Abstract: An implantable electronic neuromodulation system includes an implantable pulse generator comprising a controller and a memory. The memory is configured to store an emulated neurosensory signal representative of nerve traffic acquired from a patient equipped with an extra-aortic balloon pump counter-pulsation system or an intra-aortic balloon pump counter-pulsation system. A lead is coupled to the implantable pulse generator. At least one electrode is coupled to the lead. The at least one electrode is positionable in contact with or adjacent to at least one nerve that carries sensory information from baroreceptors. The controller is configured to stimulate the at least one nerve using the emulated neurosensory signal.

Abstract: An extracorporeal blood circuit including: a withdrawal conduit connectable to a coronary withdrawal catheter; a withdrawal pump connectable to the withdrawal conduit, wherein a pumping rate of the withdrawal pump determines a blood withdrawal rate from the coronary withdrawal catheter; a filter having an input connected to the withdrawal conduit and a blood output connected to an infusion conduit and a filtrate output connected to a filtrate conduit; a filtrate measurement device to determine an amount of filtrate removed from the blood in the filter; a fluid supplementation conduit providing a blood replacement fluid to at least one of the withdrawal conduit, filter and infusion conduit; a supplementation pump connectable to the fluid supplementation conduit, wherein a pumping rate of the supplementation pump determines a rate at which the blood replacement fluid flows into the blood flowing through the blood circuit, and a controller regulating the pumping rate of the supplementation pump such that the rat

Abstract: A device for continuously measuring osmotic pressure of blood flowing through an extracorporeal blood circuit including: a blood passage further comprising a withdrawal blood passage connectable to a blood vessel in a patient and an infusion blood passage connectable to a blood vessel in a patient; a filter further comprising a filtrate chamber, a blood chamber and a permeable membrane separating the filtrate chamber and blood chamber, wherein the blood chamber is in fluid communication with the blood passage; a pressure sensor measuring a pressure difference between the filtrate chambers and the blood chamber, and a controller receiving a pressure signal from the pressure sensor, determining an osmotic pressure across the permeable membrane of the filter, and adjusting a rate of removal of fluid from blood in the filter if the determined osmotic pressure level varies from a predetermined osmotic pressure setting.

Abstract: An ultrafiltration filter for an extracorporeal blood circuit having an input for blood withdrawn from a human patient and a blood output for filtered blood to be infused into the patient including: a filter body having a length of at least 20 centimeters (cm) and an interior diameter of no greater than 1.5 cm; an input at a first end of the body to receive the withdrawn blood; an output at a second end of the body to discharge the filtered blood; a filter membrane in the body defining a blood passage through the body, wherein the membrane has an active filter membrane surface area of no greater than 0.2 meters squared (m2) and the filter membrane blocks passage of blood molecules having a molecular weight cut of greater than 60,000 Daltons and a volume of the blood passage in the filter being less than two percent of a cardiac output of the patient, and an ultrafiltrate output to the body and open to a side of the filter surface area opposite to the blood passage.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling blood withdrawal and infusion flow rate with the use of a pressure controller. The pressure controller uses pressure targets based upon occlusion limits that are calculated as a function of flow. The controller has the ability to switch from controlling withdrawal pressure to controlling infusion pressure based upon the detection of an occlusion. The controller distinguishes between partial and total occlusions of the withdrawal vein providing blood access. Depending on the nature of occlusion, the controller limits or temporarily reverses blood flow and, thus, prevents withdrawal vessel collapse or reverses blood flow to quickly infuse blood into the vessel without participation from operator.

Abstract: A fluid removal apparatus comprising a blood removal catheter for insertion into a peripheral vein or artery and having a size 16 standard gage needle or less; a filter having a blood inlet port coupled to the blood removal catheter, a blood outlet port, an excess fluid removal port, and a blood flow passage with porous membrane which passes fluids to the fluid removal port and retains solutes of 60,000 Daltons or greater, and a blood return catheter for inserting into a peripheral vein or artery and having a size of 16 standard gage needle or less.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for detecting an electrical sensor, the system includes a sensor signal processing circuit further comprising an input port to receive a connector including the output signal lines of the sensor, a resistor connected to the output signal line of said input port, wherein the resistor is connected to a predetermined voltage; a sensor circuit having a connector adapted to connect to the connector, wherein the sensor circuit has a resistance substantially less than the pull-resistor, and the sensor signal processing circuit detects an unconnected sensor based on the voltage applied by the resistor.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for detecting an electrical sensor, the system includes a sensor signal processing circuit further comprising an input port to receive a connector including the output signal lines of the sensor, a resistor connected to the output signal line of said input port, wherein the resistor is connected to a predetermined voltage; a sensor circuit having a connector adapted to connect to the connector, wherein the sensor circuit has a resistance substantially less than the pull-resistor, and the sensor signal processing circuit detects an unconnected sensor based on the voltage applied by the resistor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling blood withdrawal and infusion flow rate with the use of a pressure controller. The pressure controller uses pressure targets based upon occlusion limits that are calculated as a function of flow. The controller has the ability to switch from controlling withdrawal pressure to controlling infusion pressure based upon the detection of an occlusion. The controller distinguishes between partial and total occlusions of the withdrawal vein providing blood access. Depending on the nature of occlusion, the controller limits or temporarily reverses blood flow and, thus, prevents withdrawal vessel collapse or reverses blood flow to quickly infuse blood into the vessel without participation from operator.

Abstract: An extracorporeal blood processing method using a blood circuit comprising a pair of blood passages attached to opposite flow ends of a blood treatment device and said blood circuit is mounted on a blood pump console, the method includes: withdrawing blood from a vascular system of a human patient and drawing the blood into the blood circuit; pumping the withdrawn blood through one of the pair of blood passages using a first blood pump of the console and into the blood treatment device; pumping the treated blood from the treatment device through the other of the pair of blood passages using a second blood pump of the console; infusing the treated blood from the other blood passage and into the vascular system of the patient, and periodically reversing a flow direction of blood through the pair of blood passages and blood treatment device.

Abstract: A method for batch implementation of settings in a renal replacement therapy device including: displaying on a user interface control settings which may be manually selected by an operator; selecting an independent control setting of the plurality of control settings; adjusting the independent control setting to an independent control setting level selected by an operator; temporarily storing the adjusted independent control setting level; automatically adjusting a dependent control setting level based upon the independent control level; displaying the adjusted independent control setting level and the adjusted dependent control setting, and implementing both the adjusted independent control setting level and the adjusted dependent control setting to control the device, by actuating a batch setting acceptance operation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling blood withdrawal and infusion flow rate with the use of a pressure controller. The pressure controller uses pressure targets based upon occlusion limits that are calculated as a function of flow. The controller has the ability to switch from controlling withdrawal pressure to controlling infusion pressure based upon the detection of an occlusion. The controller distinguishes between partial and total occlusions of the withdrawal vein providing blood access. Depending on the nature of occlusion, the controller limits or temporarily reverses blood flow and, thus, prevents withdrawal vessel collapse or reverses blood flow to quickly infuse blood into the vessel without participation from operator.

Abstract: A optical sensor for measuring tranmissive properties of a solution having: a cuvette body with an enclosed flow passage for the solution, wherein the flow passage further includes a solution inlet and a solution outlet and a cuvette between the inlet and outlet; a light source projecting light of a predetermined wavelength through the cuvette and solution flowing through the cuvette and to a light sensor, wherein the cuvette has inner wall surfaces opaque to the light of said predetermined wavelength, and the inner wall is in contact with the solution.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for detecting an electrical sensor, the system includes a sensor signal processing circuit further comprising an input port to receive a connector including the output signal lines of the sensor, a resistor connected to the output signal line of said input port, wherein the resistor is connected to a predetermined voltage; a sensor circuit having a connector adapted to connect to the connector, wherein the sensor circuit has a resistance substantially less than the pull-resistor, and the sensor signal processing circuit detects an unconnected sensor based on the voltage applied by the resistor.

Abstract: An extracorporeal blood treatment system including: a blood circuit having a first blood passage coupled at a first end to a first end of a blood treatment device and a second blood passage coupled at a first end to a second end of the treatment device, wherein the first and second blood passages each have a second end adapted to be coupled to a vascular system of a human patient; a first blood pump connectable to the first blood passage and a second blood pump connectable to the second blood passage, wherein said first and second blood pumps are adapted to move blood through the first and second blood passages in a first direction and in a reverse direction, and a pump controller operatively connected to the first and second blood pumps, said controller operates the blood pumps to cyclically move blood through the first and second blood passages in the first direction and the reverse direction.

Abstract: A method for batch implementation of settings in a renal replacement therapy device including: displaying on a user interface control settings which may be manually selected by an operator; selecting an independent control setting of the plurality of control settings; adjusting the independent control setting to an independent control setting level selected by an operator; temporarily storing the adjusted independent control setting level; automatically adjusting a dependent control setting level based upon the independent control level; displaying the adjusted independent control setting level and the adjusted dependent control setting, and implementing both the adjusted independent control setting level and the adjusted dependent control setting to control the device, by actuating a batch setting acceptance operation.

Abstract: A peristaltic pump is disclosed having pump motor with a rotating motor shaft and a shaft axis; a peristaltic pump head rotatably mounted on the motor shaft; a raceway having a semi-circular track arranged around the pump head and coaxial with the shaft axis, wherein the track has a beveled edge at an entrance to the raceway to receive a tube loop being loaded into the pump; the pump head includes at least one roller orbiting the raceway and compressing the tube loop against said raceway, and a cartridge to which the tube loop is attached and mountable on the raceway.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling blood withdrawal and infusion flow rate with the use of a pressure controller. The pressure controller uses pressure targets based upon occlusion limits that are calculated as a function of flow. The controller has the ability to switch from controlling withdrawal pressure to controlling infusion pressure based upon the detection of an occlusion. The controller distinguishes between partial and total occlusions of the withdrawal vein providing blood access. Depending on the nature of occlusion, the controller limits or temporarily reverses blood flow and, thus, prevents withdrawal vessel collapse or reverses blood flow to quickly infuse blood into the vessel without participation from operator.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for controlling blood flow through an extracorporeal blood circuit having a controller comprising the steps of: withdrawing the blood from a withdrawal blood vessel in a patient into the extracorporeal circuit, treating the blood in the circuit and infusing the treated blood into the patient; detecting an occlusion which at least partially blocks the withdrawal or infusion of the blood; reducing the blood flow rate and the rate of filtration in response to the occlusion, and further prompting the patient to move his arm in an effort to alleviate the occlusion.

Abstract: A device for continuously measuring osmotic pressure of blood flowing through an extracorporeal blood circuit including: a blood passage further comprising a withdrawal blood passage connectable to a blood vessel in a patient and an infusion blood passage connectable to a blood vessel in a patient; a filter further comprising a filtrate chamber, a blood chamber and a permeable membrane separating the filtrate chamber and blood chamber, wherein the blood chamber is in fluid communication with the blood passage; a pressure sensor measuring a pressure difference between the filtrate chambers and the blood chamber, and a controller receiving a pressure signal from the pressure sensor, determining an osmotic pressure across the permeable membrane of the filter, and adjusting a rate of removal of fluid from blood in the filter if the determined osmotic pressure level varies from a predetermined osmotic pressure setting.