A renal therapy machine includes a blood filter including a plurality of porous fibers; a blood circuit in communication with the blood filter; and a dialysate circuit in communication with the blood filter and operable with at least one pump, wherein the renal therapy machine is configured to perform a priming sequence in which a physiologically compatible solution, other than dialysate, primes the blood circuit and is flowed within the fibers and through pores in the fibers of the blood filter, and the pump of the dialysate circuit vents air from the blood filter into the dialysate circuit.

Dialysis systems comprising actuators that cooperate to perform dialysis functions and sensors that cooperate to monitor dialysis functions are disclosed. According to one aspect, such a hemodialysis system comprises a user interface model layer, a therapy layer, below the user interface model layer, and a machine layer below the therapy layer. The user interface model layer is configured to manage the state of a graphical user interface and receive inputs from a graphical user interface. The therapy layer is configured to run state machines that generate therapy commands based at least in part on the inputs from the graphical user interface. The machine layer is configured to provide commands for the actuators based on the therapy commands.

An extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus is provided comprising a filtration unit (2) connected to a blood circuit (17) and to a dialysate circuit (32), a preparation device (9) for preparing and regulating the composition of the dialysis fluid, and a sensor (11) for measuring conductivity of the dialysate (i.e. spent dialysis fluid); a control unit (12) configured for setting a sodium concentration in the dialysis fluid and after setting the dialysis fluid at the initial set point, circulating the dialysis fluid and/or the substitution fluid, measuring an initial conductivity value of the dialysate at the beginning of the treatment, and calculating, based on the measured initial conductivity value of the spent dialysis fluid and on the corresponding conductivity value of the dialysis fluid, the value of the initial plasma conductivity, said circulating the dialysis fluid up to the calculating of the initial plasma conductivity being performed maintaining the dialysis fluid conductivity substantially constant.

A dialysis machine includes a dialyzer (1), a dialysate feed system (5) having a feed line (52), and a discharge system (6) having a discharge line (62). The machine further includes ultrafiltration control elements (UF) and back-filtration control elements (RF). The feed line is provided with a constriction (520) and with elements for measuring the pressure difference (523, 524) across the terminals of the constriction. The feed system further includes a ventricle bag (50), and pressurizer elements (70) for putting the ventricle bag (50) under pressure. The machine further includes an open/close system (C5, C5′) for opening/closing the discharge line (62) and the back-filtration control elements cause the discharge line (62) to close, and control the pressure applied to the ventricle bag (50), as a function of the pressure difference measured across the terminals of the constriction (520), so as to obtain a given flow rate of dialysate.

Manifolds suitable for use in hemodialysis, hemofiltration, hemodiafiltration, and peritoneal dialysis are provided. One or more of the manifolds can include a manifold body and an external tube. The manifold body can include at least one conduit including a first conduit and at least one port including a first port in fluid communication with the first conduit. The external tube can be in fluid communication with the first port and can include a main segment, a first branch segment, and a second branch segment containing at least one bacterial filter. The first branch segment and/or second branch segment can include at least one flow restrictor. Dialysis machines, systems, and kits including one or more such manifold are also provided, as are methods of performing hemodiafiltration using such manifolds.

A device for extracorporeal blood treatment and a method for operating an extracorporeal blood treatment device provide for an ultrafiltrate pump of an ultrafiltration apparatus to be operated in a first and second operating mode. The ultrafiltrate pump is operated in the first operating mode in such a way that the pressure on the blood-side of the semipermeable membrane is higher than the pressure on the dialysate-side of the semipermeable membrane of a dialyser, so that during the first operating mode a predetermined amount of fluid is removed from an extracorporeal blood circuit via the semipermeable membrane of the dialyser. In the second operating mode, the ultrafiltrate pump is operated in such a way that the pressure on the blood-side of the semipermeable membrane is, at successive intervals, alternately higher and lower than the pressure on the dialysate-side of the semipermeable membrane of the dialyser, so that fluid is continuously removed from and supplied to the extracorporeal blood circuit via the semipermeable membrane (push/pull mode). Additional components, in particular a separate push/pull pump, are not required for operation of the blood treatment device in push/pull mode. This results in both lower dimensions and lower weight. Operation in push/pull mode can increase the service life of the dialyser and the clearance of the dialysis treatment can also be increased for certain substances.

A blood filtration system can reduce the amount of plasma constituents (e.g., water and/or electrolytes) in the blood of the patient, and accordingly increase the hematocrit value of the patient. The blood filtration system (e.g., a controller, or the like) can determine a hematocrit value of a patient. The blood filtration system can determine a venous pressure of vasculature of a patient. The blood filtration system can compensate for pressure head in a component of a blood circuit (e.g., a withdrawal line of a catheter), for example to improve the accuracy of the venous pressure determination. The blood filtration system can determine one or more resistance characteristics of a blood circuit for the blood filtration system. The resistance characteristics can correspond to a resistance to a flow of blood through a component of the blood circuit.

Dialyzer systems can consolidate multiple technologies and functionalities of blood treatment systems in a significantly integrated fashion. For example, this disclosure describes dialyzer systems that include a magnetically driven and magnetically levitating pump rotor integrated into the dialyzer. Such a dialyzer can be used with treatment modules that include a magnetic field-generating pump drive unit. In some embodiments, the dialyzers include pressure sensor chambers with flexible membranes with which corresponding pressure transducers of the treatment modules can interface to detect arterial and/or venous pressures.

Dialysis systems comprising actuators that cooperate to perform dialysis functions and sensors that cooperate to monitor dialysis functions are disclosed. According to one aspect, such a hemodialysis system comprises a user interface model layer, a therapy layer, below the user interface model layer, and a machine layer below the therapy layer. The user interface model layer is configured to manage the state of a graphical user interface and receive inputs from a graphical user interface. The therapy layer is configured to run state machines that generate therapy commands based at least in part on the inputs from the graphical user interface. The machine layer is configured to provide commands for the actuators based on the therapy commands.

Provided is a blood purifying apparatus including a blood purifying filter in which mass transfer occurs between blood and dialysis fluid, a blood tube connecting the blood purifying filter and a patient to allow blood to flow therethrough, a dialysis fluid supply tube connected to the blood purifying filter and allowing dialysis fluid to be supplied to the blood purifying filter therethrough, a dialysis fluid discharge tube connected to the blood purifying filter and allowing dialysis fluid to be discharged from the blood purifying filter therethrough; and a fluid pumping device. The fluid pumping device further includes a plurality of chamber each having an internal space, a chamber pressurizing member disposed inside the plurality of chambers and compressing or expanding the chambers to thereby allow a fluid to flow therethrough, and a flow controller controlling a flow passage.