Abstract: The present invention pertains to Method for monitoring a dialysis treatment of a patient, preferably for monitoring a haemodialysis, haemodiafiltration and/or peritoneal dialysis treatment of a patient, the method including the steps of: irradiating a sample of a dialysis fluid used in the dialysis treatment with linearly polarized irradiation light; detecting the intensity of the fluorescence light emitted by the dialysis fluid in a first polarization plane; detecting the intensity of the fluorescence light emitted by the dialysis fluid in a second polarization plane which is different from the first polarization plane; determining the anisotropy of the fluorescence light emitted by the dialysis fluid; and determining the concentration of at least one fluorophore in the dialysis fluid on the basis of both, the determined anisotropy and the intensity of the fluorescence light emitted by the dialysis fluid.

Abstract: The invention relates to a dialysis machine having an extracorporeal blood circuit, a blood pump, a dialyzer, a venous pressure sensor, a substituate line, and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to operate the blood pump in a first operating mode and in a special operating mode and to start the special operating mode after recognition of a trigger event, in which special operating mode a conveying rate of the blood pump is controlled by means of a default value or is regulated to a desired value, which default or desired value is derived from a value determined before the start of the currently started special operating mode or corresponds to said value, wherein the presence of at least one obstacle is polled before the start of the special operating mode, and wherein, on the presence of the obstacle, the start of the special operating mode is blocked or delayed and/or the selection of the default value or of the desire value on the presence of the obstacle differs from the selection witho

Abstract: A container for dialysis concentrates, in particular acidic dry concentrates, has integral supporting elements. When these dry concentrates are dissolved directly by a dialysis machine to form liquid concentrates, the container must provide a volume of 4-12 liters. To impart the required stability to the container, the container includes the integral supporting elements, which manifest their supporting function only when the container is used on the dialysis machine.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to a device for determining an optimum dialysate flow Qdopt for an extracorporeal blood treatment and to a blood treatment device comprising a device 18 for determining an optimum dialysate flow Qdopt. The optimum dialysate flow Qdopt is determined on the basis of a relationship describing the dependence of the clearance K on the dialysate flow Qd. The device according to the invention comprises a measurement device 18B for measuring at least one value which is characteristic of the clearance K, a calculation and/or evaluation unit 18A of the device according to the invention being configured in such a way that the clearance K is determined on the basis of the at least one value which is characteristic of the clearance.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlling the dialysate flow in a dialysis device. A change of the value of a control factor, caused by a variation of a property of the dialysate or of the blood or by a change of the dialysate flow, is determined in order to control the dialysate flow. The control factor is a measure for the exchange of substances via the dialyzer and thus the effectiveness of the dialyzer. If the change of the value of the control factor exceeds a limit, the dialysate flow is increased. On the other hand, the dialysate flow is reduced if the change of the value of the control factor falls short of the limit range.

Abstract: A method and a device for determining an operating parameter of a device for extracorporeal blood treatment as a function of absolute pressure include setting the absolute ambient pressure in a closed container filled partially with air and having an essentially constant container volume by equalization of pressure with respect to the surroundings, and the pressure is maintained by isolating the container. With delivery means, a predetermined sequence of strokes of a liquid is delivered into or out of the container, and the change in the relative container pressure is measured after each delivery stroke. The total volume delivered and the relative pressure are assigned to a value pair, and the absolute pressure and the initial air volume is determined based on the Boyle-Mariotte law by using the value pairs for at least two delivery strokes. The operating parameter is calculated and adjusted as a function of the absolute pressure.

Abstract: A device for monitoring an extracorporeal blood circuit of an extracorporeal blood treatment device for detection of air bubbles in blood that is conveyed in the extracorporeal circuit by a blood pump, and a method for monitoring an extracorporeal blood circuit for detection of air bubbles, together with a device for monitoring the extracorporeal blood circuit are described. The device and method are based on monitoring the negative pressure in the extracorporeal blood circuit upstream of the blood pump, to allow differentiation between the occurrence of microbubbles which are attributable to cavitation and an entry of air not due to cavitation. When the negative pressure is above a predetermined limit value and microbubbles are detected in the extracorporeal blood circuit, it is deduced that the microbubbles are produced by cavitation and the mechanisms for dissolving the microbubbles are insufficient to remove the microbubbles again before they could reach the patient.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sensor system 10 for the capacitive measurement of the fill level of a fluid medium 22 in a container, preferably a bubble catcher of a dialysis device, comprising a receptacle 30 on which two contact areas are provided for contact with an external surface of the accommodated container and with at least one level detection electrode C1, C2, C11, C12, C21, C22 disposed in each contact area for capacitive detection of the fluid level in the container. The sensor system has a coupling measurement device C11, C12, C21, C22 for capacitive determination of the correct coupling.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining at least a first volume flow in a blood treatment apparatus which comprises: a primary circuit for conducting the blood to be treated; a secondary circuit for conducting a fluid that is used for the blood treatment; a blood treatment module provided for exchanging fluids and/or substances between the primary circuit and the secondary circuit; and an optionally provided fluid connection between the primary circuit and the secondary circuit, provided for introducing the first volume flow from the secondary circuit into the primary circuit; wherein the method encompasses determining the first volume flow of the secondary circuit taking into account a first pressure value or pressure measurement and a second pressure value or pressure measurement in the secondary circuit. The present invention further relates to a calculating device and a blood treatment apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of determining the pressure or of a parameter correlated with the pressure in an extracorporeal circuit of a blood treatment apparatus, in particular of a dialyzer, wherein at least one blood pump which is driven by at least one motor is located in the blood circuit, wherein the motor current of the named motor and the blood flow or a parameter correlated therewith is measured for determining the pressure or the parameter correlated therewith and wherein the pressure p or the parameter correlated therewith is calculated from the measured values.

Abstract: A method of monitoring a treatment of a patient, preferably for monitoring hemodialysis, hemodiafiltration and/or peritoneal dialysis, that includes the steps of irradiating a sample of a dialysis liquid used in the treatment with irradiation light of at least a first irradiation wavelength, detecting light emitted by the irradiated sample in at least a first detection wavelength, the detection wavelength being different from the first irradiation wavelength, and determining the presence and/or concentration of at least one analyte in the sample on the basis of the detected light.

Abstract: A dialysis machine has at least one filter for the filtration of dialysis liquid and a device for determining calcification of the dialysis machine. The device has one or more sensors configured and arranged to detect either downstream, or upstream and downstream, of the at least one filter an ion concentration or a parameter representative of the ion concentration or of its change of the dialysis liquid, of a solution serving the decalcification or of another measuring solution. The device doe determining the calcification of the dialysis machine has an evaluation or calcification unit configured to determine the calcification of the dialysis machine based on the ion concentration or parameter value detected by the sensor or sensors. For the Examiner's convenience, a clean text version of the replacement abstract (117 words) is presented below: A dialysis machine has at least one filter for the filtration of dialysis liquid and a device for determining calcification of the dialysis machine.

Abstract: A device for monitoring an extracorporeal blood circuit of an extracorporeal blood treatment device for detection of air bubbles in blood that is conveyed in the extracorporeal circuit by a blood pump, and a method for monitoring an extracorporeal blood circuit for detection of air bubbles, together with a device for monitoring the extracorporeal blood circuit are described. The device and method are based on monitoring the negative pressure in the extracorporeal blood circuit upstream of the blood pump, to allow differentiation between the occurrence of microbubbles which are attributable to cavitation and an entry of air not due to cavitation. When the negative pressure is above a predetermined limit value and microbubbles are detected in the extracorporeal blood circuit, it is deduced that the microbubbles are produced by cavitation and the mechanisms for dissolving the microbubbles are insufficient to remove the microbubbles again before they could reach the patient.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a method for monitoring a treatment of a patient, preferably for monitoring hemodialysis, hemodiafiltration and/or peritoneal dialysis, the method comprising the steps of irradiating a sample of a dialysis liquid used in the treatment with irradiation light of at least a first irradiation wavelength, detecting light emitted by the irradiated sample in at least a first detection wavelength, the detection wavelength being different from the first irradiation wavelength, and determining the presence and/or concentration of at least one analyte in the sample on the basis of the detected light.

Abstract: A method and device are provided for determining the transmembrane pressure during an extracorporeal blood treatment in which blood flows at a defined blood flow rate through an arterial blood conduit of an extracorporeal blood circuit into the inlet of a first chamber of a dialyzer, which is divided by a semipermeable membrane into the first chamber and a second chamber, and flows through a venous blood conduit from the outlet of the first chamber of the dialyzer, while dialysis liquid flows through a dialysis liquid supply conduit into the inlet of the second chamber of the dialyzer and flows through a dialaysis liquid discharge conduit from the outlet of the second chamber of the dialyzer.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to Method for monitoring a dialysis treatment of a patient, preferably for monitoring a haemodialysis, haemodiafiltration and/or peritoneal dialysis treatment of a patient, the method including the steps of: irradiating a sample of a dialysis fluid used in the dialysis treatment with linearly polarized irradiation light; detecting the intensity of the fluorescence light emitted by the dialysis fluid in a first polarization plane; detecting the intensity of the fluorescence light emitted by the dialysis fluid in a second polarization plane which is different from the first polarization plane; determining the anisotropy of the fluorescence light emitted by the dialysis fluid; and determining the concentration of at least one fluorophore in the dialysis fluid on the basis of both, the determined anisotropy and the intensity of the fluorescence light emitted by the dialysis fluid.

Abstract: The invention relates to a container for dialysis concentrates, in particular acidic dry concentrates. When these dry concentrates are dissolved directly by the dialysis machine to form liquid concentrates, the containers must provide a volume of 4-12 liters. To impart the required stability to these containers, they have integral supporting elements, which manifest their supporting function only when the container is used on the dialysis machine.

Abstract: A dialysis liquid circuit with conduits for conducting dialysis liquid and elements for detecting air in the dialysis liquid. The elements includes at least one gas sensor traversed continuously by the dialysis liquid, which is configured such that it measures at least one property of the dialysis liquid which depends on the presence of air bubbles in the dialysis liquid, and which is arranged downstream of a region to be monitored of the dialysis liquid circuit. During operation of the dialysis liquid circuit a negative pressure exists with respect to atmospheric pressure, and the elements includes an evaluation unit which is connected with the gas sensor and which is configured such that the property measured by means of the gas sensor is evaluated with regard to the presence of air bubbles in the dialysis liquid.

Abstract: A device and a method for delivering fluids, preferably for delivering medical fluids, such as in the field of dialysis, include at least one pump designed as a displacement pump and at least one control unit that controls the operation of the pump. The pump is actuated by the control unit such that during a suction stroke in a first operating condition the pump takes in a volume exceeding a desired delivery volume for the purpose of discharging a desired delivery volume, and discharges portions of the volume taken in by performing a plurality of partial delivery strokes in the form of partial volumes which are smaller than the volume taken in.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlling the dialysate flow in a dialysis device. A change of the value of a control factor, caused by a variation of a property of the dialysate or of the blood or by a change of the dialysate flow, is determined in order to control the dialysate flow. The control factor is a measure for the exchange of substances via the dialyzer and thus the effectiveness of the dialyzer. If the change of the value of the control factor exceeds a limit, the dialysate flow is increased. On the other hand, the dialysate flow is reduced if the change of the value of the control factor falls short of the limit range.