Patent ID: 6916424

Claim:
In a blood dialysis system including a dialysis machine and an extracorporeal circuit including a dialyzer, a diafiltration module that is an independent standalone unit relative to the dialysis machine and the extracorporeal circuit and is adapted to be detachably connected to at least one of the dialysis machine and the extracorporeal circuit, the diafiltration module comprising: a first conduit having a first end and an opposing second end, the first end for receiving a dialysate fluid from the dialysis machine and the second end for discharging the dialysate fluid to the dialyzer; a second conduit in selective communication with the first conduit such that the second conduit selectively receives a diverted amount of the dialysate fluid from the first conduit, the second conduit communicating with at least one sterilizing filter for filtering the diverted amount of the dialysate fluid to produce a substitution fluid, wherein one end of the second conduit is configured to deliver the substitution fluid to the extracorporeal circuit; a control unit responsive to a first detected characteristic of one of the dialysate fluid flowing within the first conduit and the diverted dialysate fluid flowing within the second conduit, the control unit being configured to prevent flow of substitution fluid to the extracorporeal circuit by controlling flow of the diverted dialysate fluid within the second conduit in the control module when at least the first detected characteristic meets a prescribed criteria a pinch valve disposed within the second conduit for controlling the flow of the substitution fluid through the second conduit, the pinch valve being in communication with the control unit.