Method and apparatus for kidney dialysis

A method of programming a time-varying parameter in a process-control system, the method comprising the steps:

• (a) providing a touch screen interface;
• (b) displaying on the touch screen first and second axes, the first axis corresponding to the time-varying parameter, the second axis corresponding to time;
• (c) touching the touch screen at a plurality of points to define points on a parameter-versus-time curve;
• (d) presenting on the touch screen a series of bars corresponding to said curve;
• (e) selecting one of said bars for alteration;
• (f) displaying on the screen a numeric parameter corresponding to the selected bar;
• (g) touching the screen at first or second locations to increase or decrease, respectively, the displayed numeric parameter and thereby alter the value of the numeric parameter to which the selected bar corresponds;
• (h) touching the screen at a third location to signify completion of steps (b)-(g);
• and
• (i) storing data corresponding to the bars in a memory to which the process-control system can refer in changing the time-varying parameter with time.

In a method of operating a hemodialysis machine, an improvement in a user/machine interfacing process, the improvement comprising:

• (a) providing a touch screen operably coupled to the machine, the touch screen adapted to display an indicium soliciting a user of the machine to touch a region on the screen so as to select a machine-operation parameter;
• (b) touching the region to select the machine operation parameter;
• (c) in response to said touching, invoking on the screen a data-entry display associated with the machine-operation parameter, the data-entry display including a display of a permissibly settable range of the machine-operation parameter, so as to allow the user to select and enter a parametric value associated with the machine-operation parameter within said range;
• and
• (d) touching the data-entry display to select and enter the parametric value so as to cause the machine to operate in conformance with the selected machine-operation parameter and the entered parametric value.

In a method of operating a hemodialysis machine capable of operating in any of plurality operating modes, an improvement in a user/machine interfacing process, the improvement comprising:

• (a) providing a touch screen operably coupled to the machine, the touch screen adapted to display a mode-select indicium soliciting a user of the machine to touch a first region on the screen corresponding to an operating mode;
• (b) touching the first region to select the corresponding operating mode;
• (c) prompting the user to confirm the operating mode selected in step (b) so as to prevent unintentional changing of machine operating modes;
• (d) confirming selection of the operating mode so as to cause the machine to operate in said operating mode.

In a method of operating a hemodialysis machine, an improvement in a man/machine interfacing process used in changing and setting a treatment parameter, the improvement comprising:

• (a) providing a touch screen interface with a parameter-select indicium thereon;
• (b) touching the parameter-select indicium;
• (c) in response to said touching, invoking on the touch screen a value-select indicium and a value-enter indicium;
• (d) touching the value-select indicium to select a parametric value corresponding to the treatment parameter;
• (e) touching the value-enter indicium to enter the parametric value;
• and
• (f) in response to steps (b)-(e), comparing the entered parametric value against preset limits corresponding to a permissible operational range for said parametric value and, if the entered parametric value is within said limits, causing the treatment parameter to operate in accordance with the entered parametric value.

In a method of operating a hemodialysis machine, an improvement in a man/machine interfacing process used in changing and setting a treatment parameter, the improvement comprising:

• (a) providing a touch screen interface with a parameter-select indicium thereon;
• (b) touching the parameter-select indicium;
• (c) in response to said touching, invoking on the touch screen a value-select indicium and a value-enter indicium;
• (d) touching the value-select indicium to select a parametric value corresponding to the treatment parameter;
• (e) touching the value-enter indicium to enter the parametric value;
• and
• (f) in response to steps (b)-(e), invoking an alarm limit to be set at a preset increment relative to the entered parametric value so as to enable an alarm signal to be triggered whenever, during subsequent operation of the hemodialysis machine, the parametric value passes outside the alarm limit.

In a method of operating a hemodialysis machine, an improvement in a user/machine interfacing process, the improvement comprising:

• (a) providing a touch screen operably coupled to the machine, the touch screen adapted to display an indicium soliciting a user of the machine to touch a region on the screen so as to cause the screen to display a machine-operation parameter;
• (b) touching the region on the screen;
• (c) in response to said touching, invoking on the screen an analog display associated with the machine-operation parameter, the analog display including a display of a previously set value of the machine-operation parameter and allowing the suer to select and enter a desired value associated with the machine-operation parameter;
• and
• (d) touching the data-entry display to select and enter the desired value of the machine-operation parameter so as to cause the machine to operate in conformance with the desired value.