Abstract: A renal therapy apparatus includes a blood filter, a blood pump, a treatment fluid pump, and a control unit configured to control at least one of the blood pump or the treatment fluid pump during a filter cleaning sequence. In a first phase of the filter cleaning sequence, a first fluid including a blood-compatible and physiologically safe fluid is transferred back and forth across the insides and/or outsides of the blood filter. After the first phase, a second fluid is formed by mixing the first fluid with air. In a second phase of the filter cleaning sequence, the second fluid is transferred across the insides and/or outsides of the blood filter at least one time.

Abstract: A home therapy entry, modification and reporting system includes a website configured to display therapy entry, modification and reporting information and a system hub configured to manage a flow of the information between the website and a plurality of home therapy machines. The website specifically includes a therapy prescription screen configured to specify supplies needed at the patient's home or dwelling for operation with one of the home therapy machines, a device program screen configured to set parameters by which at least one of the home therapy machines operates to perform the home therapy on the patient, and a clinician dashboard screen including a list of patients and a notification associated with at least one of the listed patients, the notification indicating whether a predefined treatment condition or alert occurred during the home therapy.

Abstract: A home therapy machine is configured to perform a home therapy on a patient at a home or dwelling of the patient. The home therapy machine includes at least one processor operating a connectivity agent having an activated mode and a deactivated mode. When the connectivity agent is in the activated mode, the at least one processor is able to send data to and receive data from a system hub. When the connectivity agent is in the deactivated mode, the at least one processor is not able to send data to or receive data from the system hub. The home therapy machine further includes a user interface configured to receive a patient selection of a device program received from the system hub and at least one pump under control of the at least one processor for performing the home therapy according to the selected device program.

Abstract: A method for cleaning a blood filter includes: (i) pumping a physiologically safe fluid back and fourth through the insides and/or the outsides of a plurality of hollow fiber membranes of the blood filter to remove or loosen blood residuals, such as blood clots, proteins and/or biological fluid; (ii) injecting air into the physiologically safe fluid to form an air/fluid mixture; (iii) pumping the air fluid mixture through the insides and/or outsides of the plurality of the hollow fiber membranes of the blood filter to further or remove or loosen blood residuals therefrom; and (iv) removing the air/physiologically safe fluid mixture along with the removed or loosened blood residuals to drain.

Abstract: A renal therapy machine with a blood pressure monitor is disclosed. In an example, a renal therapy machine includes a dialysis fluid pump a control processor for controlling a treatment performed by the dialysis fluid pump, and a user interface in operable communication with the control processor. The renal therapy machine also includes a blood pressure monitor in operable communication with the control processor. The blood pressure monitor includes a blood pressure cuff positioned and arranged to receive air pressurized from within the renal therapy machine for the purpose of taking a patient's blood pressure.

Abstract: A home therapy machine is configured to perform a home therapy on a patient at a home or dwelling of the patient. The home therapy machine includes at least one processor operating a connectivity agent having an activated mode and a deactivated mode. When the connectivity agent is in the activated mode, the at least one processor is able to send data to and receive data from a system hub. When the connectivity agent is in the deactivated mode, the at least one processor is not able to send data to or receive data from the system hub. The home therapy machine further includes a user interface configured to receive a patient selection of a device program received from the system hub and at least one pump under control of the at least one processor for performing the home therapy according to the selected device program.

Abstract: A method for performing renal therapy at a home or dwelling of a patient using a renal therapy machine includes electronically retrieving a doctor's prescription for renal therapy and based on the doctor's prescription, enabling electronic selection of supplies, including a dialyzer, at a first location other than the patient's home or dwelling by a person other than the patient. The method further includes electronically initiating a sending of the supplies and the renal therapy machine to the patient's home or dwelling.

Abstract: A computer readable medium stores instructions configured to cause a home therapy machine to allow an at home patient selection of a device program from a plurality of device programs stored on the home therapy machine and perform an at home treatment using fluid flow equipment provided by the home therapy machine according to the selected device program. The instructions are further configured to receive data generated during the at home treatment and generate at least one log file based upon the received data.

Abstract: A home therapy entry, modification and reporting system includes a website configured to display therapy entry, modification and reporting information and a system hub configured to manage a flow of the information between the website and a plurality of home therapy machines. The website specifically includes a therapy prescription screen configured to specify supplies needed at the patient's home or dwelling for operation with one of the home therapy machines, a device program screen configured to set parameters by which at least one of the home therapy machines operates to perform the home therapy on the patient, and a clinician dashboard screen including a list of patients and a notification associated with at least one of the listed patients, the notification indicating whether a predefined treatment condition or alert occurred during the home therapy.

Abstract: A method for cleaning a blood filter includes: (i) pumping a physiologically safe fluid back and fourth through the insides and/or the outsides of a plurality of hollow fiber membranes of the blood filter to remove or loosen blood residuals, such as blood clots, proteins and/or biological fluid; (ii) injecting air into the physiologically safe fluid to form an air/fluid mixture; (iii) pumping the air fluid mixture through the insides and/or outsides of the plurality of the hollow fiber membranes of the blood filter to further or remove or loosen blood residuals therefrom; and (iv) removing the air/physiologically safe fluid mixture along with the removed or loosened blood residuals to drain.

Abstract: A home medical device system includes a plurality of home therapy machines that perform a home therapy on a patient; a connectivity server; a system hub coupled to the home therapy machines through the connectivity server; a web portal configured to access the system hub; a plurality of clinics connected to the system hub via the web portal; and a website accessible via the web portal, the website including a patient portion available to patients using the plurality of home therapy machines, the website further including a clinician portion that enables the clinics to manage the home therapy machines.

Abstract: A method of calibrating a dialysis machine to determine the volume of a dialysate flow path of the machine including a dialysate preparation tank includes the steps of introducing a known quantity of electrically conductive chemicals into the dialysate preparation tank, filling the dialysate solution flow path with water, mixing the chemicals with water to form a solution, measuring the conductivity of the solution, calculating the system volume (Vsys) according to the relation: Vsys=M/(a1r+b1) where M is the mass in grams of the chemicals, a1 and b1 are a coefficient of linearity and a constant of linearity, respectively, for the chemicals and r is the measured conductivity of the solution.

Abstract: A method of disinfection of a dead-ended fluid line in a medical instrument such as a dialysis machine is described. The method comprises introducing a heated fluid into the fluid line, allowing the fluid to remain in the line for an experimentally determined optimal dwell period, removing the fluid from the fluid line, and then repeating the cycle for a time period sufficient to achieve a disinfection of the fluid line. The optimum dwell period and frequency for exchanging the heated fluid is determined so that the heated fluid is left resident in the line to exert a cidal effect but not so long that the it cools to the point of being ineffective, nor changed so frequently that that the time spent with no hot water resident in the line begins to detract (e.g., unduly prolong) the disinfection process.

Abstract: A batch of dialysate solution is made from a mixture of bicarbonate formulation and a liquid acid formulation. The liquid acid formulation is introduced into a dialysate tank and then removed from the tank and stored elsewhere, such as in an ultrafiltration tank, where it is diluted with a few litres of water. The dialysate tank is then filled with water and the bicarbonate formulation is added to the dialysate tank. The bicarbonate formulation is mixed and dissolved by circulation in a closed loop, with the liquid acid formulation kept separate. When the bicarbonate solution has been prepared, the liquid acid solution and the bicarbonate solution are mixed together and stored in the dialysate preparation tank. An additional quantity of dilution water is introduced into the dialysate system to bring the final conductivity down to the desired range. The excess dialysate solution can be used for several purposes, such as an endotoxin flush of the blood tubing set or a dialyzer clearance test.