Patent ID: 8038640

Claim:
A hemodialysis system for removing blood from a patient and returning blood to the patient, the system comprising: a single blood pump that comprises: a first pump chamber and a second pump chamber; a first inlet valve configured to control the flow of blood to the first pump chamber; a second inlet valve configured to control the flow of blood to the second pump chamber; a first outlet valve configured to control the flow of blood from the first pump chamber; and a second outlet valve configured to control the flow of blood from the second pump chamber; a dialyzer in fluid communication with the blood pump; one or more pressure sensors configured to obtain information regarding blood pressure within the system; and a control base coupled with the pump, the control base comprising a controllable pneumatic regulator that is configured to control a pressure level of motive fluid that is delivered to the pump, the control base configured to selectively provide fluid communication between a first source of motive fluid at a first pressure level and the pump, the control base configured to alternate between a first state and a second state at a cycle rate, the control base configured to provide fluid communication between the first source of motive fluid and the first pump chamber of the pump in the first state and configured to provide fluid communication between the first source of motive fluid and the second pump chamber of the pump in the second state, wherein the control base is configured to receive information regarding blood pressure within the system from the one or more pressure sensors, and wherein the control base is configured to utilize the information to selectively control a setting of the pneumatic regulator so as to control the pressure level of motive fluid that is delivered to the pump to effect a substantially constant flow of blood uptake from the patient.