The BME needle and the additional BME products are protected by several U.S. and international patents. The first is a U.S. patent #5,662,619, filed on Sep 2, 1997 “Venous Dialysis Needle” with claims to protect needle designs for reducing blood flow velocity and turbulence. Patent #61101873 filed on Oct 1, 2008 “Method of improving fluid delivery” claims priority over PCT #2008/007866 filed Jun 25, 2008 (venous device), based on US 60/947,042 (venous device) and this claims priority over provisional patent #60/947,042, filed on Jun 29, 2007 (venous device) and a Taiwan patent #97124290 filed June 27, 2008 (venous device). These patents claim protection for additional needle designs and delivery systems, for methods of improving fluid delivery in needles and dialysis catheters, and methods to decrease the velocity and turbulence of any flow and damage to cells.

A provisional U.S. patent 61/350,911 filed on June 2010 “Hemodialysis System and Method” with claims to protect new designs of the dialysis circuit (blood lines, dialysis needles, connectors), blood pump, and a hemodialysis system and method, to decrease the velocity and turbulence of blood.

A provisional patent # 613766779 was filed on Aug 25, 2010 “Hemodialysis System and Method” with claims to protect hemodialysis systems and methods, dialysis circuit (needles, blood lines, catheters and connectors), all to decrease the velocity and turbulence. A PCT/USA patent application #61/006,545 filed on Jan 18, 2008 with claims for a safety device to prevent needle sticks and a patent to protect a new design of the dialysis graft are inactive.

IP on “Methods” should give prior art and protection against other devices that are also designed to decrease turbulence.