Patent ID: 8178040

Claim:
A medical fluid management apparatus comprising: a) a fluid treatment component and/or a fluid source; b) a fluid line to transport fluid between a patient and the fluid treatment component and/or the fluid source; c) at least two processor systems each having its own associated software programs and each having an operating mode in which said processor systems are configured to perform a medical fluid management function within said apparatus, said processor systems line-connected to components of the medical fluid management apparatus to monitor and/or control the fluid treatment and/or fluid transport; d) a data transfer bus connecting the processor systems; e) a data input apparatus which is connected to the data transfer bus and via which the software programs belonging to the respective processor systems are updated with externally received software updates; f) an operating mode switch which is connected to the at least two processor systems and which has a first switch state and a second switch state, said operating mode switch being configured to switch the processor systems into said operating mode in said first switch state and into a software updating mode in said second switch state; and g) a central detection system which is connected to the operating mode switch and to the data transfer bus, said central detection system, when in the software updating mode, being configured to take into account existing versions of the software programs and/or existing processor systems to determine which of said software updates input via said data input apparatus have to be loaded for which processor systems, and to initiate the loading of these software updates into all the relevant processor systems respectively.