Inspection and Testing of Dialysis Machines

Abstract

Dialysis machines act as artificial kidney performing extracorporeal blood purification to remove excess water, detoxify the blood and balance the blood composition. The chapter presents development of dialysis from experiments to regular life-saving clinical practice, leading to modern dialysis machine organization and functionality. Function deterioration of a hemodialysis device, as a potential harm for a patient safety, is discussed. Further on, overview of standards related to hemodialysis machines safety and risk management is presented. The chapter concludes with a description of a procedure for safety performance inspection focused on key dialysis parameters: temperature and conductivity of dialysate, and blood pressure.