Dual-stage hemodiafiltration cartridge

A dual-stage hemodiafiltration cartridge comprising:

• a first hemodiafiltration stage including a first housing having first and second ends and first filtering elements disposed between the first and second ends, the first end being associated with a blood inlet which allows flow of blood into a blood-side of said first filtering elements and a first dialysate outlet which allows flow of dialysate out of a dialysate-side of said first filtering elements and the second end being associated with a first dialysate inlet which allows flow of dialysate into a dialysate-side of said first filtering elements;
• a second hemodiafiltration stage including a second housing having third and fourth ends and second filtering elements disposed between the third and fourth ends, the fourth end being associated with a blood outlet which allows flow of blood out of a blood-side of said second filtering elements and a second dialysate inlet which allows flow of dialysate into a dialysate-side of said second filtering elements and the third end being associated with a second dialysate outlet which allows flow of dialysate out of the dialysate-side of said second filtering elements;
• and
• an inter-stage connector connected the second end of the first housing and to the third end of the second housing and adapted to allow flow of blood from the blood side of the first filtering elements to the blood-side of the second filtering elements,
• wherein said inter-stage connector has a header space in communication with the blood-side of the first filtering elements and with the blood-side of the second filtering elements, the inter-stage connector having a substitution-fluid inlet which allows flow of substitution fluid into said header space thereby to dilute the blood in said header space, the inter-stage connector comprising an inter-dialysate port including said first dialysate inlet and said second dialysate outlet, the cartridge including an inter-aperture cap mounted on said inter-dialysate port and structured to allow flow of dialysate directly from the second dialysate outlet to the first dialysate inlet.

A dual-stage hemodiafiltration cartridge comprising:

• a first hemodiafiltration stage including a first housing having first and second ends;
• at least one first filtering element disposed between said first and second ends of said first housing, said first end having a blood inlet which communicates with a blood-side of said at least one first filtering element and a first dialysate outlet which is in fluid communication with a dialysate-side of said at least one first filtering element, said second end of said first housing having a first dialysate inlet which admits dialysate into said dialysate-side of said at least one first filtering element;
• a second hemodiafiltration stage including a second housing having third and fourth ends;
• at least one second filtering element disposed between said third and fourth ends of said second housing, said fourth end having a blood outlet for passage of blood out of a blood-side of said at least one second filtering element and a second dialysate inlet which is in fluid communication with a dialysate-side of said at least one second filtering element, said third end having a second dialysate outlet for discharge of dialysate from said dialysate-side of said at least one second filtering element;
• and
• a connector connected to said second end of said first housing and to said third end of said second housing for the passage of blood from the blood-side of said at least one first filtering element to the blood-side of said at least one second filtering element, said connector having a fluid inlet for receiving substitution fluid which mixes with the blood from said first stage before the blood flows to said blood-side of said at least one second filtering element of said second stage, said connector adapted to conduct the dialysate from said second stage to said first stage.

A dual-stage hemodiafiltration cartridge comprising:

• a first hemodiafiltration stage including a first housing having first and second ends;
• at least one first filtering element disposed between said first and second ends of said first housing, said first end having a blood inlet which communicates with a first side of said at least one first filtering element and a first dialysate outlet which is in fluid communication with a second side of said at least one first filtering element, said second end of said housing having a first dialysate inlet which admits dialysate into said second side of said at least one first filtering element;
• a second hemodiafiltration stage including a second housing having third and fourth ends;
• at least one second filtering element disposed between said third and fourth ends of said second housing, said fourth end having a blood outlet for passage of blood out of a first side of said at least one second filtering element and a second dialysate inlet which is in fluid communication with a second side of said at least one second filtering element, said third end having a second dialysate outlet for discharge of dialysate from said second side of said at least one second filtering element;
• and
• a connector connected to said second end of said first housing and to said third end of said second housing for the passage of blood from the first side of said at least one first filtering element to the first side of said at least one second filtering element, said connector being in fluid communication with the second sides of said at least one first and second filtering elements for passage of dialysate fluid from said second stage to said first stage.

A dual-stage hemodiafiltration cartridge comprising:

• a first hemodiafiltration stage including a first housing having first and second ends;
• at least one first filtering element disposed between said first and second ends of said first housing, said first end having a blood inlet which communicates with a first surface of said at least one first filtering element and a first dialysate outlet which is in fluid communication with a second surface of said at least one first filtering element, said second end of said housing having a first dialysate inlet which admits dialysate to said second surface of said at least one first filtering element;
• a second hemodiafiltration stage including a second housing having third and fourth ends;
• at least one second filtering element disposed between said third and fourth ends of said second housing, said fourth end having a blood outlet for passage of blood from a first surface of said at least one second filtering element and a second dialysate inlet which admits dialysate to a second surface of said at least one second filtering element, said third end having a second dialysate outlet for discharge of dialysate from said second surface of said at least one second filtering element;
• and
• a connector connected to the second end of said first housing and to said third end of said second housing, said connector including a first section for the passage of blood from the first surface of said at least one first filtering element to the first surface of said at least one second filtering element and a second section for passage of dialysate fluid from said second stage to said first stage.