Abstract: A method of treatment of physiological liquids of organism has the steps of providing a housing with inlet and outlet for physiological liquid so that physiological liquid enters an interior of the housing through the inlet and exits the same through the outlet, arranging a body of treatment material accommodated in the interior of the housing so that the physiological liquid which passes through the housing from the inlet to the outlet is treated by the treatment material, and uniformly distributing the physiological liquid by a body of particulate material located upstream the body of treatment material between the inlet and the body of treatment material so as to provide a uniform distribution of the physiological liquid after it enters the housing and before it enters the body of treatment material.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for alleviation of symptoms of inappropriate blood pressure and cramping from the removal of water during ultrafiltration hemodialysis and hemofiltration treatment. The invention uses oxygen concentration measured by sensors in various ways and at various points in the blood treatment circuitry to estimate parameters necessary to control the rate at which water is removed from the patient's blood.

Abstract: The invention relates to an article of clothing for osteoporosis treatment. The article of clothing is comprised of a flexible, stretchable material and has a front part (2) and a back part (3), which is provided on its inside with at least one air cushion strip (6) on each side of an imaginary center line (5) associated with the vertebral column of a user, each of these strips extending over the thoracic vertebral region and possibly also the upper lumbar vertebral region and having a number of air chambers that communicate with one another (FIG. 1).

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for providing sterile substitution solutions from a dialysis fluid used in connection with the treatment of a patient's blood in an extracorporeal circuit are disclosed. The apparatus includes pumps or valves for comparing the flow of fresh dialysis fluid prior to treatment and after treatment of a patient's blood and a throttle which divides the fresh dialysis circuit into a positive pressure portion and a negative pressure portion, a sterile filter including a membrane disposed in the positive pressure portion of the dialysis circuit, and a valve for controlling the pressure in the positive pressure portion to pass a predetermined amount of the fresh dialysis fluid through the membrane in a sterile filter to provide a predetermined amount of the sterile substitution solution for addition to the extracorporeal circuit.

Abstract: A method for measurement of mass and energy transfer parameters (clearance and dialysance) in hemodialysis. A sensor is provided in the dialysate flow path downstream of the dialyzer and means are provided to add concentrate upstream of the dialyzer. A pre-determined amount of a substance whose dialysance is to be measured is added upstream of the dialyzer. The amount of substance not dialyzed in the dialyzer is measured downstream of the dialyzer by said sensor by integrating the concentration over time. Dialysance is calculated from the amount added upstream, the amount measured downstream and the dialysate flow. In case the substance is part of the dialysate the base concentration is subtracted during integration. The addition of the concentrate upstream of the dialyzer can be done manually or, alternatively by the mixing pump of the dialysis machine. Instead of an increase of the concentration with a concentrate dilution with water can be used as well.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel hIL-4 mutant proteins, to processes for preparing them, and to their use as medicaments, in particular in overshooting, falsely regulated immune reactions and autoimmune diseases.

Abstract: Tooling for use with a folded cover seaming machine having a seaming chuck with a profile and a corresponding movable seaming roller formed with a mating profile operable to couple a can end to the walls of a can. The cross sectional thickness of the seaming roller in the transition area is reduced and the corresponding cross sectional thickness of the seaming chuck is increased. The increased thickness of the seaming chuck provides additional strength thereby reducing the occurrence of structural defects or fissures in the seaming chuck. The deceased thickness of the seaming roller provides a contour which minimizes the possibility of damage to cans and jamming of the seaming machine due to jamming in cases where no can end is supplied.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuously produced pressed board has a structuring belt in the form of a metal wire screen which is fed with a respectively endless steel belt and the wood-based mat passing through a continuous press whose heated upper and lower press platens have the belts guided therealong via rollers displaceable along closed paths. The wire mesh configuration of the structuring belt is continuously impressed into the pressed board strand which is produced.

Abstract: Tooling for use with a folded cover seaming machine having a seaming chuck with a profile and a corresponding movable seaming roller formed with a mating profile operable to couple a can end to the walls of a can. The cross sectional thickness of the seaming roller in the transition area is reduced and the corresponding cross sectional thickness of the seaming chuck is increased. The increased thickness of the seaming chuck provides additional strength thereby reducing the occurrence of structural defects or fissures in the seaming chuck. The deceased thickness of the seaming roller provides a contour which minimizes the possibility of damage to cans and jamming of the seaming machine due to jamming in cases where no can end is supplied.

Abstract: The circuit-oriented components of at least one function area of a communication system are combined on at least one area module. For a configuration of the communication system, a combination--determined by the central controller and stored in this controller--of a circuit technology identification and at least one function identification is transmitted to the respective area module and is stored there in the sense of a specification of the circuit-oriented and procedural functions of the area module. At least one program module allocated to the combination of a circuit technology identification and at least one function identification is transmitted to the respective area module, using the central controller, and is stored in this controller.

Abstract: The invention concerns a bag to accommodate solid or fluid concentrate which is used to prepare dialysis fluid using a dialysis machine. The bag consists of a bag body and at least one opening, whereby the opening is sealingly surrounded by a plug component (220). In the coupled state with a second plug component (210), the plug component (220) forms a flow connection with the interior of the bag. The plug component also has coupling means (276, 278) which are suitable to be connected with a second complementary plug component (210), which is disposed on the dialysis machine. By means of the plug connector, in the coupled state, a first flow path is formed from the dialysis machine to the interior of the bag and a second flow path is formed back from the interior of the bag to the dialysis machine.

Abstract: In order to preheat a particle mat having upper and lower faces and edges to a predetermined desired temperature for pressing into a pressed board air is conditioned to a temperature below 100.degree. C. and a moisture content together imparting to the conditioned air a dew point generally equal to the desired temperature. This conditioned air is simultaneously introduced from above and below at the same rate into the respective faces of the mat to produce in the mat a pair of horizontal and vertically approaching fronts at which moisture condenses out of the conditioned air. Introduction of the conditioned air into the mat is ended when condensed moisture and the conditioned air are forced out of the edges of the mat.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method are provided for collecting samples of used dialysate during hemodialysis treatments. A fluid sample is branched off from the main flow of used dialysate into a sample receiving container. The branching off of the sample flow, i.e. withdrawal of the fluid sample, is either time- or volume-controlled so that during the course of a dialysis treatment a predetermined number of fluid samples are withdrawn, whereby the total sample volume has a prescribed ratio relative to the total volume of used dialysate. The recirculation and sample withdrawal conduit is selectively attachable to the sample receiving container for sample collection, or to the inlet of the hemodialysis device to form a recirculation loop for a disinfection cycle. A disinfectant cartridge can be interposed between the recirculation conduit and the hemodialysis device inlet.

Abstract: A method for reprocessing dialyzer cartridges used with kidney dialysis machines is provided. The method involves filling the blood and dialysate compartments of the dialyzer with an aqueous solution containing citric acid at a concentration of 1.0-5.0 wt. %, e.g., 1.5 wt. %, and then subjecting the dialyzer to an elevated temperature above 90.degree. C. and below 100.degree. C., e.g., 95.degree. C., for a period of at least 15 hours, e.g., 20 hours. Although citric acid is non-toxic and the temperature used is below the boiling point of water, the process has been found to produce a fully sterilized dialyzer. After reprocessing, the aqueous citric acid solution is preferably left in the dialyzer where it acts as a bacteriostatic agent during storage. Essentially no damage to the dialyzer and, in particular, to its semipermeable membrane results from either the reprocessing or storage procedures.

Abstract: A gas exchange device (100) with an extracorporeal blood circuit (102) in which a blood pump (110) is connected, with a CO.sub.2 exchange unit (112), and an oxygenator (128), whereby the gas exchange unit (112, 128) is in each case divided by a hydrophilic, water-wet membrane (114, 130) into a blood chamber (116, 132) and a gassing chamber (118, 134) which is under positive transmembrane pressure.

Abstract: A particle mat for pressing into a pressed board is heated by concurrently passing through the mat treatment air coming from an air-conditioning system and having a predetermined moisture content and dew point, heating the treatment air passing through the mat to a temperature which is greater by a dew-point differential than the dew point of the treatment air, and controlling the volume rate of flow of the treatment air and the moisture content of the treatment air such that the mat is preheated to a predetermined temperature while liquid in the treatment air is allowed to condense in the mat to at most a maximum liquid content.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring the operability of components in a hemodialysis apparatus during dialysis treatment. The dialyzer is isolated from the dialyzing liquid circuit for a time interval during dialysis treatment. During the isolation time interval, the dialyzing liquid circuit pressure is measured and monitored to detect deviations from a mean dialyzate operating pressure. The isolation is repeated periodically, with the time period between isolation intervals dependent upon the ultrafiltration coefficient of the dialyzer. This method may be performed automatically by a microprocessor in the hemodialysis apparatus.

Abstract: The invention concerns a bag to accommodate solid or fluid concentrate which is used to prepare dialysis fluid using a dialysis machine. The bag consists of a bag body and at least one opening, whereby the opening is sealingly surrounded by a plug component (220). In the coupled state with a second plug component (210), the plug component (220) forms a flow connection with the interior of the bag. The plug component also has coupling means (276, 278) which are suitable to be connected with a second complementary plug component (210), which is disposed on the dialysis machine. By means of the plug connector, in the coupled state, a first flow path is formed from the dialysis machine to the interior of the bag and a second flow path is formed back from the interior of the bag to the dialysis machine.

Abstract: In a dialysis apparatus having a dialyzer and a single balance chamber, the internal volume of the balance chamber is preferably at most 2/3 of the volume of the dialysis fluid chamber within the dialyzer. As a result, during the dialysis fluid recirculation cycle, at most 2/3 of the volume of fluid within the dialysis fluid chamber will be replaced by fresh dialysis fluid. Preferably, the duration of the recirculation cycle is approximately equal to the duration of the balance chamber filling cycle.

Abstract: An operation panel for a passenger conveying device having a balustrade is provided comprising a key switch, a key pad, and a processor. The key switch may be actuated into a plurality of switch positions by an independent key and the keypad may be used to input data into the processor. The processor, which processes data from external inputs and the keypad, includes a programmable memory selectively accessible by password. A first level of the processor is accessible without actuating the key switch from a first switch position or entering a password into the keypad. A second level of the processor is accessible by actuating the key switch into a second switch position. A third level of the processor is accessible by actuating the key switch into the second switch position and inputting a password to the processor through the keypad.