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Method of rinsing back blood to hemodialysis patient

  • US 5,690,831 A
  • Filed: 11/17/1995
  • Issued: 11/25/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1995
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method of automatically rinsing back blood from a dialyzer to a patient, said method performed in a dialysis machine having a dialyzer, a dialysate circuit and an extracorporeal circuit having arterial and venous blood lines connected to a patient and a blood pump, the method comprising the steps of:

  • pumping dialysate from said dialysate circuit through said dialyzer into said extracorporeal circuit;

    pumping blood in said extracorporeal circuit our of said arterial and venous lines back to said patient;

    monitoring with optical sensors the concentration of blood in said arterial and venous lines as said blood is being pumped from said extracorporeal circuit back to said patient; and

    ceasing the flow of blood back to said patient when the concentration of blood in said arterial and venous lines drops to a predetermined threshold level indicative of substantial dilution of said blood with said dialysate, thereby preventing excess fluids from being returned to said patient.

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