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 regulating supply of substituate in an extracorporeal blood treatment with an extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus comprising a dialyzer divided by a semipermeable membrane into a blood chamber and a dialyzing fluid chamber and a device for supplying substituate. Moreover, the present invention relates to an extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus having a device for regulating supply of substituate. Regulation of supply of substituate in the extracorporeal blood treatment takes place as a function of the rheological loading of the dialyzer. To regulate supply of substituate during extracorporeal blood treatment, rheological loading of the dialyzer is determined from transmembrane pressure on the dialyzer and flow resistance of the dialyzer and substituate rate is increased or reduced according to the loading.

Abstract: Method and device for checking on the delivery performance of at least one first and/or second delivery means of a device for extracorporeal blood treatment by measuring the pressure in a closed container filled at least partially with air by a first pressure measurement, delivering a first liquid volume into the container with the first delivery means, measuring the pressure in the container by a second pressure measurement after delivering the first liquid volume, delivering a second liquid volume out of the container with the second delivery means, measuring the pressure in the container by a third pressure measurement after delivering the second liquid volume out of the container, and evaluating at least the measured values of the first pressure measurement and the third pressure measurement as a criterion for the deviation in the delivery performance.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for determining at least one operating parameter of a device for extracorporeal blood treatment as a function of the absolute pressure such that the absolute ambient pressure is first set in a closed container filled at least partially with air and next with delivery means a predetermined sequence of delivery strokes of a liquid is delivered into the container or out of the container, the increase or decrease in the relative pressure in the container is measured after each delivery stroke, the total volume delivered and the relative pressure after each delivery stroke are assigned to a value pair, the absolute pressure and/or the initial air volume is/are determined on the basis of the Boyle-Mariotte law and in additional steps the at least one operating parameter is calculated and adjusted as a function of the absolute pressure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a blood treatment device, in particular a dialysis machine, with at least one adjusting means by means of which the blood pump delivery rate can be adjusted, with detection means for detecting at least two physical attributes, wherein the same each are a physical attribute of a patient to be treated with the blood treatment device, and wherein the blood treatment device is formed such that by means of the adjusting means the blood pump delivery rate can be adjusted and/or limited with reference to the detected at least two physical attributes. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for adjusting operating parameters of a blood treatment device.

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: A method and a device for determining the effective delivery rate of a peristaltic pump with which a liquid is delivered inside an elastic hose pipe or for adjusting the speed of a peristaltic pump in order to match the effective delivery rate of the pump to the desired delivery rate may be characterized in that the effective delivery rate is calculated based on the nominal speed of the pump and the pressure inside the hose pipe upstream of the pump depending on the running time of the pump. The stroke volume of the pump may be multiplied by the nominal speed of the pump and the product from the stroke volume and the speed of the pump may be corrected by a correction function, thereby determining the effective delivery rate of the pump.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a device for monitoring a flowing medium, in particular the blood flowing in an extracorporeal blood circulation, for the presence of air, in particular micro-bubbles. A sequence of signal pulses or a continuous signal is injected into the flowing medium, and the signal pulses or continuous signal leaving the flowing medium are received. To detect micro-bubbles, a signal pattern that is characteristic of the variation over time of the received signal pulses or the continuous signal in a predetermined period of time is extracted from the signal received. The characteristic signal pattern is compared with one or more characteristic reference patterns, and the presence of air bubbles is determined if the characteristic signal pattern deviates from the characteristic reference pattern by a predetermined amount. Statistical characteristic variables, in particular the variance, are preferably determined from the signal patterns and compared with one another.

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 relates to a dialysis liquid circuit with conduits for conducting dialysis liquid and with means for detecting air in the dialysis liquid, wherein the means comprise 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, in which during operation of the dialysis liquid circuit a negative pressure exists with respect to atmospheric pressure, wherein the means comprise 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: The present invention relates to a dialysis machine comprising at least one filter for the filtration of the dialysis liquid and comprising means for determining the calcification of the dialysis machine, wherein the means for the determining of the calcification of the dialysis machine comprising one or more sensors, with the sensor or sensors being configured and arranged such that the 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 can be detected by these either downstream or upstream and downstream of the at least one filter, and wherein the means for determining the calcification of the dialysis machine furthermore have an evaluation or calculation unit which is configured such that it determines the calcification of the dialysis machine on the basis of the ion concentration or parameter value detected by means of the sensor or sensors.

Abstract: A method and a device for determining the effective delivery rate of a peristaltic pump with which a liquid is delivered inside an elastic hose pipe or for adjusting the speed of a peristaltic pump in order to match the effective delivery rate of the pump to the desired delivery rate may be characterized in that the effective delivery rate is calculated based on the nominal speed of the pump and the pressure inside the hose pipe upstream of the pump depending on the running time of the pump. The stroke volume of the pump may be multiplied by the nominal speed of the pump and the product from the stroke volume and the speed of the pump may be corrected by a correction function, thereby determining the effective delivery rate of the pump.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a device for monitoring a flowing medium, in particular the blood flowing in an extracorporeal blood circulation, for the presence of air, in particular micro-bubbles. A sequence of signal pulses or a continuous signal is injected into the flowing medium, and the signal pulses or continuous signal leaving the flowing medium are received. To detect micro-bubbles, a signal pattern that is characteristic of the variation over time of the received signal pulses or the continuous signal in a predetermined period of time is extracted from the signal received. The characteristic signal pattern is compared with one or more characteristic reference patterns, and the presence of air bubbles is determined if the characteristic signal pattern deviates from the characteristic reference pattern by a predetermined amount. Statistical characteristic variables, in particular the variance, are preferably determined from the signal patterns and compared with one another.

Abstract: This invention relates to a device and a method for delivering fluids, preferably for delivering medical fluids, comprising at least one pump designed as displacement pump and at least one control unit controlling the operation of the pump, wherein the pump can be actuated by the control unit such that during a suction stroke in a first operating condition the pump sucks in a volume exceeding the desired delivery volume for the purpose of discharging a desired delivery volume and discharges portions of the volume sucked in by performing a plurality of partial delivery strokes in the form of partial volumes which are smaller than the volume sucked in. The invention furthermore relates to the use of the device in the field of dialysis technology.

Abstract: In order to detect a leakage in a fluid system of a blood treatment apparatus having an extracorporeal blood circuit, the pressure in the fluid system is measured continuously during a predetermined period of the duration of treatment, and the leak rates are calculated from the change in the pressure at predetermined time intervals of the predetermined period of the duration of treatment. The leakage volume in the predetermined period of the duration of treatment is calculated from the leak rates, and the leakage volume is compared with a predetermined limit value. If the leakage volume is greater than the limit value, this indicates a possible loss of leaktightness in the system. This can be verified with a conventional pressure-holding test. The method and device are characterized by the fact that it is not necessary in principle to interrupt the blood treatment in order to detect a loss of leaktightness.

Abstract: In order to detect a leakage in a fluid system of a blood treatment apparatus having an extracorporeal blood circuit, the pressure in the fluid system is measured continuously during a predetermined period of the duration of treatment, and the leak rates are calculated from the change in the pressure at predetermined time intervals of the predetermined period of the duration of treatment. The leakage volume in the predetermined period of the duration of treatment is calculated from the leak rates, and the leakage volume is compared with a predetermined limit value. If the leakage volume is greater than the limit value, this indicates a possible loss of leaktightness in the system. This can be verified with a conventional pressure-holding test. The method and device are characterized by the fact that it is not necessary in principle to interrupt the blood treatment in order to detect a loss of leaktightness.