Apparatus for extracorporeal treatment of blood

An improved apparatus for receiving blood or other fluid and physiological samples and carrying out diagnostic tests on said blood, fluid and samples, for automated therapeutic infusion, and being particularly suited for automated extracorporeal treatment of blood from a plurality of patients either in sequence or with a plurality of units simultaneously, said apparatus including in spatial sequence blood-taking means for taking blood from a patient, a blood treatment chamber for treating said blood, said treatment including oxygenation and dialysis, and blood returning means, said improvement comprising first sensor, signalling and controller means for holding the rate of taking blood from said patient within programmable limits, second sensor, signalling and controller means for controlling the pressure of said taken blood in said apparatus within programmable limits, third sensor, signalling and master controller means for monitoring the cardiovascular status of the patient, said master controller means being operatively connected to said first and second controller means for adjusting said programmable limits of same to hold said cardiovascular status within limits appropriate to the condition of said patient and the stage and progress of said treatment, and monitor means operatively connected to said first, second and third controller means for detecting divergence of any of said rate of taking of blood, pressure of blood in said apparatus and cardiovascular status of said patient beyond programmed limits for a period of time longer than a preselected period, said monitor means being programmed to shut down said apparatus on detection of such a divergence for said longer than preselected period thereby making said apparatus fail-safe, and making said monitor a fail-safe monitor, the information received by said master controller means from said third sensor means and from said first and second sensor means constituting a system in which said signals from said patient take precedence for shutting down said apparatus even when said first and second sensor means indicate that said apparatus is functioning with programmed limits, thereby establishing the safety and well-being of the patient as the dominating variable.