A membrane for the purification of blood, or a dialysis membrane, in hollow-fiber membrane or flat membrane geometry, made of a composite assembled from at least a base membrane based on at least one polysulfone or a polyphenylsulfone with at least one pore-forming hydrophilic additive and at least one functional layer arranged on the base membrane, whereby the functional layer is formed from at least one polymeric polycationic bonding agent and at least one polymeric polyanion, whereby the base membrane is made of a material which is selected from: a polysulfone [PSU], a sulfonated polysulfone [SPSU], a polyethersulfone [PES], a sulfonated polyethersulfone [SPES], a polyphenylsulfone [PPSU], a sulfonated polyphenylsulfone [SPPSU]; and mixtures of these.

A dialysis machine useful in hemodialysis can process or treat a reverse osmosis water flow received through the machine to prepare a dialysate. The machine can include an additive source to introduce an additive, such as bicarbonate, to the reverse osmosis water flow. The machine can include a sensor in fluid communication with the additive introduction point that can measure the conductivity or similar characteristic of the solution. During a first time period when additive is actively introduced to the reverse osmosis water flow, the sensor can measure a relatively high conductivity value. During a second time period when additive is not introduced to the reverse osmosis water flow, the sensor can measure a relatively low conductivity value. The dialysis machine can include a controller that processes these measurements to assist control and operation of the machine.

The present invention relates to novel co-polymers and their use in the manufacture of porous membranes for haemodialysis application. In particular, such a co-polymer comprises a first segment comprising recurring units poly(aryl ether sulfone) [PAES recurring units], and a second segment comprising-recurring units poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) [PVP recurring units], wherein said first segment and said second segment are linked together via a group of formula —O-Ph-NH—C(═O)—C(CH.sub.3).sub.2—CH.sub.2—.

Methods and systems for processing suspensions of biological cells and microcarriers are disclosed. The biological cells are separated from the microcarriers by introducing the suspension into a spinning membrane separator whereby the biological cells pass through the membrane and the microcarriers do not pass through the membrane.

The invention comprises a control system for monitoring and operating an existing supply water pre-treatment system for supplying de-chlorinated water to dialysis purification systems. The invention includes a controller and an operator interface for programming and interacting with said control systems. The invention further includes an injection assembly having a flow turbine sensor, a reducing agent injector, and an ORP/pH sensor for monitoring and controlling ORP/pH levels of said supply water.

A disposable cartridge for use in a hemodialysis machine has a blood flow path for carrying a volume of blood to be treated in a dialyser and a dialysate flow path, isolated from the blood flow path, for delivering a flow of dialysate solution through the dialyser. The cartridge is received in an engine section of the machine. The engine section has first and second platens which close when the cartridge is inserted to retain the cartridge. Actuators and sensors arranged on the second platen control operation of the cartridge.

A technology that provides various modular biomimetic microfluidic modules emulating varieties of microvasculature in body. These microfluidic-base capillaries and lymphatic Technology modules are constructed as multilayered-microfluidic microchannels of various shapes, and aspect ratios using diverse biocompatible microfluidic polymers. Then, various semipermeable membranes are sandwiched in between these multilayered microfluidic microchannels. These membranes have different chemical, physical characteristics and MWCO values. Consequently, this design will produce much smaller dimension channels similar to human vasculature to achieve biomimetic properties like of human organs and tissues. By interchanging microfluidic-layers or the membranes various diverse modules are designed that act as building blocks for constructing various medical devices, various forms of dialysis devices including albumin and lipid dialysis, water purification, bioreactors, bio-artificial organ support systems. Connecting various modules in diverse combinations, permutations, in parallel and/or in series to ultimately design many unrelated medical devices such as dialysis, bioreactors and organ support devices.

The invention concerns a process for the preparation of fish proteases from fish viscera, preferably from cod (Gadus genus) viscera. The fish proteases produced according to the invention have high specific enzymatic activity and are useful for food uses, for biomedical applications, in histology and tissue culture.

Parallel plate devices for hemofiltration or hemodialysis are provided. A parallel plate device includes a parallel plate assembly having an aligned stack of stackable plate subunits, each stackable plate subunit having a through channel for blood, where the blood channels are opened up at opposite ends of the parallel plate assembly. The parallel plate assembly is configured to form filtrate/dialysate channels interleaved with the blood channels, adjacent channels being separated by a silicon nanoporous filtration membrane. A blood conduit adaptor is attached to the parallel plate assembly at each of the ends, and is configured to distribute blood to or collect blood from the blood channels. Also provided are systems and methods for using the parallel plate devices.

The present disclosure relates to a hemodialysis membrane for the treatment of restless leg syndrome (RLS), especially in severe and very severe cases and/or in patients which suffer from kidney failure and already receive hemodialysis. The present disclosure therefore also relates to methods of treating restless leg syndrome. The treatment and method encompasses using a hemodialysis membrane which is characterized in that it comprises at least one hydrophobic polymer and at least one hydrophilic polymer and in that it has a MWRO of between 8.5 and 14.0 kD and a MWCO of between 55 kD and 130 kD.