Figure 3.

Schematic diagram of the molecular adsorbents recirculating system (MARS) circuit showing direction of flow of the blood and the dialysate (20% albumin). Albumin bound toxins from the patient’s blood pass on to the albumin in the dialysate which is then cleansed sequentially by a haemodialysis/haemofiltration module (removing water soluble substances) and adsorber columns containing activated charcoal and anion exchange resin (removing most of the albumin bound substances). The dialysate is thus regenerated, and once more capable of taking up more toxins from the blood.