A vacuum device for a material handling system includes a vacuum device body and a sealing element. The vacuum device body has a vacuum passageway in which a vacuum is generated in response to activation of a pressurized air supply that forces pressurized air through a venturi device. The sealing element moves to a sealing position to substantially seal the vacuum passageway when the air supply is activated, and is urged toward the sealing position via pressurized air that is diverted from an inlet of the vacuum device to the sealing element. The sealing element moves to substantially vent the vacuum passageway when the air supply is deactivated. The vacuum passageway may be in fluid communication with a vacuum cup, which seals against the object when the sealing element is at the sealing position and the vacuum generating device generates at least a partial vacuum in the vacuum passageway.

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.

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.

A vacuum device for a material handling system includes a vacuum device body and a sealing element. The vacuum device body has a vacuum passageway in which H vacuum is generated in response to activation of a pressurized air supply that forces pressurized air through a venturi device. The sealing element moves to a sealing position to substantially seal the vacuum passageway when the air supply is activated, and is urged toward the sealing position via pressurized air that is diverted from an inlet of the vacuum device to the sealing element. The sealing element moves to substantially vent the vacuum passageway when the air supply is deactivated. The vacuum passageway may be in fluid communication with a vacuum cup, which seals against the object when the sealing element is at the sealing position and the vacuum generating device generates at least a partial vacuum in the vacuum passageway.

A vacuum device for a material handling system includes a vacuum device body and a sealing element. The vacuum device body has a vacuum passageway in which a vacuum is generated in response to activation of a pressurized air supply that forces pressurized air through a venturi device. The sealing element moves to a sealing position to substantially seal the vacuum passageway when the air supply is activated, and is urged toward the sealing position via pressurized air that is diverted from an inlet of the vacuum device to the sealing element. The sealing element moves to substantially vent the vacuum passageway when the air supply is deactivated. The vacuum passageway may be in fluid communication with a vacuum cup, which seals against the object when the sealing element is at the sealing position and the vacuum generating device generates at least a partial vacuum in the vacuum. passageway.

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.

A vacuum device for a material handling system includes a vacuum device body and a sealing element. The vacuum device body has a vacuum passageway in which a vacuum is generated in response to activation of a pressurized air supply that forces pressurized air through a venturi device. The sealing element moves to a sealing position to substantially seal the vacuum passageway when the air supply is activated, and is urged toward the sealing position via pressurized air that is diverted from an inlet of the vacuum device to the sealing element. The sealing element moves to substantially vent the vacuum passageway when the air supply is deactivated. The vacuum passageway may be in fluid communication with a vacuum cup, which seals against the object when the sealing element is at the sealing position and the vacuum generating device generates at least a partial vacuum in the vacuum passageway.

An irrigation column for a drip irrigation system has a fluid conducting line for receiving fluid from a fluid source upstream. The irrigation column further includes a plurality of drip line segments extending alongside the fluid conducting line, a plurality of zone valves located along the fluid conducting line, and a plurality of control tubes extending alongside the fluid conducting line. And each control tube is in fluid communication with a respective one of the zone valves for actuating the zone valve.

The present invention generally relates to hemodialysis and similar dialysis systems, including a variety of systems and methods that would make hemodialysis more efficient, easier, and/or more affordable. One aspect of the invention is generally directed to new fluid circuits for fluid flow. In one set of embodiments, a hemodialysis system may include a blood flow path and a dialysate flow path, where the dialysate flow path includes one or more of a balancing circuit, a mixing circuit, and/or a directing circuit. Preparation of dialysate by the preparation circuit, in some instances, may be decoupled from patient dialysis. In some cases, the circuits are defined, at least partially, within one or more cassettes, optionally interconnected with conduits, pumps, or the like. In one embodiment, the fluid circuit and/or the various fluid flow paths may be at least partially isolated, spatially and/or thermally, from electrical components of the hemodialysis system. In some cases, a gas supply may be provided in fluid communication with the dialysate flow path and/or the dialyzer that, when activated, is able to urge dialysate to pass through the dialyzer and urge blood in the blood flow path back to the patient. Such a system may be useful, for example, in certain emergency situations (e.g., a power failure) where it is desirable to return as much blood to the patient as possible. The hemodialysis system may also include, in another aspect of the invention, one or more fluid handling devices, such as pumps, valves, mixers, or the like, which can be actuated using a control fluid, such as air. In some cases, the control fluid may be delivered to the fluid handling devices using an external pump or other device, which may be detachable in certain instances. In one embodiment, one or more of the fluid handling devices may be generally rigid (e.g., having a spheroid shape), optionally with a diaphragm contained within the device, dividing it into first and second compartments.