Dialysis is enhanced by using nanoclay sorbents to better absorb body wastes in a flow-through system. The nanoclay sorbents, using montmorillonite, bentonite, and other clays, absorb significantly more ammonium, phosphate, and creatinine, and the like, than conventional sorbents. The montmorillonite, the bentonite, and the other clays may be used in wearable systems, such as a wearable peritoneal dialysis system, in which a dialysis fluid is circulated through a filter with the nanoclay sorbents. Waste products are absorbed by the montmorillonite, the bentonite, and the other clays and the dialysis fluid is recycled to a patient's peritoneum. Using an ion-exchange capability of the montmorillonite, the bentonite, and the other clays, waste ions in the dialysis fluid are replaced with desirable ions, such as calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate. The nanoclay sorbents are also useful for refreshing a dialysis fluid used in hemodialysis and thus reducing a quantity of the dialysis fluid needed for the hemodialysis.

A method of collecting mononuclear cells includes separating whole blood into plasma and cellular components, purifying the plasma through a plasma adsorption column to create purified plasma, combining the cellular components with the purified plasma to form a first mixture, and separating the first mixture into mononuclear cells and at least one component. Alternatively, whole blood may be flowed through an adsorption column to create purified whole blood, with the purified whole blood then being separated into mononuclear cells and at least one component.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for the extracorporeal removal of protein-bound toxins from blood comprising at least one blood purification apparatus, in particular at least one dialysis machine, hemofilter or adsorber, as well as at least one means for generating a field in the blood purification apparatus and/or in an element in flow communication with the blood purification apparatus, in particular in a line section connected to the blood purification apparatus, wherein the means comprises at least two strip conductors which are arranged on at least two preferably oppositely disposed sides of the blood purification apparatus or of the element such that the field is preferably predominantly generated within the blood purification apparatus or preferably predominantly within the element.

Systems and methods for the washing and processing of biological fluid/biological cells are disclosed. The systems and methods utilize a disposable fluid circuit including a spinning membrane separation device to wash the biological cells.

A blood treatment system comprising at least one first device and at least one second device, wherein the first device is a membrane filter for the removal of toxic mediators from blood and the second device is suitable for the removal of granulocytes and monocytes from blood. The first device has a first blood flow path a first blood flow path for conducting blood through and the second device has a second blood flow path. The first and second devices are serially connected in succession in such a way that the first blood flow path is in fluid communication with the second blood flow path.

The membrane has an interior filter space in its housing and a semipermeable membrane arranged in the interior filter space, which membrane divides the interior filter space into a retentate chamber and permeate chamber. The housing has a blood inlet device and a blood outlet device that are in fluid communication with the retentate chamber, as well as a permeate outlet for diverting permeate from the permeate chamber. The blood inlet device, the retentate chamber and the blood outlet device form the first blood flow path. The membrane filter has a separation characteristic such that the sieve coefficient for albumin, SK.sub.Alb, is within the range from 0.015 to 0.35.

Systems and methods for performing hemodialysis to remove metabolic waste from the blood of a patient are disclosed. The systems and methods preferably comprise at least one blood processing apparatus that receives whole blood from a patient. Cellular blood components are removed from the whole blood by hemofiltration, to provide filtered plasma comprising metabolic waste that is substantially reduced of blood cells. The cellular blood components may be returned to the patient. The filtered plasma comprising waste may be removed from the blood processing apparatus through a waste path for further processing in a separate apparatus, or in the same apparatus in a second stage processing procedure to remove metabolic waste components and excess water from the plasma by hemodialysis. At least one of the hemofiltration and hemodialysis processing apparatus comprises a Taylor vortex-enhanced separation apparatus.

The present invention relates to a method for using lectins that bind to pathogens having high mannose surface glycoproteins or fragments thereof which contain high mannose glycoproteins, to remove them from infected blood or plasma in an extracorporeal setting. Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for reducing viral load in an individual comprising the steps of obtaining blood or plasma from the individual, passing the blood or plasma through a porous hollow fiber membrane wherein lectin molecules are immobilized within the porous exterior portion of the membrane, collecting pass-through blood or plasma and reinfusing the pass-through blood or plasma into the individual.

A system and a method facilitate the extracorporeal inactivation of pathogens of blood products. The system includes an input peristaltic pump, at least one apheresis device, at least one plasma-treating system, and an output peristaltic pump. The input peristaltic pump, the apheresis device, the plasma-treating system, and the output peristaltic pump are in fluid communication with each other. The plasma-treating system includes at least one primary ultraviolet light (UVL) device, at least one heating device, and at least one cooling device. The input peristaltic pump facilitates the flow of blood from a patient through the system. The apheresis device facilitates separating of plasma from one or more blood cells. The plasma-treating system heats the plasma, inactivates pathogens within the plasma, and then cools the plasma. The output peristaltic pump facilitates the flow of blood from the system and back to the patient.

A device for separating blood plasma from whole blood includes a first reservoir and a second reservoir. The first reservoir is configured to receive a sample of whole blood including red blood cells and includes a collection region and a constricted region. The second reservoir is fluidically connected to the constricted region of the first reservoir, such that, responsive to centrifugal force applied to the device, the sample of whole blood disposed within the first reservoir separates into a first fraction and a second fraction. The first fraction is located in the collection region and includes blood plasma from which substantially all red blood cells have been removed. The second fraction is located in the second reservoir and includes blood plasma and red blood cells that have been removed from the first fraction by the centrifugal force. The constricted region inhibits the second fraction from entering the collection region.

The present teachings generally include parabiotic dialysis systems and techniques. For example, the present disclosure includes parabiotic liver dialysis, e.g., for use in settings with limited resources. To this end, a parabiotic liver dialysis system may include a device having a semipermeable membrane with an average pore size that allows for the passage of albumin therethrough. In such a system, a first extracorporeal circuit may connect the device to the vascular system of a first animal (e.g., a liver patient), and a second extracorporeal circuit may connect the device to the vascular system of a second animal (e.g., a human with normal liver function), where the exchange of albumin therebetween is facilitated through the device. The present disclosure also includes various safety measures for parabiotic dialysis systems and techniques, such as biometric verification systems and techniques.