Just wondering if you think getting a water system designed to heat the loop really will save the dialysis unit money by eliminating someone to disinfect all that.

Yes. I use it to disinfect nightly. Works excellent

Yes, I have a Gambro CWP. Which disinfects the loop with heat nightly and RO membranes are disinfected weekly with Minncare. All is completed by the closing staff punching a few keys. Zero labor on water disinfections allows more time for more important things..."like your job....love your family"- spending time at home is more important than late nights or giving up your weekends for a mindless task.

The issue is most "big box" dialysis providers tend to hide the labor cost of maintaining water sytems to include Bicarb loops, so it is hard to justify a "state of the art" water system. Bicarb tanks and loops are nothing but a bacteria haven....once bugs are introduced...you'll have an endless battle of repeat culturing/LAL's and disinfections. We have Phoenix and use Bicart- my cultures and LAL's since the clinic opened 7 years ago are perfect!

So you just push a button and walk away? I'm just wondering cost analysis wise: does the upfront cost justify the time savings of you not having to disinfect monthly? From what I hear, the upfront cost of one of those is huge. Did they cut back your hours?

Where can I get one of those and are they compatible with the Z series?

Yes, it is that easy. I have 2 chronic and 2 acute (hospital) assignments- 40 hours a week.

The savings is not just in labor..CWP is a direct feed RO system and is more efficient on producing pure water your unit is demanding.

I have my CWP auto programmed to start its heat disinfect and also to stop it and return to operation mode. No buttons to push!!

All good but how much does one of those things cost?

Direct feed RO's are pretty expensive ( a lot more than The Mar-Cor indirect feed with the storage tank). The beauty of the Gambro ( or other) CWP's is that you press a button and the unit disinfects the loop and /or it's membranes. Unfortunately, if you work for Fresenius, you have to be at the unit during this automated process.

Not cheap, they have six different models depending on the size of your unit (# of stations, reuse or not, etc). Keep in mind that the price includes (as least it did for us) a new pre treatment system as well.Very well thought out .

keep in mind it's the whole package which must include the tubing and the special fittings at each station. you can't just drop one of the babies in and go...you would need to replumb everything downstream. if you do reuse, that's a separate system. soon fresenius will have out a software upgrade that will let you disinfect the machines incoming h20 line during CWP heat.

I have 26 stations. How much would that cost? Do you have to buy their RO system too? I would need cpvc and not standard sched 80?

Freddy 1800-525-2623. Thats the # for Gambro. They will answer all of your questions

Gambro has come out with a monthly chemical disinfect precedure of the loop the biomed has to complete it...same old stuff

Don't forget the PM kits 1thru 4 year cost and the biomed TIME!!