A modular assembly for a portable hemodialysis system may include a dialysis unit, e.g., that contains suitable components for performing hemodialysis, such as a dialyzer, one or more pumps to circulate blood through the dialyzer, a source of dialysate, and one or more pumps to circulate the dialysate through the dialyzer, and a power unit having a housing that contains suitable components for providing operating power to the pumps of the dialysis unit. The power unit may be selectively connected to the dialysis unit and provide power (e.g., pneumatic power in the form of pressure and/or vacuum) to the dialysis unit for the pumps when connected to the dialysis unit, but may be incapable of providing power to the dialysis unit when disconnected from the dialysis unit. The dialysis unit and the power unit are sized and weighted to each be carried by hand by a human.

Membranes are provided to be specially developed for use in chambers for artificial circulatory assistance which may be employed primarily in cardiovascular procedures, notably to produce arterial capacitance, to regulate blood pressure, to produce aortic counterpulsation and to pump blood. The membrane may have circular sections that may vary in size or not depending on the function to be performed and are interconnected so that the transition between one section and the other is smooth, regardless of the size of each section. Further, chambers and pumps may be used for cardiopulmonary bypass and a pumping system.

A method of operating a counterpulsation device (CPD) in a human or animal subject is disclosed, the method including: receiving a heart beat signal indicative of the heart beat of the subject; providing counterpulsation therapy by controlling the pressure supplied to a CPD drive line in pneumatic communication with the CPD to cause the CPD to alternately fill with blood and eject blood with a timing that is determined at least in part based on the heart beat signal; while providing counterpulsation therapy, receiving a CPD drive line pressure signal indicative of the pressure in the CPD drive line; and adjusting the pressure supplied to the drive line based at least in part on the drive line pressure signal.

A hemodialysis apparatus comprising diaphragm pumps for the movement of both dialysate and blood, and under the control of a controller, is capable of detecting blood flow conditions that give rise to an alarm and implement procedures to adjust, pause, or halt the pumping of dialysate and/or blood. The controller can direct the application of a time-varying pressure to fluid in the control chamber of a blood pump, and monitor the resulting pressure waveform during a fill stroke of the blood pump. A deviation of the measured pressure variation from an expected value can give rise to an alert to a user and to the initiation of an adjustment, pause, or cessation of the dialysate pump's activity.

A dialysis fluid system includes a dialysis fluid inlet; a dialysis fluid outlet; a pump positioned and arranged to pump dialysis fluid through the dialysis fluid inlet and the dialysis fluid outlet; and an inductive heater located between the dialysis fluid inlet and the dialysis fluid outlet, the inductive heater including a fluid flowpath positioned and arranged to receive non-heated dialysis fluid from the dialysis fluid inlet and to output heated dialysis fluid to the a dialysis fluid outlet, a conductive heater element located within the fluid flowpath so as to be or act as a secondary coil of a transformer, and a primary coil of the transformer located outside of the fluid flowpath and positioned so as to magnetically induce a current into the conductive heater element, causing the conductive heater element and surrounding fluid to heat.

Hemodialysis and similar dialysis systems including a variety of systems and methods that make hemodialysis more efficient, easier, and/or more affordable, and include new fluid circuits for fluid flow in hemodialysis systems and a reciprocating diaphragm pump for pumping fluids. The reciprocating diaphragm pump includes a flexible diaphragm, a first rigid body having a curved pumping chamber wall, a second rigid body having an opposing curved control chamber wall. The diaphragm is interposed between the pumping chamber wall and the control chamber wall to define a pumping chamber and a control chamber. The diaphragm of the pump has a peripheral bead arranged to locate the diaphragm between the first rigid body and the second rigid body and a diaphragm body having a curved, semi-spheroid or domed shape. The diaphragm is pre-formed or molded so that during a delivery stroke of the pump, the elastic force of the diaphragm resisting its deployment into the pumping chamber prevents a peripheral portion of the diaphragm body from fully contacting the pumping chamber wall.

A pumping cassette including a housing having at least two inlet fluid lines and at least two outlet fluid lines. At least one balancing pod within the housing and in fluid connection with the fluid paths. The balancing pod balances the flow of a first fluid and the flow of a second fluid such that the volume of the first fluid equals the volume of the second fluid. The balancing pod also includes a membrane that forms two balancing chambers. Also included in the cassette is at least two reciprocating pressure displacement membrane pumps. The pumps are within the housing and they pump the fluid from a fluid inlet to a fluid outlet line and pump the second fluid from a fluid inlet to a fluid outlet.

The invention relates to a membrane pump device 2 for conveying fluids, in particular medical liquids for blood treatment. The invention furthermore relates to a membrane pump with a membrane pump device 2 and an actuating device 1 for the membrane pump device 2. The membrane pump device 2 has a pump chamber body 253 in which a recess, which is closed by an elastic membrane 201 to form a pump chamber 252, is constructed. The membrane pump device 2 moreover comprises an inward flow path 219 which connects an entry connection 204 to an inlet opening 215 of the pump chamber 252, and an outward flow path 223 which connects an outlet opening 216 of the pump chamber 252 to an exit connection 205. An inlet valve 202 is provided in the inward flow path 219 and an outlet valve 203 is provided in the outward flow path 223. The outlet valve 203 is a membrane valve which has a valve body 254A in which a recess is constructed which is closed by an elastic membrane 201 to form a valve chamber 218 in which a valve seat 225 is arranged, the front face of which faces the membrane and in the open position of the outlet valve is arranged at a distance from the valve seat, wherein a valve channel 240 passes through the valve seat. The outward flow path 223 comprises a first outward flow channel 214 which connects the outlet opening 216 of the pump chamber 252 to the outlet valve chamber 218, and a second outward flow channel 214A which connects the outlet valve chamber 240 to the exit connection 205, wherein the cross-section area of the outlet valve channel 240 is smaller than the cross-section area of the region of the valve chamber 218 surrounding the outlet valve seat 225.

A dialysis machine that includes a valve member having a deformable area configured to deform outwardly away when pressurized fluid is introduced into the valve member. The valve member is configured so that, when a dialysis fluid cassette is disposed in a cassette compartment of the dialysis machine and pressurized fluid is introduced into the valve member, the deformable area obstructs a fluid channel of the dialysis fluid cassette to control dialysis fluid flow therethrough.

A processor of a medical device configured to communicate with a remote server can be programmed to protect the medical device from exposure to unauthorized or malicious software. A system or method to implement this form of protection can include, for example, at least one processor on the medical device, a control software module that controls the operation of the medical device and is executable on the processor, a data management module that manages data flow to and from the control software module from sources external to the medical device, and an agent module that has access to a limited number of designated memory locations in the medical device. In addition, a hemodialysis apparatus can be configured to operate in conjunction with an apparatus for providing purified water from a source such as a municipal water supply or a well. A system for controlling delivery of purified water to the hemodialysis apparatus can comprise a therapy controller of the hemodialysis apparatus configured to communicate with a controller of a water purification device, and a user interface controller of the hemodialysis apparatus configured to communicate with the therapy controller, and to send data to and receive data from a user interface.