Dialysis systems are disclosed comprising new fluid flow circuits. Systems may include blood and dialysate flow paths, where the dialysate flow path includes balancing, mixing, and/or directing circuits. Dialysate preparation may be decoupled from patient dialysis. Circuits may be defined within one or more cassettes. The fluid circuit fluid flow paths may be isolated from electrical components. A gas supply in fluid communication with the dialysate flow path and/or the dialyzer able to urge dialysate through the dialyzer and urge blood back to the patient may be included for certain emergency situations. Fluid handling devices, such as pumps, valves, and mixers that can be actuated using a control fluid may be included. Control fluid may be delivered by an external pump or other device, which may be detachable and/or generally rigid, optionally with a diaphragm dividing the device into first and second compartments.

A blood purification apparatus in which the error in the amount of discharge from a blood pump that is caused by the change in the suction pressure of the blood pump is reduced. A blood purification apparatus includes a blood circuit through which blood of a patient is extracorporeally circulated; a dialyzer connected to proximal ends of an arterial blood circuit and a venous blood circuit and that purifies the blood extracorporeally circulating through the blood circuit; a squeezable tube connected to the arterial blood circuit; a blood pump allowing liquid in the squeezable tube to flow by squeezing the squeezable tube in a lengthwise direction while compressing the squeezable tube in a radial direction; and a pressure-detecting device attached to a predetermined position of the arterial blood circuit that is nearer to a distal end than a position where the blood pump is provided, the pressure-detecting device being capable of detecting a suction pressure of the blood pump.

A pulmonary artery (PA) via trans-septal to left atrial (LA) percutaneous dual lumen cannulation system which reduce the pressure of the right ventricle provides drainage of pulmonary artery blood with bypassing the lung while return the blood to the Left Atrium (LA) without the need for thoracotomy for a wearable pump less extra corporeal lung assist (pECLA) to remove CO.sub.2, pump less extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), para-corporeal pump driven CO.sub.2 removal, extra corporeal CO.sub.2 removal (ECCO.sub.2R) pump driven, para-corporeal pump driven membrane oxygenation, or extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) with extra-corporeal pump. By establishing percutaneously a shunt with a dual lumen cannula between PA and LA using the PA-LA pressure gradient as the driving force for the blood flow through the drainage lumen, CO.sub.2 removal device, or oxygenator and return cannula lumen in the vascular system.

The present invention concerns an extracorporeal circuit for removing CO.sub.2 from blood comprising a blood withdrawal line for withdrawing blood from the patient, a filtration unit for producing plasma water and a line for returning the blood to the patient, defining a main circuit; the extracorporeal circuit further comprises a decarbonating group comprising a secondary circuit for the recirculation of plasma water, means for removing a fraction of said plasma water, a CO.sub.2 exchanger, a cationic resin charged with H+ ions set upstream of the CO.sub.2 exchanger and adapted to generate acid plasma water, means for the infusion of the acid plasma water upstream of the CO.sub.2 exchanger and means for the infusion of ions in a solution downstream of the CO.sub.2 exchanger.

The introduction pipe is extend from an inlet port to the inside of the chamber body, and has, as an end opening thereof, a discharge port provided in the inner circumferential surface of the chamber body so as to be directed toward the circumferential direction. The inner circumferential surface of the chamber body is provided so as to spirally extend, along the circumferential direction, from a discharge point at which the discharge port is disposed, to a connection point at which the outer circumferential surface of the introduction pipe is connected to the inner circumferential surface of the chamber body. The inner circumferential surface is formed such that a second radius connecting the connection point to the center axis of the chamber body is shorter than a first radius connecting the discharge point to the center axis of the chamber body.

An artificial lung system for a patient having a membrane lung system having an gas inlet, a blood inlet, a blood outlet, and an exhaust; a gas system operably coupled to the gas inlet of the membrane lung system; a gas phase CO.sub.2 sensor disposed downstream of the exhaust of the membrane lung system and monitoring an exhaust gas CO.sub.2 (EGCO.sub.2) level and/or an blood oxygen saturation sensor disposed upstream of the blood inlet of the membrane lung system and monitoring a blood oxygen saturation level; and a feedback controller receiving the CO.sub.2 signal and/or blood oxygen saturation signal and outputting a control signal to control gas flow and/or blood flow.

The present invention generally relates to hemodialysis and similar dialysis systems, including a variety of systems and methods that would make hemodialysis more efficient, easier, and/or more affordable. One aspect of the invention is generally directed to new fluid circuits for fluid flow. In one set of embodiments, a hemodialysis system may include a blood flow path and a dialysate flow path, where the dialysate flow path includes one or more of a balancing circuit, a mixing circuit, and/or a directing circuit. Preparation of dialysate by the preparation circuit, in some instances, may be decoupled from patient dialysis. In some cases, the circuits are defined, at least partially, within one or more cassettes, optionally interconnected with conduits, pumps, or the like. In one embodiment, the fluid circuit and/or the various fluid flow paths may be at least partially isolated, spatially and/or thermally, from electrical components of the hemodialysis system. In some cases, a gas supply may be provided in fluid communication with the dialysate flow path and/or the dialyzer that, when activated, is able to urge dialysate to pass through the dialyzer and urge blood in the blood flow path back to the patient. Such a system may be useful, for example, in certain emergency situations (e.g., a power failure) where it is desirable to return as much blood to the patient as possible. The hemodialysis system may also include, in another aspect of the invention, one or more fluid handling devices, such as pumps, valves, mixers, or the like, which can be actuated using a control fluid, such as air. In some cases, the control fluid may be delivered to the fluid handling devices using an external pump or other device, which may be detachable in certain instances. In one embodiment, one or more of the fluid handling devices may be generally rigid (e.g., having a spheroid shape), optionally with a diaphragm contained within the device, dividing it into first and second compartments.

A chamber body is provided, as regions where the liquid flows, with: an upper region including an area from the inner surface of the upper wall to the introduction pipe; a lower region connected to the outlet port; and a connection region connecting the upper region and the lower region. The inner circumferential surface of the upper region has a larger diameter than the inner circumferential surface of the lower region. As a result of diameter reduction from the connection portion relative to the upper region to the connection portion relative to the lower region, an inclined surface is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the connection region.

An air trap chamber is provided with a cap and a housing. The cap has an inlet port provided at one end, and has, at another end, a first connection flange provided so as to have an inner circumferential surface. An opening axis of the inlet port is set so as to be off a center axis of the inner peripheral surface. The housing has, at one end, a second connection flange provided so as to have an outer circumferential surface which is mated to the inner circumferential surface, and has an outlet port provided at another end. An opening axis of the outlet port is set so as to be off the center axis of the outer circumferential surface. Moreover, parting lines which are positioning structures are provided on the cap and the housing, respectively.