An anti-cancer substance is administered via the patient's blood ex vivo and in line by establishing a connection between the patient and a device having a chamber containing the anti-cancer substance. The patient's blood in the chamber and the anti-cancer substance interact so that immune cells in the blood (1) are activated to produce an immune response in the patient, or (2) are pre-armed by attaching to the cells antibodies, or (3) both. After activating or pre-arming the cells, the patient's treated blood is returned to the patient. The anti-cancer substance may be within the chamber prior to drawing the patient's blood into the chamber, may be introduced into the chamber after drawing the patient's blood into the chamber, or may be introduced into the chamber concurrent with the introduction of the patient's blood into the chamber. The connection is terminated after returning to the patient's blood including the activated or pre-armed cells.

Systems and methods are disclosed for performing online extracorporeal photopheresis in which the needs of a particular patient as to the fluid balance to be achieved and the time allotted to perform the procedure can be prioritized. Whole blood is removed from a patient and introduced through a processing set into a separation chamber to separate the desired cell population from the blood. The separated cell population is processed through the set which is associated with a treatment chamber where the cells are treated. Once treated, the cells are returned to the patient.

A microwave therapy apparatus and method for blood cancer treatment is disclosed. The microwave therapy apparatus for blood cancer treatment includes a plurality of porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) filters or a plurality of porous glass filters provided in a dialyzer of a hemodialysis apparatus; a nanoflower filter provided downstream of the plurality of porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) filters or the plurality of porous glass filters in the blood tube; and an RF absorber provided downstream of the nanoflower filter to attract cancer cells thereto by generating a frequency of a predetermined band, wherein the blood, from which the cancer cells have been removed by an RF frequency and which includes normal blood cells that passed through the nanoflower filter, is circulated and supplied to a blood tube connected to a vein of the body of the blood cancer patient.

A method for performing apheresis of mammals, including humans, is set forth which does not require separation of the blood into plasma or any other portion. Termed whole blood apheresis herein, this advance makes it possible to perform apheresis more quickly and efficiently with less stress for the patient. This application also discloses important advances in apheresis for therapeutic treatments, including treatments for sepsis and AKI using whole blood apheresis, and immunotherapy where targets that interfere with recovery are removed by apheresis and gene-engineered fragments previously removed are reintroduced. Use of selective withdrawal through apheresis expands possible resolutions of illnesses and conditions previously thought to be untreatable.

A fluid filtration system comprising a cross-flow filter is arranged to permit a first pump to recirculate part of the retentate of the filter to the inlet of the cross-flow filter and a second pump to return part of the permeate to the inlet of the cross-flow filter. A third pump is configured supply source fluid to the inlet of the filter. The flow path between the second pump and the cross-flow filter inlet may include an adsorption filter that may selectively remove contaminants, toxins, or pathogens in the permeate. A controller may control the first, second and third pumps to provide predetermined flow ratios among the fluid flow paths of the system in order to achieve a desired filtration level. This system may be applicable to the removal of harmful substances from blood, by first separating the plasma from the blood and then removing harmful substances from the plasma.

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.

A column for removal of a component from a fluid is disclosed. The column has a compartment with a cross sectional area. The compartment contains beads having a diameter. A ligand selected to bind to the component is coupled to the beads. The cross-sectional area and bead diameter are selected to maintain a flow velocity of the fluid within the compartment below a first threshold, thereby reducing leaching of the ligand into the fluid. Also described herein is an adsorbent comprising a ligand that is attached to a substrate by an amine bond, wherein the ligand is resistant to dissociation from the substrate.

Devices and methods are described for disinfection of pathogenic organisms using pulsed DC field electroporation. For example, this disclosure describes disinfection of pathogenic organisms using pulsed DC field electroporation for lung infection treatment, blood infection treatment, sterilization, and respirators.

Apparatus and method for photo-chemical oxidation are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a system for treating a dialysis fluid includes: a nanostructured photo-electrochemical anode; a source of light configured to illuminate the photo-electrochemical anode; and a cathode that is permeable to oxygen provided to the dialysis fluid and non-permeable to a liquid of the dialysis fluid. The photo-electrochemical anode is configured to remove urea from the dialysis fluid by converting the urea in the dialysis fluid into oxidation products through a photo electrochemical reaction.

The present invention concerns an extracorporeal circuit for regional scoagulation of blood comprising a line for taking the blood from the patient, a first filtering unit, and a line for returning the blood to the patient defining a main circuit, the extracorporeal circuit comprising a secondary circuit for recirculation of the plasma water comprising: a calcium removal assembly adapted to provide a solution with low calcium content in said main circuit;
the extracorporeal circuit further comprising: first means for the infusion of said solution with low calcium content into said main circuit upstream of said first filtering unit and of said calcium removal assembly with respect to the blood flow direction in the main circuit and second means for the infusion of an electrolytic re-establishment solution located downstream of said first means with respect to the direction of the blood flow in said main circuit.