December 4, 2003 - Dialysis-related patents granted this week:

• 6,656,227 - Prosthesis for internal peritoneal dialysis and method of providing peritoneal dialysis
  
  
  
• 6,656,151 - Vascular access devices and systems
  
  
  
• 6,655,394 - Method and apparatus for reprocessing dialyzers
  
  
  
• 6,656,355 - Apparatus for preparing dialysate solutions

Dialysis-related patent applications filed this week:

• 20030225426 - Methods and systems for vein harvesting and fistula creation
  
  
  
• 20030225375 - Needle assembly
  
  
  
• 20030225162 - Methods for the diagnosis of hemodialysis patients and utilization of such methods to improve the administration of intravenous levocarnitine treatments to hemodialysis patients
  
  
  
• 20030225066 - Peritoneal dialysis solution with taurolidine
  
  
  
• 20030222022 - Methods for kidney dialysis
  
  
  
• 20030225425 - Devices and methods for interconnecting vessels
  
  
  
• 20030224979 - Treatment to prevent loss of and/or increase bone mass in metabolic bone diseases
  
  
  
• 20030221693 - Catheter protective shield