Hemodialysis system with cassette and pinch clamp

1. A hemodialysis system comprising:

blood tubing;

a peristaltic blood pump contacting the blood tubing to pump blood through the blood tubing;

a dialyzer in fluid communication with the blood tubing;

first and second peristaltic dialysate pumps;

a dialysate heater;

a plurality of pinch valves aligned in a row;

a strike plate; and

a cassette including a rigid structure, a heating portion, first and second dialysate pumping tubes, and a plurality of incoming tubes entering the rigid structure along a same side of the cassette and configured to align so as to match the row of pinch valves, the rigid structure when the cassette is mounted for operation orienting (i) the heating portion adjacent to the dialysate heater so that dialysate can be heated by the dialysate heater, (ii) the first and second dialysate pumping tubes adjacent to the first and second peristaltic dialysate pumps, and (iii) the plurality of incoming tubes adjacent to the plurality of pinch valves to enable the tubes to be individually closed by the pinch valves, and

wherein the strike plate is located across from the incoming tubes so that each of the pinch valves is positioned to pinch one of the tubes against the strike plate.

2. The hemodialysis system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of incoming tubes extend from the cassette, the plurality of pinch valves residing outside of the cassette when the cassette is mounted for operation.

3. The hemodialysis system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pinch valves are automatically retracted when a door of the system is opened to facilitate the loading of the cassette.

4. The hemodialysis system of claim 1 , wherein the rigid structure carries the first and second dialysate pumping tubes.

5. The hemodialysis system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of incoming tubes are stacked vertically.

6. The hemodialysis system of claim 5 , wherein the tubes extend horizontally entering the cassette.

7. The hemodialysis system of claim 6 , wherein the strike plate is located on a hemodialysis machine.

8. The hemodialysis system of claim 1 , wherein the pinch valves are located outside of the cassette.

9. The hemodialysis system of claim 1 , wherein the pinch valves are automatically operated.

10. The hemodialysis system of claim 1 , wherein the movement of at least two of the pinch valves is linked.

11. The hemodialysis system of claim 10 , wherein the at least two pinch valves are cam driven by a common camshaft.

12. The hemodialysis system of claim 1 , which includes at least one valve actuator, and wherein the cassette includes at least one valve actuation area located within the rigid structure, the at least one valve actuation area actuated by the at least one valve actuator.

13. The hemodialysis system of claim 1 , which includes electrically actuated arterial and venous line clamps in addition to the plurality of pinch valves.

14. A hemodialysis system comprising:

first and second peristaltic dialysate pumps;

a dialysate heater;

a plurality of pinch valves arranged in a row;

a strike plate;

a cassette including a rigid structure, the rigid structure supporting a heating portion, first and second dialysate pumping tubes; and

a plurality of inlet tubes arranged in a row along a same side of the rigid structure and configured to align in a row so as to match the row of pinch valves, and wherein the rigid structure when the cassette is mounted for operation orients (i) the heating portion adjacent to the dialysate heater so that dialysate can be heated by the dialysate heater, (ii) the first and second dialysate pumping tubes adjacent to the first and second peristaltic dialysate pumps, (iii) the row of inlet tubes adjacent to the plurality of pinch valves to enable the inlet tubes to be individually closed by the pinch valves, and

wherein the strike plate is located across from the plurality of inlet tubes so that each of the pinch valves is positioned to pinch one of the tubes against the strike plate.

15. The hemodialysis system of claim 14 , wherein the incoming tubes are each connected to a supply of dialysate.

16. The hemodialysis system of claim 14 , wherein the strike plate is located on a hemodialysis machine.

17. The hemodialysis system of claim 14 , wherein the rigid structure provides rigid connectors to which the first and second dialysate pumping tubes are connected.

18. The hemodialysis system of claim 14 , wherein the rigid structure defines an opening to orient the heating portion adjacent to the dialysate heater so that dialysate can be heated by the dialysate heater.