Priming and air removal systems and methods for dialysis

• US 8,123,947 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2007
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baxter Healthcare SA (Baxter International Inc.), Baxter International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Baxter Healthcare SA (Baxter International Inc.), Baxter International Inc.
• Inventors: Rohde, Justin, Muller, Matthew, Braun, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Menon, Krishnan S
• Application Number:
  US11/876,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20090101576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,590 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 210/647
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/154 with sensing means or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/155 with treatment-fluid pumping means or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1562 Details of incorporated reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/15632 the filter being a dialyser
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1565 Details of valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/288 Priming priming in extracorporeal blood circuits A61M1/3643
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/36224 with sensing means or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/36225 with blood pumping means or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/362262 Details of incorporated reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/362264 the filter being a blood filter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/362265 Details of valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3643 Priming, rinsing before or after use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3644 Mode of operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3649 using dialysate as priming or rinsing liquid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/365 through membranes, e.g. by inverted trans-membrane pressure [TMP]
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3652 using gas, e.g. air
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/12 with interchangeable cassettes forming partially or totally the fluid circuit

Abstract

A renal treatment fluid priming method includes priming an extracorporeal circuit connected to a patient with a physiologically compatible fluid, the extracorporeal circuit including an arterial line, a venous line and blood compartment of a blood filter; and pumping from a renal treatment fluid line in communication with the blood filter (i) pulling blood from the patient through the arterial line to flush the physiologically compatible fluid through the arterial line and the blood filter compartment into the renal treatment fluid line and (ii) pulling blood from the patient through the venous line to flush the physiologically compatible fluid through the venous line and the blood filter compartment into the renal treatment fluid line, such that a greater volume of blood is pulled from the patient via (i) and (ii) than a volume of the extracorporeal circuit.

Claims

1. A renal treatment fluid priming method comprising:

priming an extracorporeal circuit connected to a patient with a physiologically compatible fluid, the extracorporeal circuit including an arterial line, a venous line and blood compartment of a blood filter; and

pumping from a renal treatment fluid line in communication with the blood filter (i) pulling blood from the patient through the arterial line to flush the physiologically compatible fluid through the arterial line and the blood filter compartment into the renal treatment fluid line and (ii) pulling blood from the patient through the venous line to flush the physiologically compatible fluid through the venous line and the blood filter compartment into the renal treatment fluid line,

such that a greater volume of blood is pulled from the patient via (i) and (ii) than a volume of the extracorporeal circuit.

2. The priming method of claim 1, wherein the physiologically compatible fluid includes saline, and which includes pumping one of dialysate and infusate in the renal treatment fluid line initially to perform (i) or (ii).

3. The priming method of claim 1, wherein the physiologically compatible fluid includes one of dialysate and infusate.

4. The priming method of claim 1, which includes flushing the physiologically compatible fluid through the blood filter compartment to a drain.

5. The priming method of claim 1, which includes flushing the physiologically compatible fluid through the blood filter compartment through pores formed in membranes located in the blood filter.

6. The priming method of claim 1, which includes additionally using an extracorporeal circuit pump to flush the physiologically compatible fluid from at least one of the arterial and venous lines.

7. The priming method of claim 1, which includes using a return line pump in the renal treatment fluid line to flush the physiologically compatible fluid from at least one of the arterial and venous lines.

8. The priming method of claim 7, wherein the return line pump is a drain line pump.

9. The priming method of claim 1, which includes priming the renal treatment fluid line with renal treatment fluid prior to the replacing steps.

10. The priming method of claim 1, which includes performing at least one of (i) and (ii) over a predetermined number of pump strokes.

11. The priming method of claim 1, which includes at least one of (i) closing a valve in the venous line when flushing the physiologically safe fluid through the arterial line;

and (ii) closing a valve in the arterial line when flushing the physiologically safe fluid through the venous line.

12. The priming method of claim 11, which includes positioning the valve in the venous or arterial line near the filter.

13. The priming method of claim 1, which includes performing (i) and (ii) simultaneously.

14. A renal treatment fluid priming method comprising:

priming an extracorporeal circuit connected to a patient with a physiologically compatible fluid, the extracorporeal circuit including an arterial line, a venous line and blood compartment of a blood filter; and

pumping from the extracorporeal circuit to (i) pull blood from the patient through the arterial line to flush the physiologically compatible fluid through the arterial line and the blood filter compartment into a renal treatment fluid line and (ii) pull blood from the patient through the venous line to flush the physiologically compatible fluid through the venous line and the blood filter compartment into the renal treatment fluid line,

such that a greater volume of blood is pulled from the patient via (i) and (ii) than a volume of the extracorporeal circuit.

15. The priming method of claim 14, wherein the physiologically compatible fluid includes one of saline, dialysate and infusate.

16. The priming method of claim 14, which includes flushing the physiologically compatible fluid through the blood filter compartment to a drain.

17. The priming method of claim 14, which includes flushing the physiologically compatible fluid through the blood filter compartment through pores formed in membranes located in the blood filter.

18. The priming method of claim 14, which includes additionally using dialysate circuit pump to flush the physiologically compatible fluid from at least one of the arterial and venous lines.

19. The priming method of claim 14, which includes additionally using a return line pump in the renal treatment fluid line to flush the physiologically compatible fluid from at least one of the arterial and venous lines.

20. The priming method of claim 14, which includes priming the renal treatment fluid line with renal treatment fluid prior to the replacing steps.

21. The priming method of claim 14, which includes performing at least one of (i) and (ii) over a predetermined number of pump strokes.

22. The priming method of claim 14, which includes at least one of (i) closing a valve in the venous line when flushing the physiologically safe fluid through the arterial line;

and (ii) closing a valve in the arterial line when flushing the physiologically safe fluid through the venous line.

23. The priming method of claim 14, which includes performing (i) and (ii) simultaneously.