The CD Medical Kidney Dialysis Machine is used to cleanse the blood of patients with acute and chronic kidney disease or kidney failure. Waste products are cleansed when the patient's blood passes through filters and is then returned to the subject. A technician prepares the equipment for each patient by connecting and threading the blood lines to the machine.

The client required a non-intimidating, user friendly design. Existing machines were controlled with a complicated array of dials, buttons and switches. An important goal for this product was to create single handed operability to allow the technician to offer a comforting touch to the patient while making adjustments to the equipment. Cleanability was also an issue because blood products and patient/technician safety was involved.

All internal components of the machine were rearranged at the module level to allow ease of serviceability as well as ease of manufacture. The entire wet-flow path is segregated from the rest of the equipment minimizing the chance for moisture damage in the unlikely event of spillage of blood or chemicals. All assembly is now one-layer deep and any one component can be removed without disrupting another.

An innovative hose clip design allows single-handed loading and unloading of the blood lines. The clips hold the lines firmly, even during temperature changes to the tubing which expands and become more flexible when the lines are warmed by flowing blood. Clips are smooth and will not tear rubber gloves. In addition, the IV pole was incorporated into the equipment and requires only one hand for use.

On the face of the dialysis machine, all unnecessary equipment was removed. The number of control buttons and keyboard controls were reduced with a touch membrane computer screen. The self prompting screen uses graphic charts to allow the technician to set the parameters for variations in treatment. The remaining buttons are sealed, silicon rubber buttons.

The number of patients served by each dialysis unit may be increased due to a decrease in down-time for servicing. This provides a significant health care benefit in areas where dialysis beds are at a premium, as well as a marketing benefit where dialysis services are a profit center.

The slim profile of the machine and a built in step at the base for holding chemicals is both stable and easy to move from bed to bed. Back vents and dome extension of the CRT tube are attractive and functional details that allow the CRT tube to extend from the plane of the equipment. This reduced the total size of the equipment. The surface is free of dust catching details and is easily cleaned in the event of spills. A built-in handle helps the technician move the equipment easily. Touch screen technology was a design advance over a confusing array of controls and keyboards on existing machines.

Ergonomics of the product make it user friendly to all workers and touch screen technology reduces technician error. Single handed clamps are easier for older workers, workers with arthritis or other mobility handicaps -- as such, it is a transgenerational product.

For the first time in 25-years, significant innovations have been applied to dialysis technology. Inside and out the machine is simplified and improved: Easy to set-up, simple to operate, quick access for easy service. The result of the design is improved ergonomics and interface, increased reliability and easy service, and low manufacturing cost. The client now has the most advanced product on the market and has introduced significant innovations and improvements in blood line and clamp design, controls and programming, ease of use, patient safety, cleanability, reliability, safety, and training.