A method for monitoring blood vessel functionality, the method including illuminating one or more blood vessels through a patient's skin, capturing at least one image of the blood vessels, analyzing the at least one image, and calculating a parameter associated with blood vessel functionality based upon the image analysis. A method for replacing a physical examination performed by medical staff for monitoring blood vessel functionality in dialysis patients, the method including producing at least one image of a patient organ instead of manually manipulating the patient's organ, analyzing the at least one image, and classifying the patient's status to be one of suitable for dialysis or at risk for dialysis. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

The invention relates to a device and a method for monitoring access to a patient for a device by means of which a liquid is withdrawn from the patient and/or supplied to the patient via a flexible line, in particular for monitoring vessel access during extracorporeal blood treatment, in which blood of a patient is withdrawn from the patient via a flexible arterial line having an arterial puncture cannula and supplied to the patient via a flexible venous line having a venous puncture cannula. The monitoring device 20 has a line guide 21 for loosely guiding a line segment 7A of the flexible line 7. The invention is based on detecting a change in situation of the loosely guided line segment 7A due to tension applied if the puncture cannula slips out, it being concluded that incorrect vessel access is occurring if the situation of the line segment changes. Since only changes in situation are monitored, even slight applied tensions are already sufficient for reliably detecting incorrect vessel access.

A safety needle is disclosed having a puncture needle with a needle lumen and a ground tip; a holding device that, during use, bears on the skin of a patient and holds the puncture needle; and a safety mechanism with a protection element that has a first, opened state and a second, closed state. When the holding device is taken away from the skin and/or when the holding device is moved with respect to the defined position, the safety mechanism automatically moves the protection element from a first position, in which the tip of the needle is exposed, to a second position, in which the tip of the needle is covered as the protection element at the same time transfers automatically from the first, opened state to the second, closed state.

The specification discloses a portable dialysis machine having a detachable controller unit and base unit. The controller unit includes a door having an interior face, a housing with a panel, where the housing and panel define a recessed region configured to receive the interior face of the door, and a manifold receiver fixedly attached to the panel. The manifold includes diaphragms adapted to minimize the dead space between the dialysis machine pins and improve responsivity. The base unit has a planar surface for receiving a container of fluid, a scale integrated with the planar surface and a heater in thermal communication with the container. Embodiments of the disclosed portable dialysis system have improved structural and functional features, including improved modularity, ease of use, and safety features.

A dialysis machine comprising: a first sensor for detecting motion of a patient; a second sensor for detecting a health condition of the patient; a processing module for: controlling dialysis functions of a dialysis treatment; receiving information related to a status of the dialysis treatment in which toxins are removed from blood of the patient; receiving, from the first sensor, information related to the motion of the patient; receiving, from the second sensor, information related to the health condition of the patient; and identifying an emergency condition based at least in part on the information related to the motion of the patient, the information related to the health condition of the patient, and the information related to the status of the dialysis treatment; and a transceiver for: in response to identifying an emergency condition, sending a notification that includes patient information to one or more remote entities.

A medical fluid management assembly includes a pneumatic manifold, a pump and valve engine, and a fluid manifold. The pneumatic manifold includes a plurality of pneumatic passageways and a plurality of pneumatic connectors. The pump and valve engine includes a plurality of valve chambers, at least one pump chamber, and a plurality of pneumatic connectors mated sealingly and releasably with the pneumatic connectors of the pneumatic manifold. The pump and valve engine also includes a plurality of fluid connectors. The fluid manifold includes a plurality of fluid pathways and a plurality of fluid connectors mated sealingly and releasably with the fluid connectors of the pump and valve engine.

A system for monitoring a vascular access is provided. The system includes a wearable vascular access monitor which can be a sleeve or other protective covering fitted with two or more sensors for obtaining physiological measurements at different locations from the vascular access. The sleeve or other protective covering is also fitted with an ultra-low power processor for relaying the physiological measurements to a patient's mobile phone. The patient's phone can evaluate the physiological measurements to determine a state of the vascular access, and if the physiological measurements fall out of nominal ranges, the patient's phone can alert a clinic, nurse, or physician. The system can be used to monitor fistulas or grafts used for hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis.

Systems and methods to non-invasively measure sub-cutaneous processes in a patient are disclosed. Examples of systems may optically detect biological fluid properties. The optical detection techniques described herein may be incorporated into a wearable monitoring system. Examples of wearable monitoring systems may simultaneously measure a plurality of sensory modalities. Systems of the present disclosure may be mounted on the skin of a patient.

In examples described herein, a system includes an elongate member configured to be introduced into vasculature of a patient. The elongate member includes a pressure sensor configured to generate a pressure signal indicative of pressure in the vasculature adjacent the needle. The system includes processing circuitry configured to receive the pressure signal from the pressure sensor, detect, based on the pressure signal, dislodgment of the elongate member from the vasculature, and generate an output in response to detecting the dislodgment of the elongate member from the vasculature.

In examples described herein, a system includes an elongate member configured to be introduced into vasculature of a patient. The elongate member includes a pressure sensor configured to generate a pressure signal indicative of pressure in the vasculature adjacent the needle. The system includes processing circuitry configured to receive the pressure signal from the pressure sensor, detect, based on the pressure signal, dislodgment of the elongate member from the vasculature, and generate an output in response to detecting the dislodgment of the elongate member from the vasculature.