Patent ID: 6702774
Filing Date: 2004-03-09
Classification: A61M

Abstract:
A method of determining mass transfer in hemodialysis or hemodiafiltration using a dialyzer separated into a blood compartment and a dialysate compartment by a semipermeable membrane, said blood compartment comprising part of a fluid circuit connected to a patient or a source of a first liquid and to a discharge, and said dialysate compartment comprising part of a liquid circuit on the dialysate side connected to a source of a second liquid and to a discharge for the second liquid, said liquid circuit further having means for addition into the dialysate upstream of the dialyser a substance of which the mass transfer properties are to be determined, said method comprising the steps of:adding upstream of the dialyser a bolus of said substance; measuring over time the concentration of said substance upstream of the dialyser and measuring over time the concentration of said substance downstream of the dialyser and calculating the dialysance from the integral over time of the measured substance concentration minus background concentration over time upstream of the dialyser and from the integral over time of the measured substance concentration minus background concentration over time downstream of the dialyser, and from the flow of liquid through the dialysate compartment.