If you are like me, you will do almost anything to save time when dialyzing.  
Recently I received an email from NxStage indicating they have developed new system setting for the NxStage cycler that can almost eliminate Snapping and Tapping. The new system settings are:

Table 1: Alternate System Settings
System Setting       Description                              Value 

           22                    Dialyzer Flush FP                  40

           23                    Dialyzer Flush UFP                20

           24                    Dialyzer Flush BP                   250

           27                    Prime FP                                   40 

           32                    Recirculation BP                    600

I was very excited to try these new settings and made these changes to my NxStage the day after I received the email. However, each day I still had some air in the system, and and had to continue to Snap and Tap to remove the air. After a few days of this, I decided to just change the system settings back.

About a month later while speaking with my Dialysis Nurse, she asked if I knew about the new system settings, and that it would reduce or eliminate Snap and Tap. I told her my experience, and why I was no longer using the new settings.  

She told me that she was training new patients on the use of NxStage, and all the new machines use these settings, and it has eliminated Snap and Tap. She said that air still forms in the cartridge, and that must still be removed. 

I changed my machine to use the new settings again, and added a step to clear the air from the cartridge. It working very well, and I have now eliminated the Snap and Tap.

One word of warning, using the old settings the NxStage took 15 minutes to prime. Using the new settings it now takes and additional 8 minutes, for a total of 23 minutes to prime. In my opinion, a very minor inconvenience for the ability to eliminate Snap and Tap.

If you are interested in making these system setting changes and saving the time you used to spend doing Snap and Tap, please follow the User Guide instructions to update your cycler settings. Please note that when using a System One S, the System Setting 0, CAR_TYPE, must be set to 0.

Please review the entire document provided to me by NxStage, here’s the link.

Click to access COMM0512_Snap_and_Tap_Letter_to_Customers___Patient_Letter.pdf