood pump from a first time point, at which an ultrafiltration pump is stopped, at least until a second time point, at which at least one of the following conditions is met for the first time after the first time point: a time interval after has elapsed, the blood pump has conveyed a volume after, a measurement of a fluid in the extracorporeal blood circuit exceeds or falls below a threshold.