Medical fluid machine with supply autoconnection

A medical fluid machine operable with a fluid pumping cassette having at least two port spikes, the cassette in fluid communication with at least two fluid containers, each container including a tube extending therefrom, wherein each tube includes a cap, the machine comprising:

• at least two occluders;
• a shuttle configured to receive the tubes extending from the at least two fluid containers, wherein each of the tubes is operably associated with one of the at least two occluders;
• a driving mechanism for translating the shuttle;
• a cap removal device positionable between the fluid pumping cassette and the translating shuttle;
• and
• a control unit programmed to cause (i) the occluders to pinch their associated tubes to prevent fluid flow, (ii) the driving mechanism to translate the shuttle holding the occluded tubes towards the fluid pumping cassette, the cap removal device in turn engaging the tube caps, (iii) the driving mechanism to translate the shuttle holding the occluded tubes away from the fluid pumping cassette and the cap removal device, so that the cap removal device pulls the tube caps off of the tubes, and (iv) the driving mechanism to translate the shuttle back towards the fluid pumping cassette to allow the port spikes of the fluid pumping cassette to spike the ends of the occluded tubes.

A method of connecting fluid containers to a fluid pumping cassette including a plurality of port spikes, the method comprising:

• mounting the fluid pumping cassette to a medical fluid machine;
• receiving tubes extending from the fluid containers and associating each tube with one of the plurality of port spikes, each tube including a tube cap;
• occluding the tubes to prevent fluid flow;
• translating the occluded tubes towards the cassette;
• causing the medical fluid machine to engage each of the tube caps;
• translating the occluded tubes away from the fluid pumping cassette to pull the tube caps off of the ends of the tubes;
• and
• translating the occluded tubes towards the fluid pumping cassette to allow the port spikes of the fluid pumping cassette to spike the ends of the occluded tubes.