A hemodialysis system comprising: a source of priming fluid; an extracorporeal circuit including an arterial line, a venous line, and a drip chamber; a level sensor operable with the drip chamber; a reversible blood pump operable with the extracorporeal circuit; a connection between the arterial and the venous line; and a priming sequence in which priming fluid from the source is pumped in a reverse pump direction through the extracorporeal circuit and reversibly in a normal pump direction through the extracorporeal circuit, wherein an output from the level sensor is used to determine when to stop pumping in at least one of the directions.

A renal therapy system includes: a filter; an arterial blood flowpath in fluid communication with the filter; a venous blood flowpath in fluid communication with the filter; a renal therapy fluid flowpath in fluid communication with the filter; first and second renal therapy fluid pumps; a plurality of valve actuators; and a dialysis fluid cassette including a plurality of valve portions configured to operate with the plurality of valve actuators so that (i) the first renal therapy fluid pump pumps renal therapy fluid through the renal therapy fluid flowpath for a number of first pump actuations, and (ii) the second renal therapy fluid pump pumps renal therapy fluid through the renal therapy fluid flowpath for a number of second pump actuations.

A method for the filling and flushing of a blood tube set including a pump segment for a blood pump, an arterial line connected to an inlet of a dialyzer, a venous line connected to an outlet of a dialyzer, a substituate line connected to a substitute port and having a pump segment for a substitute pump, and a three-way connector connected to the arterial line, the venous line and a rinse port. The method includes the steps of opening the rinse port, filling and simultaneously flushing the arterial and venous lines with the substituate supplied from the substitute line via the substitute pump, while substituate is drained off via the rinse port, closing the rinse port, and circulating the substituate in the circuit of arterial line, dialyzer and venous line by the blood pump.

A drain cassette for a dialysis unit has a fluid channel between venous and arterial connection ports, and a valve may controllably open and close fluid communication between a drain outlet port and the venous connection port or the arterial connection port. A blood circuit assembly and drain cassette may be removable from the dialysis unit, e.g., by hand and without the use of tools. A blood circuit assembly may include a single, unitary member that defines portions of a pair of blood pumps, control valves, channels to accurately position flexible tubing for an occluder, an air trap support, and/or other portions of the assembly. A blood circuit assembly engagement device may assist with retaining a blood circuit assembly on the dialysis unit, and/or with removal of the assembly. An actuator may operate a retainer element and an ejector element that interact with the assembly.

Apparatus and methods for providing extracorporeal blood circulation and oxygenation control include multi-stage de-airing of blood to provide automated cardiopulmonary replacement to preserve the viability or one or more organs in a clinically dead organ donor or harvested donor organ for subsequent transplantation to an organ receiver patient.

Dialysis systems and methods are described which can include a number of features. The dialysis systems described can be to provide dialysis therapy to a patient in the comfort of their own home. The dialysis system can be configured to prepare purified water from a tap water source in real-time that is used for creating a dialysate solution. The dialysis systems described also include features that make it easy for a patient to self-administer therapy. For example, the dialysis systems include disposable cartridge and patient tubing sets that are easily installed on the dialysis system and automatically align the tubing set, sensors, venous drip chamber, and other features with the corresponding components on the dialysis system. Methods of use are also provided, including automated priming sequences, blood return sequences, and dynamic balancing methods for controlling a rate of fluid transfer during different types of dialysis, including hemodialysis, ultrafiltration, and hemodiafiltration.

A renal failure therapy machine includes a blood cleaning filter, a dialysis fluid circuit including a balance chamber, the balance chamber including a fresh dialysis fluid compartment configured to send fresh dialysis fluid to the blood cleaning filter and a used dialysis fluid compartment configured to receive used dialysis fluid from the blood cleaning filter, a fresh dialysis fluid line in fluid communication with the fresh dialysis fluid compartment of the balance chamber and the blood cleaning filter, and a flow restrictor in fluid communication with the blood cleaning filter, the flow restrictor configured to cause fresh dialysis fluid delivered from the fresh dialysis fluid compartment, through the fresh dialysis fluid line, to the blood cleaning filter to be pressurized so that a first amount of the fresh dialysis fluid performs convective clearance and a second amount of the fresh dialysis fluid performs diffusive clearance.

A method for the filling and flushing of a blood tube set including a pump segment for a blood pump, an arterial line connected to an inlet of a dialyser, a venous line connected to an outlet of a dialyser, a substituate line connected to a substitute port and having a pump segment for a substitute pump, and a three-way connector connected to the arterial line, the venous line and a rinse port. The method includes the steps of opening the rinse port, filling and simultaneously flushing the arterial and venous lines with the substituate supplied from the substitute line via the substitute pump, while substituate is drained off via the rinse port, closing the rinse port, and circulating the substituate in the circuit of arterial line, dialyser and venous line by the blood pump.

A dialysis system includes a dialysis machine configured to control fluid loss or ultrafiltration (UF) volume over a treatment; a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows selection of a prescription entry for the treatment; and a processor operating with the GUI, the processor programmed to (i) receive a plurality of prescription entries via a local or wide area mode of data communication, each prescription entry including at least one prescribed parameter for operating the dialysis machine to control the fluid loss or UF volume, and (ii) enable an operator to choose between the prescription entries provided at the GUI, and select one of the prescription entries for the treatment.

A renal failure therapy machine includes a blood cleaning filter, a sorbent device configured to regenerate used therapy fluid from the blood cleaning filter, a therapy fluid pump configured to pump regenerated therapy fluid from the sorbent device back to the blood cleaning filter, and a flow restrictor in fluid communication with the blood cleaning filter, the therapy fluid pump and the sorbent device, the flow restrictor configured to cause regenerated therapy fluid pumped by the therapy fluid pump from the sorbent device to the blood cleaning filter to be pressurized so that a first amount of the regenerated therapy fluid performs convective clearance and a second amount of the regenerated therapy fluid performs diffusive clearance.