Automatic prime of an extracorporeal blood circuit
First Claim
1. A method of priming an extracorporeal blood circuit including a venous line, an arterial line and a line to a prime waste container, wherein any two of the venous line, arterial line and line to the waste container can be selectively in fluid communication with each other, and a chamber including a filter that allows air to escape from the chamber, the method comprising:
- occluding one of the venous line or the arterial line while connecting the other of the venous or arterial line to the prime waste container;
flowing priming fluid through the circuit so that the priming fluid flows out of either the arterial or venous line into the waste container;
occluding the line to the waste container and connecting the arterial and venous lines together;
circulating priming fluid through the closed extracorporeal circuit;
reversing the flow through the circuit, whereby air is removed from the circuit; and
detecting a liquid level in the chamber to determine whether the extracorporeal blood circuit has been sufficiently primed,wherein the steps of occluding one of the venous line or the arterial line, flowing priming fluid, occluding the line to the waste container, circulating priming fluid, reversing the flow through the circuit, and detecting the liquid level in the chamber are done without need for human manipulation, andwherein a liquid entry port and a liquid exit port are in a bottom region of the chamber, and the filter is in a top region of the chamber.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for priming an extracorporeal blood circuit is described. The system includes a fluid circuit with an air venting mechanism, a reversible pump, arterial and venous lines, a prime waste bag and a switchable coupler selectively connecting the arterial and venous lines to the waste bag or alternatively interconnecting the arterial and venous lines. A priming fluid is connected to the circuit and circulated in the circuit under different configurations of the arterial and venous line connections.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method of priming an extracorporeal blood circuit including a venous line, an arterial line and a line to a prime waste container, wherein any two of the venous line, arterial line and line to the waste container can be selectively in fluid communication with each other, and a chamber including a filter that allows air to escape from the chamber, the method comprising:
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occluding one of the venous line or the arterial line while connecting the other of the venous or arterial line to the prime waste container; flowing priming fluid through the circuit so that the priming fluid flows out of either the arterial or venous line into the waste container; occluding the line to the waste container and connecting the arterial and venous lines together; circulating priming fluid through the closed extracorporeal circuit; reversing the flow through the circuit, whereby air is removed from the circuit; and detecting a liquid level in the chamber to determine whether the extracorporeal blood circuit has been sufficiently primed, wherein the steps of occluding one of the venous line or the arterial line, flowing priming fluid, occluding the line to the waste container, circulating priming fluid, reversing the flow through the circuit, and detecting the liquid level in the chamber are done without need for human manipulation, and wherein a liquid entry port and a liquid exit port are in a bottom region of the chamber, and the filter is in a top region of the chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of priming an extracorporeal circuit including a venous line, an arterial line and a chamber with a filter that allows air to escape from the chamber while preventing liquid from escaping from the chamber, comprising:
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flowing fluid through the circuit in a forward direction and a backward direction, while the arterial line and the venous line define the circuit and a supply of priming solution is in line with the circuit, wherein flowing the fluid forces air out through the filter; and stopping the flowing after a quantity of fluid sufficient to fill the circuit completely has been released into the circuit and circulated and a level detector has detected a level of liquid in the chamber indicating that there is no longer air in the circuit, and wherein a liquid entry port and a liquid exit port are in a bottom region of the chamber, and the filter is in a top region of the chamber. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A hemodialysis system configured to be automatically primed, comprising:
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a prime fluid source container; a waste prime fluid container; an extracorporeal circuit including a venous line, an arterial line and a chamber including a filter that allows air to escape from the chamber, wherein a liquid entry port and a liquid exit port are in a bottom region of the chamber, and the filter is in a top region of the chamber, and the prime fluid source container is in fluid communication with the arterial line; a three way connector connecting the venous line, the arterial line and a waste prime fluid container; a clamping system configured to clamp the arterial line or a connection to the waste prime fluid container closed; and a level detector configured to detect a level of liquid in the chamber for determining whether the extracorporeal circuit has been sufficiently primed. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A computer program product, encoded on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations that control a hemodialysis machine comprising:
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receiving instructions to initiate a priming sequence; in response to receiving the instructions, sending instructions to a clamping mechanism to cause the clamping mechanism to occlude a connection between a tube to a prime container and a first patient line; after the first patient line is occluded, sending instructions to a pump to cause the pump to run in a first direction to circulate fluid through a circuit for a first pumping time; determining when the first pumping time has elapsed; after determining that the first pumping time has elapsed, sending instructions to the clamping mechanism to open the first patient line, to cause the tube to the prime container to be occluded and to cause a second patient line to be no longer in fluid connection with the prime container and to only be in fluid connection with the first patient line; after the first patient line is connected to the second patient line, sending instructions to the pump to cause the pump to run in reverse; sending instructions to a level detector to detect a level of liquid in a vented chamber of the circuit, wherein a liquid entry port and a liquid exit port are in a bottom region of the chamber, and a filter is in a top region of the chamber; and sending instructions to indicate that the priming sequence is complete upon receiving signals indicating that the level of liquid in the vented chamber has reached a desired level. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification