Machine readable medium embodying instructions for citrate anticoagulation system for extracorporeal blood treatments

1. A machine-readable medium embodying instructions that may be performed by one or more processors, the instructions comprising:

instructions for pumping blood from a patient's blood stream into an access line;

instructions for introducing an anticoagulant solution into the pumped blood;

instructions for filtering the pumped blood;

instructions for delivering the pumped blood from the filtering step to a return line;

instructions for introducing a substitution fluid into the pumped blood;

instructions for introducing a calcium and magnesium solution into the blood traveling through the return line; and

instructions for returning the blood back to the patient's blood stream.

2. The machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the substitution fluid is introduced into the access line.

3. The machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the substitution fluid is introduced into the return line.

4. The machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the substitution fluid is introduced into the access line and into the return line.

5. The machine-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising instructions for monitoring the blood pressure in the access line.

6. The machine-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising instructions for monitoring the blood pressure in the return line.

7. The machine-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising:

instructions for exporting through a filtrate line a filtrate obtained from the filtering step; and

instructions for monitoring the pressure in the filtrate line to control filtrate pressurization.

8. The machine-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising:

instructions for exporting through a filtrate line a filtrate obtained from the filtering step; and

instructions for detecting blood leakage in the filtrate line to control leakage of blood cells through the filter.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising:

instructions for exporting through a filtrate line a filtrate collected from the filtering step;

instructions for storing the filtrate traveling through the filtrate line in a reservoir;

instructions for weighing the filtrate stored in the reservoir; and

instructions for computing the amount of substitution fluid introduced in the blood from the weighing step.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising:

instructions for detecting air bubbles from the blood introduced with the substitution fluid; and

instructions for removing air bubbles from the blood before it is returned into the patient's blood stream.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising instructions for heating the substitution fluid introduced into the blood to a temperature substantially equal to the patient's body temperature.