Blood treatment air purging methods

• US 9,795,731 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2014
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2007
• 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: Kelly, Thomas D., Minkus, Marc S., Bernardo, Angelito A., Burns, William P., Childers, Robert W., Maliekkal, Shincy J., Muller, Matthew R., Rohde, Justin B., Hogard, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiest, Philip R
• Application Number:
  US14/446,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20140338756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 604 401- 616
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/16 with membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1601 Control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/282 Operational modes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/288 Priming priming in extracorporeal blood circuits A61M1/3643
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3624 Level detectors; Level control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3627 Degassing devices; Buffer reservoirs; Drip chambers; Blood filters
• 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 2202/02 Gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0413 Blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/10 with powered movement mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3382 Upper level detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3386 Low level detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/75 with filters
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0402 Cleaning, repairing, or assembling

Abstract

An air purging method includes: (a) detecting a low fluid level in a blood circuit indicating a high amount of air in the blood circuit; (b) stopping a blood pump; (c) closing a venous patient line; (d) opening a blood circuit air vent valve and a drain valve; and (e) running the blood pump to meter air through the air vent valve and the drain valve to a drain.

Claims

1. A blood treatment air purging method comprising:

(a) detecting a low fluid level in a blood circuit indicating a high amount of air in the blood circuit;

(b) stopping a blood pump and a dialysate pump;

(c) closing a venous patient line;

(d) opening a blood circuit air vent valve and a drain valve; and

(e) running the blood pump to meter air through the blood circuit air vent valve and the drain valve to a drain.

2. The blood treatment air purging method of claim 1, which includes:

(f) detecting a high fluid level in the blood circuit;

(g) stopping the blood pump;

(h) closing the blood circuit air vent valve and the drain valve;

(i) opening the venous patient line; and

(j) running the blood pump to lower the fluid level in the blood circuit.

3. The blood treatment air purging method of claim 1, which includes restarting the dialysate pump upon detecting an overfill at a blood leak detector.

4. The blood treatment air purging method of claim 1, which includes detecting the low fluid level at an air trap in fluid communication with the blood circuit air vent valve.

5. The blood treatment air purging method of claim 1, which includes:

(f) detecting a low fluid level in a dialysate circuit, indicating a high amount of air in the dialysate circuit;

(g) stopping the dialysate pump;

(h) opening a dialysate circuit air vent valve; and

(i) running the dialysate pump to meter air through the dialysate circuit air vent valve and the drain valve to the drain.

6. The blood treatment air purging method of claim 1, which includes closing a saline valve and a heparin valve.

7. The blood treatment air purging method of claim 1, which includes opening the blood circuit air vent valve while a second blood circuit air vent valve remains closed, and thereafter closing the blood circuit air vent valve while the second blood circuit air vent valve is open to prevent outside air from contacting blood.

8. A blood treatment air purging method comprising:

stopping a blood pump;

stopping a dialysate pump;

closing a venous patient line;

opening a blood circuit air vent valve and a drain valve; and

running the blood pump to meter air through the blood circuit air vent valve and the drain valve to a drain.

9. The blood treatment air purging method of claim 8, which includes:

detecting a high fluid level in the blood circuit;

stopping the blood pump;

closing the blood circuit air vent valve and the drain valve;

opening the venous patient line; and

running the blood pump to lower the fluid level in the blood circuit.

10. The blood treatment air purging method of claim 8, which includes detecting a low fluid level at an air trap in fluid communication with the blood circuit air vent valve.

11. The blood treatment air purging method of claim 8, which includes:

detecting a low fluid level in a dialysate circuit indicating a high amount of air in the dialysate circuit;

stopping the dialysate pump;

opening a dialysate circuit air vent valve; and

running the dialysate pump to meter air through the dialysate circuit air vent valve and the drain valve to the drain.

12. The blood treatment air purging method of claim 8, which includes closing a saline valve and a heparin valve.

13. The blood treatment air purging method of claim 8, which includes opening the blood circuit air vent valve while a second blood circuit air vent valve remains closed, and thereafter closing the blood circuit air vent valve while the second blood circuit air vent valve is open to prevent outside air from contacting blood.

14. A blood treatment air purging method comprising:

detecting a low fluid level in a blood circuit indicating a high amount of air in the blood circuit;

stopping a blood pump;

closing a venous patient line;

opening a blood circuit air vent valve and a drain valve;

running the blood pump to meter air through the blood circuit air vent valve and the drain valve to a drain;

detecting a low fluid level in a dialysate circuit indicating a high amount of air in the dialysate circuit;

stopping a dialysate pump;

opening a dialysate circuit air vent valve; and

running the dialysate pump to meter air through the dialysate circuit air vent valve and the drain valve to the drain.

15. The blood treatment air purging method of claim 14, which includes:

detecting a high fluid level in the blood circuit;

stopping the blood pump;

closing the blood circuit air vent valve and the drain valve;

opening the venous patient line; and

running the blood pump to lower the fluid level in the blood circuit.

16. The blood treatment air purging method of claim 14, which includes stopping the dialysate pump upon detecting the low fluid level in the blood circuit.

17. The blood treatment air purging method of claim 14, which includes detecting the low fluid level in the blood circuit at an air trap in fluid communication with the blood circuit air vent valve.

18. The blood treatment air purging method of claim 14, which includes closing a saline valve and a heparin valve.

19. The blood treatment air purging method of claim 14, which includes opening the blood circuit air vent valve while a second blood circuit air vent valve remains closed, and thereafter closing the blood circuit air vent valve while the second blood circuit air vent valve is open to prevent outside air from contacting blood.

20. A blood treatment air purging method comprising:

detecting a low fluid level in a blood circuit indicating a high amount of air in the blood circuit;

stopping a blood pump;

closing a venous patient line;

opening a blood circuit air vent valve and a drain valve;

running the blood pump to meter air through the blood circuit air vent valve and the drain valve to a drain; and

leaving the blood circuit air vent valve open while a second blood circuit air vent valve remains closed, and thereafter closing the blood circuit air vent valve while the second blood circuit air vent valve is open to prevent outside air from contacting blood.

21. The blood treatment air purging method of claim 20, which includes:

detecting a high fluid level in the blood circuit;

stopping the blood pump;

closing the blood circuit air vent valve and the drain valve;

opening the venous patient line; and

running the blood pump to lower the fluid level in the blood circuit.

22. The blood treatment air purging method of claim 20, which includes stopping a dialysate pump upon detecting the low fluid level.

23. The blood treatment air purging method of claim 20, which includes detecting the low fluid level at an air trap in fluid communication with the blood circuit air vent valve.

24. The blood treatment air purging method of claim 20, which includes:

detecting a low fluid level in a dialysate circuit indicating a high amount of air in the dialysate circuit;

stopping a dialysate pump;

opening a dialysate circuit air vent valve; and

running the dialysate pump to meter air through the dialysate circuit air vent valve and the drain valve to the drain.

25. The blood treatment air purging method of claim 20, which includes closing a saline valve and a heparin valve.