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: Dialysis systems that remove air from a blood circuit are disclosed herein. In an embodiment, a dialysis system includes a dialysis fluid circuit, a blood circuit including an arterial line, a venous line, and an enclosure in fluid communication with the venous line, the enclosure configured to release air through a hydrophobic vent for priming the blood circuit, a blood pump configured to pump fluid through at least the arterial line, a first valve operable with the arterial line and a second valve operable with the venous line, and a pumping and valving algorithm operated after priming to remove air from the blood circuit to control the first and second valves and the blood pump to replace priming fluid with blood from a patient.

Abstract: A hemodialysis system includes: (i) a dialyzer; (ii) a dialysate source; a dialysate pump; (iii) a dialysate cassette operatively connected to the dialysate pump such that the dialysate pump can pump dialysate through the dialysate cassette when the dialysate cassette is in fluid communication with the dialysate source, the dialysate cassette in fluid communication with the dialyzer; (iv) a blood pump; and (v) a blood cassette separate from the dialysate cassette, the blood cassette operatively connected to the blood pump such that the blood pump can pump blood through the blood cassette, the blood cassette including a housing, the housing including a from-patient tube connector, a to-patient tube connector, a saline/priming tube connnector, a to-dialyzer tube connector, a from-dialyzer tube connector, and an internal air separation chamber.

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.

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: An air purging method includes: (a) detecting a low fluid level in a blood circuit indicating a high amount of air in the blood circuit; (b) stopping a blood pump; (c) closing a venous patient line; (d) opening a blood circuit air vent valve and a drain valve; and (e) running the blood pump to meter air through the air vent valve and the drain valve to a drain.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for the performance of kidney replacement therapy having or using a dialyzer, control components, a sorbent cartridge with at least two separate flow paths, and fluid reservoirs configured to be of a weight and size suitable to be worn or carried by an individual requiring treatment. The system for performing kidney replacement therapy has a controlled compliance dialysis circuit, where a control pump controls the bi-directional movement of fluid across a dialysis membrane. The dialysis circuit and an extracorporeal circuit for circulating blood are in fluid communication through the dialysis membrane. The flux of fluid moving between the extracorporeal circuit and the dialysis circuit is modified by the rate at which the control pump is operating such that a rate of ultrafiltration and convective clearance can be controlled.

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 system and method for balancing flows of renal replacement fluid is disclosed. The method uses pressure controls and pressure sensing devices to more precisely meter and balance the flow of fresh dialysate and spent dialysate. The balancing system may use one or two balancing devices, such as a balance tube, a tortuous path, or a balance chamber.

Abstract: An access disconnection system includes a venous line, an arterial line, a first electrode coupled to (i) the arterial line, (ii) a patient, or (iii) a cardiac catheter assembly; and a second electrode coupled to (i) the venous line, or (ii) the cardiac catheter assembly. The access disconnection system further includes electronic circuitry communicating electrically with the first second electrode to sense an electrical heartbeat signal generated by the patient. The electronic circuitry is configured to send a disconnection output indicative of a change in the electrical signal sufficient to expect that an access disconnection of the venous line has occurred.

Abstract: A renal therapy blood cleansing system is provided. The renal therapy blood cleansing system includes a blood circuit including a blood filtering device, a therapy fluid circuit including a balance chamber configured to exchange like volumes of fresh and used therapy fluid, a first pump configured to pump fresh therapy fluid to the balance chamber, a second pump configured to pump used therapy fluid to the balance chamber, and at least one valve located downstream from the balance chamber, the at least one valve enabling fresh therapy fluid from the balance chamber to be directed selectively to (i) a flow path leading to an inlet of the blood filtering device, or (ii) a flow path leading to the blood circuit at a location upstream or downstream of the blood filtering device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for the performance of kidney replacement therapy having or using a dialyzer, control components, sorbent cartridge and fluid reservoirs configured to be of a weight and size suitable to be worn or carried by an individual requiring treatment are disclosed. The system for performing kidney replacement therapy has a controlled compliance dialysis circuit, where a control pump controls the bi-directional movement of fluid across a dialysis membrane. The dialysis circuit and an extracorporeal circuit for circulating blood are in fluid communication through the dialysis membrane. The flux of fluid moving between the extracorporeal circuit and the dialysis circuit is modified by the rate at which the control pump is operating such that a rate of ultrafiltration and convective clearance can be controlled. The system provides for the monitoring of an inlet and outlet conductivity of the sorbent cartridge to provide a facility to quantify or monitor the removal of urea by the sorbent cartridge.

Abstract: A renal therapy blood cleansing system is provided. The renal therapy blood cleansing system includes a blood filtering device in fluid communication with a blood circuit, a balance chamber configured to exchange like volumes of fresh and used therapy fluid with the blood filtering device, a first pump configured to pump fresh fluid to the balance chamber, a second pump positioned and arranged to receive used fluid from the blood filtering device, and a control scheme. The control scheme is programmed to isolate the blood filtering device from the second pump and deliver a volume of fresh fluid to the blood filtering device via the balance chamber while the second pump is isolated from the blood filtering device, so as to increase fluid volume within the blood circuit.

Abstract: An access disconnection system includes a blood treatment machine including a housing, an access site detection housing separate from the blood treatment machine housing, a transmitter positioned in the access site housing and configured to transmit an ultrasound wave into a blood stream of a patient, a receiver positioned in the access site housing and configured to receive a reflection of the ultrasound wave from the blood stream of the patient; and electronic circuitry in communication with the transmitter and the receiver. The electronic circuitry is supported by the access site detection housing, and the transmitter is configured to send a wireless disconnection output to the blood treatment machine. The disconnection output is indicative of a change in the reflected ultrasound wave received by the receiver sufficient to expect that an access disconnection of one of the arterial line and the venous line has occurred.

Abstract: A system and method for balancing flows of renal replacement fluid is disclosed. The method uses pressure controls and pressure sensing devices to more precisely meter and balance the flow of fresh dialysate and spent dialysate. The balancing system may use one or two balancing devices, such as a balance tube, a tortuous path, or a balance chamber.

Abstract: A hemodialysis system includes: (i) a dialyzer; (ii) a dialysate source; a dialysate pump; (iii) a dialysate cassette operatively connected to the dialysate pump such that the dialysate pump can pump dialysate through the dialysate cassette when the dialysate cassette is in fluid communication with the dialysate source, the dialysate cassette in fluid communication with the dialyzer; (iv) a blood pump; and (v) a blood cassette separate from the dialysate cassette, the blood cassette operatively connected to the blood pump such that the blood pump can pump blood through the blood cassette, the blood cassette including a housing, the housing including a from-patient tube connector, a to-patient tube connector, a saline/priming tube connnector, a to-dialyzer tube connector, a from-dialyzer tube connector, and an internal air separation chamber.

Abstract: An access disconnection system includes: an arterial line; a venous line; a transmitter configured to transmit a sound wave in one of the arterial and venous lines when connected to a patient; a receiver configured to receive the sound wave from the other of the arterial and venous lines when connected to the patient; and electronic circuitry coupled to at least one of the transmitter and receiver, the circuitry configured to send a disconnection output indicative of a change in the sound waves received by the receiver from the transmitter sufficient to expect that an access disconnection of one of the arterial line and venous lines has occurred.

Abstract: A hemodialysis system includes: (i) a dialyzer; (ii) a dialysate source; a dialysate pump; (iii) a dialysate cassette operatively connected to the dialysate pump such that the dialysate pump can pump dialysate through the dialysate cassette when the dialysate cassette is in fluid communication with the dialysate source, the dialysate cassette in fluid communication with the dialyzer; (iv) a blood pump; and (v) a blood cassette separate from the dialysate cassette, the blood cassette operatively connected to the blood pump such that the blood pump can pump blood through the blood cassette, the blood cassette including a housing, the housing including a from-patient tube connector, a to-patient tube connector, a saline/priming tube connector, a to-dialyzer tube connector, a from-dialyzer tube connector, and an internal air separation chamber.

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.