Method and device for calculating dialysis efficiency

1. A method of calculating the concentration of a first predetermined substance in the blood of a mammal comprising passing said blood through one side of a semipermeable membrane in a dialyser and passing a dialysis fluid on the other side of said semipermeable membrane in said dialyser to provide a dialysate, measuring the concentration of said first predetermined substance in said dialysate, introducing a disturbance in said dialyser by changing the concentration of a second predetermined substance in said dialysis fluid, wherein said first and second predetermined substances are not the same, measuring the change in the concentration of said second predetermined substance in said dialysate, calculating an effective dialysance of said dialyser based on said disturbance, and calculating the concentration of said first predetermined substance in said blood based upon said effective dialysance.

2. The method of claim 1 including determining the flow rate of said dialysate, and wherein said calculating of said concentration of said first predetermined substance in said blood comprises multiplying said measured concentration of said first predetermined substance in said dialysate by said flow rate of said dialysate to provide a product and dividing said product by said effective dialysance.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said measuring of said concentration of said first predetermined substance in said dialysate is utilized to obtain a curve of said concentration over time, and including calculating an initial mass of said first predetermined substance in a body of said mammal, calculating an initial concentration of said first predetermined substance in said blood, and calculating a distribution volume of said first predetermined substance in said body by dividing said initial mass by said initial concentration of said first predetermined substance in said blood.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said second predetermined substance comprises a substance selected from the group consisting of sodium ions and a conductivity altering substance.

5. A method of calculating the concentration of a first predetermined substance in the blood of a mammal comprising passing said blood through one side of a semipermeable membrane in a dialyser and passing a dialysis fluid on the other side of said semipermeable membrane in said dialyser to provide a dialysate, determining the flow rate of said dialysate, measuring the concentration of said first predetermined substance in said dialysate, introducing a disturbance in said dialyser comprising adding a predetermined amount of a second predetermined substance into said dialysis fluid, wherein said first and second predetermined substances are different, calculating an effective dialysance of said dialyser based on said disturbance, determining the amount of said second predetermined substance in said dialysate by multiplying a concentration of said second predetermined substance in said dialysate with said flow rate of said dialysate to obtain a product and integrating said product over time, and wherein said calculating of said effective dialysance comprises multiplying said flow rate of said dialysate with a fraction comprising 1 minus said amount of said second predetermined substance in said dialysate over said amount of said second predetermined substance in said dialysis fluid.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said first predetermined substance comprises urea.

7. Apparatus for calculating the concentration of a first predetermined substance in the blood of a mammal comprising a dialyser including a semipermeable membrane, means for passing said blood over one side of said semipermeable membrane in said dialyser, means for passing a dialysis fluid over the other side of said semipermeable membrane in said dialyser to produce a dialysate, concentration measuring means for measuring the concentration of said first predetermined substance in said dialysate, disturbance means for introducing a disturbance in said dialyser comprising means for changing the concentration of at least a second predetermined substance in said dialysis fluid, a measuring means for measuring the change in the concentration of said second predetermined substance in said dialysate, calculating means for calculating an effective dialysance of said dialyser based on said disturbance, and concentration calculating means for calculating the concentration of said first predetermined substance in said blood based on said effective dialysance, said first and second predetermined substances being different substances.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 including flow rate means for obtaining the flow rate of said dialysate, said concentration calculating means comprising means for multiplying said concentration of said first predetermined substance in said dialysate by said flow rate of said dialysate to provide a product, and dividing said product by said effective dialysance of said dialyser.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said concentration measuring means comprises means for measuring said concentration of said first predetermined substance in said dialysate to obtain a concentration curve, and including mass calculating means for calculating an initial mass of said first predetermined substance in said mammal, initial concentration calculating means for measuring an initial distribution volume of said first predetermined substance in said mammal, and distribution volume calculating means for measuring the initial distribution volume of said first predetermined substance in said mammal.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said second predetermined substance comprises a substance selected from the group consisting of sodium ions and a conductivity altering substance.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said first predetermined substance comprises urea.

12. Apparatus for calculating the concentration of a first predetermined substance in the blood of a mammal comprising a dialyser including a semipermeable membrane, means for passing said blood over one side of said semipermeable membrane in said dialyser, means for passing a dialysis fluid over the other side of said semipermeable membrane in said dialyser to produce a dialysate, concentration measuring means for measuring the concentration of said first predetermined substance in said dialysate, disturbance means for introducing a disturbance in said dialyser comprising means for introducing a predetermined amount of a second predetermined substance into said dialysis fluid flow rate means for measuring the flow rate of said dialysate, calculating means for calculating an effective dialysance of said dialyser based on said disturbance, and concentration calculating means for calculating the concentration of said first predetermined substance in said blood based on said effective dialysance, said first and second predetermined substances being different substances, said concentration measuring means comprising means for measuring the concentration of said second predetermined substance in said dialysate, and including amount determining means for determining the amount of said second predetermined substance in said dialysate by multiplying said concentration of said second predetermined substance in said dialysate with said flow rate of said dialysate to provide a product and integrating said product over time, and wherein said calculating means comprises means for multiplying said flow rate of said dialysate by a fraction comprising 1 minus said amount of said second predetermined substance in said dialysate over the concentration of said second predetermined substance in said dialysis fluid.