Abstract: A method and a device for determining the blood flow QF in a vascular access (F) during an extracorporeal blood treatment is described, where the blood enters the blood treatment unit (3) of the blood treatment machine through an arterial branch (19) of an extracorporeal circulation loop (2) which is in fluid connection with the vascular access at an arterial connection. The blood is returned through a venous branch (21) of the extracorporeal circulation, which is in fluid connection with the vascular access at a venous connection (13). The blood flow in the vascular access is determined by measuring the pressure Part, Pven, in the arterial and/or venous branch of the extracorporeal circulation when the vascular access is open and interrupted, while the extracorporeal blood flow QB is varied. Then the fistula flow QF is determined from the measured values for the arterial and/or venous pressure while the vascular access is open and interrupted.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for controlling blood flow through an extracorporeal blood circuit having a controller comprising the steps of: withdrawing the blood from a withdrawal blood vessel in a patient into the extracorporeal circuit, treating the blood in the circuit and infusing the treated blood into the patient; detecting an occlusion which at least partially blocks the withdrawal or infusion of the blood; reducing the blood flow rate and the rate of filtration in response to the occlusion, and further prompting the patient to move his arm in an effort to alleviate the occlusion.

Abstract: A method and device for monitoring vascular access is described. A field coil is placed at a location on an extracorporeal circulation loop connected to the vascular system of a patient, and an induction coil is placed at another different location. A voltage is supplied to the field coil, inducing an electric current in the blood. The current induces a voltage in the induction coil. Monitoring the voltage in the induction coil reveals if vascular access is defective.

Abstract: A haemofiltration machine designed to work with a haemofilter comprises two compartments separated by a semipermeable membrane, one compartment having an inlet connected to a withdrawing tube for taking blood from the patient and an outlet connected to a blood return tube, the other having an outlet connected to a tube for removing used liquid.

Abstract: A circuit for extracorporeal treatment of a body fluid, the circuit including in serial fluidic communication an inlet for receiving the body fluid from a patient, a first pump, a first treatment device for processing the body fluid, a second pump, an outlet for returning processed body fluid to the patient; and a shunt. The shunt is upstream from the first pump and downstream from the second pump.

Abstract: In an extracorporeal blood treatment system, non-treated blood may be withdrawn from a patient through an arterial line connected to a first compartment of a blood treatment apparatus. The blood treatment apparatus also includes a second compartment separated from the first component by a semi-permeable membrane. Treated blood may be returned to the patient through a venous line connected to the second compartment. In order to determine blood recirculation, i.e., a mixture of treated blood and non-treated blood in the arterial line, the ultrafiltration rate of plasma water through the semi permeable membrane of the treatment apparatus may be temporarily increased or decreased, and the resulting variation of the blood concentration, i.e., of the ratio of the volume of the plasma volume to the blood volume, is determined.

Abstract: A tube system comprising a blood inlet line with an arterial patient connection and a blood return line with a venous patient connection, where a rinsing liquid inlet line branches off from the blood inlet line downstream from the arterial patient connection, and a rinsing liquid return line branches off from the blood return line upstream from the venous patient connection is filled while maintaining sterility in that rinsing liquid is pumped from a rinsing liquid container through the rinsing liquid inlet line, the blood inlet line, the blood return line and the rinsing liquid return line, establishing a liquid connection between the rinsing liquid inlet line and return line. The venous patient connection is sealed liquid-tight with a venous safety cap, and the arterial patient connection is sealed liquid-tight with an arterial safety cap. The safety caps are removed from the patient connections for connecting the tube system to the patient.

Abstract: A blood treatment device, in particular a dialysis machine, which permits both single-needle and dual-needle operation. The device has a blood treatment unit, in particular a dialyzer that has an inlet connected to a feed line and an outlet connected to a return line. The feed line has two parallel line branches with a positive displacement pump being connected into the first and second line branches. To produce a fluid connection between the outlet of the dialyzer and one of the two pumps, a connection line is provided. For dual-needle operation, the feed and return lines are connected to an arterial and a venous needle. For single-needle operation, the feed and return lines are brought together and connected to a common needle. The connection line permits single-needle operation without great changes to the structure of the blood treatment device.