Switch valve for an extracorporeal blood circuit and circuit including such a switch valve

A switch valve for use in an extracorporeal blood flow circuit comprising:

• a valve housing having a chamber,
• four openings communicating with the chamber;
• and
• a valve member located in the valve chamber and movable therein to change the direction of blood flow among the openings, wherein the valve member is arranged to adopt an idle position in which all four openings are interconnected.

A switch valve for use in an extracorporeal blood flow circuit comprising:

• a valve housing having a chamber,
• four openings communicating with the chamber;
• and
• a valve member located in the valve chamber and movable therein to change the direction of blood flow among the openings, wherein movement of the valve member does not ever fully block any one of the openings.

A blood treatment equipment comprising:

• a dialyzer having a blood compartment and a dialysis fluid compartment separated by a semi-permeable membrane,
• an arterial needle for connection to a patient's fistula,
• a venous needle for connection to a patient's fistula downstream with respect to the arterial needle connection,
• a switch valve comprising:
• a valve housing having a chamber,
• four openings communicating with the chamber,
• a valve member located in the valve chamber and movable therein to change the direction of blood flow among the openings, wherein movement of the valve member does not ever fully block anyone of the openings, and
• a connector for each respective opening, said connectors including:
• a blood inlet connector,
• a blood outlet connector,
• a circuit inlet connector connected to an outlet of the dialyzer blood compartment,
• a circuit outlet connector connected to an inlet of the dialyzer blood compartment,
• an arterial line connecting the arterial needle to the blood inlet connector,
• a venous line connecting the venous needle to the blood outlet connector,
• the switch valve being operable between a normal position, wherein fluid is directed from the blood inlet connector to the circuit outlet connector and from the circuit inlet connector to the blood outlet connector, and a reversed position, wherein fluid is directed from the blood outlet connector to the circuit outlet connector and from the circuit inlet connector to the blood inlet connector.