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. According to one aspect, a blood pump is configured to pump blood to a dialyzer of a hemodialysis apparatus, the blood pump comprising a pneumatically actuated or controlled reciprocating diaphragm pump. In an embodiment, the diaphragm of the pump comprises a flexible membrane formed or molded to generally conform to a curved inner wall of a pumping chamber or control chamber of the pump, wherein the diaphragm is pre-formed or molded to have a control side taking a convex shape, so that any elastic tension on the diaphragm is minimized when fully extended into a control chamber of the pump. In another aspect, a system for monitoring the adequacy of blood flow in a blood line of the hemodialysis apparatus allows a controller to suspend dialysate pumping operations if the adequacy of blood flow in the blood line is sub-optimal, and to present information on a display on the quality of blood flow in the blood line.

A cassette integrated system. The cassette integrated system includes a mixing cassette, a balancing cassette, a middle cassette fluidly connected to the mixing cassette and the balancing cassette and at least one pod. The mixing cassette is fluidly connected to the middle cassette by at least one fluid line and the middle cassette is fluidly connected to the balancing cassette by at least one fluid line. The at least one pod is connected to at least two of the cassettes wherein the pod is located in an area between the cassettes.

Automated control mechanisms and methods for controlling fluid flow in a hemodialysis apparatus are described. The methods can involve a controller receiving information from a pressure sensor in a control chamber of a reciprocating diaphragm-based blood pump and causing the application of a time-varying pressure waveform on a diaphragm of the blood pump during a fill-stroke of the blood pump. The controller can be configured and programmed to monitor a pressure variation in the control chamber measured by the pressure sensor and to compare the measured pressure variation to a pre-determined value. Based on such comparison, the controller can initiate a procedure to pause or stop a dialysate pump of the hemodialysis apparatus if the magnitude of the measured pressure variation deviates from the pre-determined value.

In medical apparatus, for example a dialysis machine, a pump in conjunction with a multichambered reservoir is provided. The volume pumped is determined by counting the number of fills of the reservoir made during a pumping phase. A less expensive pump may be used whilst maintaining an accurate determination of the volume pumped.

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.

The invention relates to an apparatus and to a method for supplying dialysate. The invention also relates to a dialysis apparatus comprising an apparatus for supplying dialysate. The apparatus for supplying dialysate has a balancing device 8, which comprises at least one balancing chamber 9, 10 for balancing fresh and used dialysate, and a metering device 28 for filling the at least one balancing chamber with permeate and concentrates in a specified mixing ratio for producing dialysate. The metering device 28 is designed such that specified volumes of concentrates are conveyed into the at least one balancing chamber 9, 10 in successive working cycles. Given that the specified volumes of concentrates are not added simultaneously, the concentrates can be conveyed using just one single metering pump. This is advantageous in that the metering pump is a relatively expensive component of the mixer circuit. In practice, the design is simpler and compact and the maintenance costs are reduced.

A dialysis system is disclosed that enables a patient to undergo both peritoneal dialysis and extracorporeal blood treatments. The system includes a base unit and a blood treatment unit configured to perform extracorporeal blood treatments on a patient. The blood treatment unit includes a user interface operable with a controller for displaying a calendar of days in which an extracorporeal blood treatment is scheduled to be performed. The base unit includes a base unit controller that is programmed to receive information indicative whether a peritoneal dialysis treatment or the extracorporeal blood treatment is to be performed. The base unit controller operates first software instructions when the base unit uses a first fluid stored in a fluid container when the peritoneal dialysis treatment is selected or operates second software instructions when the base unit uses a second, different fluid from an online source when the extracorporeal blood treatment is selected.

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.

A medical fluid management assembly includes a pneumatic manifold, a pump engine, a valve engine, and a fluid manifold. The pneumatic manifold includes a plurality of pneumatic passageways and a plurality of pneumatic connectors. The pump engine includes a pump chamber and the valve engine includes a valve chamber. Each of the pump engine and valve engine includes a pneumatic connector mated sealingly and releaseably with one of the pneumatic connectors of the pneumatic manifold. Additionally, each of the pump engine and valve engine includes a fluid connector. The fluid manifold includes a plurality of fluid pathways and a plurality of fluid connectors mated sealingly and releaseably with the fluid connectors of the pump engine and the valve engine.

A dialysis device comprises at least a first membrane and a second membrane, wherein a first chamber formed by the first membrane is configured to receive a first fluid; a second chamber formed by the second membrane is configured to receive a second fluid; a third chamber formed in between a housing, the first membrane and the second membrane is configured to receive a third fluid; the first fluid flowing through the first membrane can be indirectly communicated with the second fluid flowing through the second membrane via the third fluid. A dialysis system, use of the dialysis device, a method for establishing the dialysis system, a method for filling and/or priming the dialysis system and a method for removing air are further disclosed. The dialysis device and the dialysis system are suitable for viscous biological dialysis fluid and no direct flow occurs between the patient and the dialysis fluid.