Systems and methods for treating blood

1. A system comprising:

one or more pumps configured to pump blood in a fluid flow path at a collective rate over 4 liters per minute;

one or more convection dialysis modules coupled to the fluid flow path and configured to perform dialysis on at least a portion of the blood, the one or more convection dialysis modules configured to remove substances from the blood that are over 3,500 Daltons in size; and

one or more heat exchangers coupled to the fluid flow path and configured to heat the blood to a temperature over 42 degrees Celsius.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more heat exchangers are configured to heat the blood to a temperature between 42.5 and 45 degrees Celsius.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more heat exchangers are configured to heat the blood to a temperature of at least 42.5 degrees Celsius.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more pumps are configured to pump the blood at a collective rate of at least 5 liters per minute.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more pumps are configured to pump the blood at a collective rate between 4 and 7 liters per minute.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a reintroduction module coupled to the fluid flow path and configured to add a substance to at least a portion of the blood, the substance facilitating the production of reactive oxygen species within the blood.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the substance comprises at least one of: iron, copper, and ozone.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a reintroduction module coupled to the fluid flow path and configured to add a chemotherapeutic substance to at least a portion of the blood.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more venting modules coupled to the fluid flow path and configured to:

remove carbon dioxide from at least a portion of the blood; and

add oxygen to at least a portion of the blood.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more convection dialysis modules coupled to the fluid flow path are configured to perform dialysis on at least a portion of the blood at a collective rate over 0.8 liters per minute.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a reintroduction module coupled to the fluid flow path and configured to add electrolyte-balanced fluid to at least a portion of the blood at a rate above 7 liters per hour.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more convection dialysis modules coupled to the fluid flow path are configured to:

perform dialysis on at least a portion of the blood at a collective rate of at least 0.9 liters per minute; and

remove substances from the blood that are at least 7,000 Daltons in size.

13. The system of claim 1 ,

wherein:

the one or more convection dialysis modules coupled to the fluid flow path are configured to perform dialysis on at least a portion of the blood at a collective rate of at least 0.9 liters per minute; and

the one or more heat exchangers are configured to heat the blood to a temperature between 42.5 and 45 degrees Celsius; and

further comprising:

a reintroduction module coupled to the fluid flow path and configured to add a substance to at least a portion of the blood, the substance facilitating the production of reactive oxygen species within the blood; and

one or more venting modules coupled to the fluid flow path and configured to:

remove carbon dioxide from at least a portion of the blood; and

add oxygen to at least a portion of the blood.

14. A method comprising:

pumping blood in a fluid flow path at a rate over 4 liters per minute;

performing convection dialysis on at least a portion of the blood, the convection dialysis removing substances from the blood that are at least 3,500 Daltons in size; and

heating at least a portion of the blood to a temperature over 42 degrees Celsius.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein at least a portion of the blood is heated to a temperature between 42.5 and 45 degrees Celsius.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein at least a portion of the blood is heated to a temperature of at least 42.5 degrees Celsius.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the blood is pumped at a rate of at least 5 liters per minute.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the blood is pumped at a rate between 4 and 7 liters per minute.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising adding a substance to at least a portion of the blood in the fluid flow path, the substance facilitating the production of reactive oxygen species within the blood.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the substance comprises at least one of: iron, copper, and ozone.

21. The method of claim 14 , further comprising adding a chemotherapeutic substance to at least a portion of the blood.

22. The method of claim 14 , further comprising removing carbon dioxide from at least a portion of the blood.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein carbon dioxide is removed from at least a portion of the blood for at least 30 minutes.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein carbon dioxide is removed from at least a portion of the blood substantially continuously for at least 30 minutes.

25. The method of claim 14 , wherein performing convection dialysis on at least a portion of the blood comprises performing convection dialysis at a rate over 0.8 liters per minute.

26. The method of claim 25 , further comprising adding electrolyte-balanced fluid to at least a portion of the blood at a rate above 7 liters per hour.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the electrolyte-balanced fluid is added to at least a portion of the blood at a rate above 7 liters per hour for at least 30 minutes.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the electrolyte-balanced fluid is added to at least a portion of the blood in the fluid flow path at a rate above 7 liters per hour substantially continuously for at least 30 minutes.

29. The method of claim 14 , wherein the blood is pumped in the fluid flow path at the rate of over 4 liters per minute for at least 30 minutes.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the blood is pumped in the fluid flow path at the rate of over 4 liters per minute substantially continuously for at least 30 minutes.

31. The method of claim 14 , wherein the convection dialysis is performed on at least a portion of the blood at the rate of over 0.8 liters per minute for between 30 minutes and 48 hours.

32. The method of claim 31 , wherein convection dialysis is performed on at least a portion of the blood at the rate of over 0.8 liters per minute substantially continuously for between 30 minutes and 48 hours.

33. The method of claim 14 , wherein the blood is heated to a temperature of over 42 degrees Celsius for at least 30 minutes.

34. The method of claim 33 , wherein the blood is heated to a temperature of over 42 degrees Celsius substantially continuously for at least 30 minutes.

35. The method of claim 14 , wherein performing convection dialysis comprises:

performing convection dialysis on at least a portion of the blood at a rate of at least 0.9 liters per minute; and

removing substances from the blood that are at least 7,000 Daltons in size.

36. The method of claim 14 ,

wherein:

convection dialysis is performed at a rate of at least 0.9 liters per minute; and

the blood is heated to a temperature between 42.5 and 45 degrees Celsius; and

further comprising:

adding a substance to at least a portion of the blood, the substance facilitating the production of reactive oxygen species within the blood;

removing carbon dioxide from at least a portion of the blood; and

adding oxygen to at least a portion of the blood.

37. A method for treating cancer comprising:

removing blood from a human body into a fluid flow path at a rate of over 4 liters per minute;

heating the blood outside of the human body;

performing convection dialysis on at least a portion of the blood outside of the human body, the convection dialysis removing substances from the blood that are at least 3,500 Daltons in size;

returning the blood to the human body after heating the blood outside of the human body; and

wherein the human body is heated to a temperature of over 42 degrees Celsius for at least 30 minutes.

38. The method of claim 37 , further comprising causing the production of reactive oxygen species within the human body by adding a substance to at least a portion of the blood outside the human body.

39. The method of claim 38 , wherein the substance comprises at least one of: iron, copper, Freon, and ozone.

40. The method of claim 37 , further comprising adding a chemotherapeutic substance to the human body.

41. The method of claim 37 , further comprising removing carbon dioxide from at least a portion of the blood outside of the human body.

42. The method of claim 41 , wherein carbon dioxide is removed from at least a portion of the blood for at least 30 minutes.

43. The method of claim 37 , wherein performing convection dialysis on at least a portion of the blood comprises performing convection dialysis at a rate over 0.8 liters per minute.

44. The method of claim 43 , further comprising adding electrolyte-balanced fluid to the human body at a rate above 7 liters per hour.

45. The method of claim 44 , wherein the electrolyte-balanced fluid is added to the human body at a rate above 7 liters per hour for at least 30 minutes.

46. The method of claim 45 , wherein carbon dioxide is removed from at least a portion of the blood substantially continuously for at least 30 minutes.

47. The method of claim 43 , wherein the convection dialysis is performed on at least a portion of the blood at the rate over 0.8 liters per minute for between 30 minutes and 48 hours.

48. The method of claim 47 , wherein the convection dialysis is performed on at least a portion of the blood at the rate over 0.8 liters per minute substantially continuously for between 30 minutes and 48 hours.

49. The method of claim 37 , further comprising pumping the blood in the fluid flow path at a rate over 4 liters per minute for at least 30 minutes.

50. The method of claim 49 , wherein the blood is pumped in the fluid flow path at the rate over 4 liters per minute substantially continuously for at least 30 minutes.

51. The method of claim 50 , wherein the electrolyte-balanced fluid is added to the human body at a rate above 7 liters per hour substantially continuously for at least 30 minutes.

52. The method of claim 37 , wherein the human body is heated to the temperature over 42 degrees Celsius substantially continuously for at least 30 minutes.

53. The method of claim 37 , further comprising:

adding electrolyte-balanced fluid at a rate above 7 liters per hour for at least 30 minutes;

causing the production of reactive oxygen species within the human body by adding a substance to at least a portion of the blood outside of the human body, the substance comprising at least one of: iron, copper, Freon, and ozone; and

wherein the blood is heated outside of the body to a temperature over 42 degrees Celsius.

54. The method of claim 37 , further comprising:

adding electrolyte-balanced fluid at a rate above 7 liters per hour for at least 30 minutes;

adding a chemotherapeutic agent to the human body; and

wherein the blood is heated outside of the body to a temperature over 42 degrees Celsius.

55. The method of claim 37 , wherein performing convection dialysis comprises:

performing convection dialysis on at least a portion of the blood at a rate of at least 0.9 liters per minute; and

removing substances from the blood that are at least 7,000 Daltons in size.

56. The method of claim 37 ,

wherein:

convection dialysis is performed at a rate of at least 0.9 liters per minute; and

the blood outside the human body is heated to a temperature between 42.5 and 45 degrees Celsius; and

further comprising:

adding a substance to at least a portion of the blood outside the human body, the substance facilitating the production of reactive oxygen species within the blood;

removing carbon dioxide from at least a portion of the blood outside the human body; and

adding oxygen to at least a portion of the blood outside the human body.