The present invention refers to a system and method for connecting a concentrate container with a blood treatment device with improved hygiene. Furthermore, the invention refers to a container and blood treatment device to be used in a method according to the present invention.

An object of the present invention is to provide a ligand-immobilized sea-island composite fiber in which generation of fine particles due to peeling of a sea component from an island component and generation of fine particles due to destruction of a fragile sea component are both suppressed. The present invention provides a sea-island composite fiber comprising a sea component and island components, in which a value (L/S) obtained by dividing the average total length (L) of the perimeter of all island components in a cross section perpendicular to the fiber axis by the average cross-sectional area (S) of the cross section is from 1.0 to 50.0 μm.sup.−1, a distance from the surface to the outermost island component is 1.9 μm or less, and an amino group-containing compound is covalently bonded to a polymer constituting the sea component at a charge density of 0.1 μmol or more and less than 500 μmol per 1 gram dry weight.

A method of treating a human subject which is effected by inhalation of gaseous nitric oxide, the method comprising a first treatment period comprising administering gNO by inhalation over a period of about at least 5 days, wherein the first treatment period is followed by a second treatment period comprising administering gNO by inhalation over a period of at least 3 months. The method can be utilized for treating a human subject suffering from, or prone to suffer from, a disease or disorder that is manifested in the respiratory tract, or from a disease or disorder that can be treated via the respiratory tract.

Apparatus and methods for delivering medicament to a patient. The apparatus may include elements with different capacities to attenuate or absorb sterilizing radiation. The apparatus may include a medicament delivery assembly with interactive elements for dose-setting, priming and medicament ejection. The assembly may include a chamber housing a radiation-sensitive medicament present in the apparatus during sterilization by electron beam. The assembly may include an actuator chassis, a drive mechanism, a needle-priming mechanism and a fluid-displacement mechanism including a fluid-displacement member. The chassis may be fixed, relative to an outlet, to the chamber. The member may be slidingly and/or threadingly engaged with the chassis, and may be configured to move relative to the outlet to deliver the medicament through the outlet. Assembly elements may be nested coaxially and/or stacked axially. The assembly may include at least one hollow region. The hollow region may reduce beam attenuation or reduce radiation absorption.

A cannula assembly for applying a flow cannula for the introduction, circulation or diversion of flow media, in particular blood, in the human or animal body. The flow cannula has a main portion and a tip portion. The tip portion is elastic and, in a functional position, is configured to protrude in an arc shape at an angle from the main portion, and in an application position, is held in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the main portion by a guide device. The flow cannula may be fitted for the indication of pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary insufficiency. The one of more flow cannulas so connected to the heart, for example, through an incision of the jugular vein or subclavian vein may be connected, on the outside, to a membrane ventilator, such as a Novalung®, with oxygen supply and/or additional pump support.

Provided are methods and arrangements wherein gases are removed via semipermeable membranes from aqueous, optionally complex biological substance mixtures, by dialysis in an aqueous medium. Special carrier molecules for gases are included in the dialysate that are regenerated in the dialysate circuit so that they can be used for further gas exchange cycles on the membrane.

Provided herein are materials and methods of reducing contamination in a biological substance or treating contamination in a subject by one or more toxins comprising contacting the biological substance with an effective amount of a sorbent capable of sorbing the toxin, wherein the sorbent comprises a plurality of pores ranging from 50 Å to 40,000 Å with a pore volume of 0.5 cc/g to 5.0 cc/g and a size of 0.05 mm to 2 cm and sorbing the toxin. Also provided are kits to reduce contamination by one or more toxins in a biological substance comprising a sorbent capable of sorbing a toxin, wherein the sorbent comprises a plurality of pores ranging from 50 Å to 40,000 Å with a pore volume of 0.5 cc/g to 5.0 cc/g and a size of 0.05 mm to 2 cm and a vessel to store said sorbent when not in use together with packaging for same.

A hollow fiber membrane module includes: a first hollow fiber membrane whose sieving coefficient for dextran having a molecular weight of not less than 300 kDa nor more than 1000 kDa is not less than 0.12 nor more than 0.28, wherein the first hollow fiber membrane adsorbs endotoxins.

A swing device for moving a blood bag includes a stand, a tray for receiving the blood bag, the tray being pivotable with respect to the stand, an electromotive drive device operatively coupled to the tray for causing a rocking movement of the tray with respect to the stand, and a control device for controlling operation of the drive device. The drive device includes a rotatable shaft member which is rotatable for driving the rocking movement of the tray. The drive device also includes a position encoding device configured to encode a rotary position of the rotatable shaft member of the drive device, wherein the control device is configured to determine a position of the tray with respect to the stand based on an encoder value indicative of the rotary position of the rotatable shaft member.

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.