Abstract: A dialysis system includes a dialysis machine comprising a motorized autoconnection mechanism, a fluid supply line connected to a source of dialysis fluid, and a cassette for use with the dialysis machine. The cassette includes a frame, a pump chamber within the frame, a first set of valves for routing the dialysis fluid from the fluid supply line to the pump chamber, and a second set of valves for routing the dialysis fluid from the pump chamber to a patient line. The cassette also includes a plurality of ports communicating with the first and second set of valves. Each port includes an integral spike. The motorized autoconnection mechanism is configured to move the fluid supply line and the patient line automatically so as to be spiked open respectively by the plurality of ports of the cassette.

Abstract: A dialysis system including a disposable fluid pumping cassette including at least one flexible membrane attached to a housing and at least one port extending from the housing, the at least one port including a spike; at least one dialysis fluid supply in fluid communication with at least one tubing and tubing connector; an autoconnection device including a shuttle for moving the at least one tubing and tubing connector towards the spike of the at least one port, the autoconnection device including at least one lead screw in mechanical communication with the shuttle, a motor and power transmission equipment to transmit power from the motor to the at least one lead screw; and a controller programmed to operate the motor to move the at least one tubing and tubing connector towards the spike of the at least one port of the disposable fluid pumping cassette.

Abstract: A dialysis fluid system includes a dialysis fluid inlet; a dialysis fluid outlet; a pump positioned and arranged to pump dialysis fluid through the dialysis fluid inlet and the dialysis fluid outlet; and an inductive heater located between the dialysis fluid inlet and the dialysis fluid outlet, the inductive heater including a fluid flowpath positioned and arranged to receive non-heated dialysis fluid from the dialysis fluid inlet and to output heated dialysis fluid to the a dialysis fluid outlet, a conductive heater element located within the fluid flowpath so as to be or act as a secondary coil of a transformer, and a primary coil of the transformer located outside of the fluid flowpath and positioned so as to magnetically induce a current into the conductive heater element, causing the conductive heater element and surrounding fluid to heat.

Abstract: A dialysis fluid system includes a dialysis fluid inlet; a dialysis fluid outlet; a pump positioned and arranged to pump dialysis fluid through the dialysis fluid inlet and the dialysis fluid outlet; and an inductive heater located between the dialysis fluid inlet and the dialysis fluid outlet, the inductive heater including a fluid flowpath positioned and arranged to receive non-heated dialysis fluid from the dialysis fluid inlet and to output heated dialysis fluid to the a dialysis fluid outlet, a conductive heater element located within the fluid flowpath so as to be or act as a secondary coil of a transformer, and a primary coil of the transformer located outside of the fluid flowpath and positioned so as to magnetically induce a current into the conductive heater element, causing the conductive heater element and surrounding fluid to heat.

Abstract: A blood treatment machine includes a blood pump; an arterial line in fluid communication with the blood pump; a venous line; and a heartbeat evaluation system including (i) a first electrode coupled to the arterial line or to a patient, (ii) a second electrode coupled to the venous line, (iii) electronic circuitry communicating electrically with the first electrode and the second electrode to sense an electrical heartbeat signal generated by the patient, and (iv) signal processing configured to use the sensed heartbeat signal to calculate at least one of (a) heart rate, (b) respiration, (c) stroke volume, (d) cardiac output, or (e) central blood volume.

Abstract: A hemodialysis system configured to purge air from a blood circuit comprising: a dialyzer; a dialysis fluid circuit operable with the dialyzer via dialysis fluid inlet and outlet lines; the blood circuit operable with the dialyzer and including an arterial line, a venous line, a blood pump operable with the arterial line upstream of the dialyzer, and a physiologically acceptable fluid source in fluid communication with the arterial line upstream of the blood pump; and an air purging scheme wherein, with the dialysis fluid inlet and outlet lines connected to the dialyzer, air is purged using dialysis fluid or other physiologically acceptable fluid pumped by at least one of the fresh or used dialysis fluid pumps from the dialysis fluid circuit, through the dialyzer, into the blood circuit, in combination with dialysis fluid or other physiologically acceptable fluid from the source introduced directly into the blood circuit.

Abstract: A dialysis system including a disposable fluid pumping cassette including at least one flexible membrane attached to a housing and at least one port extending from the housing, the at least one port including a spike; at least one dialysis fluid supply in fluid communication with at least one tubing and tubing connector; an autoconnection device including a shuttle for moving the at least one tubing and tubing connector towards the spike of the at least one port, the autoconnection device including at least one lead screw in mechanical communication with the shuttle, a motor and power transmission equipment to transmit power from the motor to the at least one lead screw; and a controller programmed to operate the motor to move the at least one tubing and tubing connector towards the spike of the at least one port of the disposable fluid pumping cassette.

Abstract: A hemodialysis system configured to purge air from a blood circuit comprising: a dialyzer; a dialysis fluid circuit operable with the dialyzer via dialysis fluid inlet and outlet lines; the blood circuit operable with the dialyzer and including an arterial line, a venous line, a blood pump operable with the arterial line upstream of the dialyzer, and a physiologically acceptable fluid source in fluid communication with the arterial line upstream of the blood pump; and an air purging scheme wherein, with the dialysis fluid inlet and outlet lines connected to the dialyzer, air is purged using dialysis fluid or other physiologically acceptable fluid pumped by at least one of the fresh or used dialysis fluid pumps from the dialysis fluid circuit, through the dialyzer, into the blood circuit, in combination with dialysis fluid or other physiologically acceptable fluid from the source introduced directly into the blood circuit.

Abstract: A dialysis system including a disposable fluid pumping cassette including at least one flexible membrane attached to a housing and at least one port extending from the housing, the at least one port including a spike; at least one dialysis fluid supply in fluid communication with at least one tubing and tubing connector; an autoconnection device including a shuttle for moving the at least one tubing and tubing connector towards the spike of the at least one port, the autoconnection device including at least one lead screw in mechanical communication with the shuttle, a motor and power transmission equipment to transmit power from the motor to the at least one lead screw; and a controller programmed to operate the motor to move the at least one tubing and tubing connector towards the spike of the at least one port of the disposable fluid pumping cassette.

Abstract: A hemodialysis system includes a blood treatment machine, a blood pump housed by the blood treatment machine, a first dialysate pump housed by the blood treatment machine, a second dialysate pump housed by the blood treatment machine; and a fluid cassette including an upper portion and a lower portion. The fluid cassette further includes a blood pumping tube extending from the upper portion to the lower portion of the fluid cassette, a first dialysate pumping tube extending from the upper portion to the lower portion of the fluid cassette, and a second dialysate pumping tube extending from the upper portion to the lower portion of the fluid cassette.

Abstract: A renal failure therapy machine includes a blood cleaning filter, a dialysis fluid circuit including a balance chamber, the balance chamber including a fresh dialysis fluid compartment configured to send fresh dialysis fluid to the blood cleaning filter and a used dialysis fluid compartment configured to receive used dialysis fluid from the blood cleaning filter, a fresh dialysis fluid line in fluid communication with the fresh dialysis fluid compartment of the balance chamber and the blood cleaning filter, and a flow restrictor in fluid communication with the blood cleaning filter, the flow restrictor configured to cause fresh dialysis fluid delivered from the fresh dialysis fluid compartment, through the fresh dialysis fluid line, to the blood cleaning filter to be pressurized so that a first amount of the fresh dialysis fluid performs convective clearance and a second amount of the fresh dialysis fluid performs diffusive clearance.

Abstract: A method for priming a hemodialysis treatment includes: providing a disposable cassette including at least a portion of a dialysate circuit and at least a portion of a blood circuit; placing a dialyzer in fluid communication with the dialysate circuit via a to-dialyzer dialysate line and a from-dialyzer dialysate line; placing the dialyzer in fluid communication with the blood circuit via an arterial blood line and a venous blood line; placing a source of dialysis fluid in fluid communication with the dialyzer; priming the dialysate circuit with dialysis fluid from the source while both the to-dialyzer dialysate line and the from-dialyzer dialysate line are connected at their dialyzer ends to the dialyzer; and priming the blood circuit with dialysis fluid from the source by actuating at least one valve provided by the disposable cassette.

Abstract: A dialysis system includes an on-line dialysate generator, a first dialysate pump in fluid communication with the on-line dialysate generator, and a second dialysate pump in fluid communication with the on-line dialysate generator. The dialysis system also includes a dialyzer in fluid communication with the first and second dialysate pumps. The dialysis system further includes a first valve located between the first dialysate pump and the dialyzer and a second valve located between the second dialysate pump and the dialyzer. The dialysis system is configured to alternate pumping of dialysate from the first and second dialysate pumps to the dialyzer using the first and second valves.

Abstract: A blood treatment machine includes a blood pump; an arterial line in fluid communication with the blood pump; a venous line; and a heartbeat evaluation system including (i) a first electrode coupled to the arterial line or to a patient, (ii) a second electrode coupled to the venous line, (iii) electronic circuitry communicating electrically with the first electrode and the second electrode to sense an electrical heartbeat signal generated by the patient, and (iv) signal processing configured to use the sensed heartbeat signal to calculate at least one of (a) heart rate, (b) respiration, (c) stroke volume, (d) cardiac output, or (e) central blood volume.

Abstract: A blood treatment machine includes a blood pump; an arterial line in fluid communication with the blood pump, the arterial line including an arterial needle; a venous line including a venous needle; and a blood leak detection device including (i) at least one electrical component, (ii) a member configured to secure the at least one electrical component onto a patient's arm adjacent to patient access of at least one of the arterial and venous needles, the at least one electrical component capable of sensing the presence of a blood leak, and (iii) a controller in operable communication with the at least one electrical component, the controller programmed to allow for an amount of expected blood seepage and to cause an alarm if blood greater than the amount of expected blood seepage is sensed by the at least one electrical component.

Abstract: A renal therapy machine includes a blood filter including a plurality of porous fibers; a blood circuit in communication with the blood filter; and a dialysate circuit in communication with the blood filter and operable with at least one pump, wherein the renal therapy machine is configured to perform a priming sequence in which a physiologically compatible solution, other than dialysate, primes the blood circuit and is flowed within the fibers and through pores in the fibers of the blood filter, and the pump of the dialysate circuit vents air from the blood filter into the dialysate circuit.

Abstract: A hemodialysis system comprising: a source of priming fluid; an extracorporeal circuit including an arterial line, a venous line, and a drip chamber; a level sensor operable with the drip chamber; a reversible blood pump operable with the extracorporeal circuit; a connection between the arterial and the venous line; and a priming sequence in which priming fluid from the source is pumped in a reverse pump direction through the extracorporeal circuit and reversibly in a normal pump direction through the extracorporeal circuit, wherein an output from the level sensor is used to determine when to stop pumping in at least one of the directions.

Abstract: A renal therapy system includes: a filter; an arterial blood flowpath in fluid communication with the filter; a venous blood flowpath in fluid communication with the filter; a renal therapy fluid flowpath in fluid communication with the filter; first and second renal therapy fluid pumps; a plurality of valve actuators; and a dialysis fluid cassette including a plurality of valve portions configured to operate with the plurality of valve actuators so that (i) the first renal therapy fluid pump pumps renal therapy fluid through the renal therapy fluid flowpath for a number of first pump actuations, and (ii) the second renal therapy fluid pump pumps renal therapy fluid through the renal therapy fluid flowpath for a number of second pump actuations.

Abstract: A dialysis system includes a dialysis instrument including a blood pump actuator, a dialyzer, a heparin pump, and a disposable cassette including a blood pumping portion operable with the blood pump actuator of the dialysis instrument, the blood pumping portion including an inlet and an outlet, the inlet of the blood pumping portion of the disposable cassette positioned and arranged to receive blood from an arterial line of an extracorporeal circuit, the outlet of the blood pumping portion of the disposable cassette positioned and arranged to deliver the blood to the dialyzer and to receive heparin from the heparin pump.

Abstract: A blood treatment machine includes a blood pump; an arterial line in fluid communication with the blood pump; a venous line; and a heartbeat evaluation system including (i) a first electrode coupled to the arterial line or to a patient, (ii) a second electrode coupled to the venous line, (iii) electronic circuitry communicating electrically with the first electrode and the second electrode to sense an electrical heartbeat signal generated by the patient, and (iv) signal processing configured to use the sensed heartbeat signal to calculate at least one of (a) heart rate, (b) respiration, (c) stroke volume, (d) cardiac output, or (e) central blood volume.