The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 30, 1997
Filed:
Nov. 17, 1995
Frederick H Peter, Jr, Barrington, IL (US);
Eric Bell, Wheeling, IL (US);
Thomas M Feldsein, Palatine, IL (US);
AKSYS, Ltd., Lincolnshire, IL (US);
Abstract
A method is described for priming a dialyzer placed in an extracorporeal circuit of a hemodialysis machine in situ. The method comprises the steps of substantially filling the extracorporeal circuit and the blood side of the dialyzer with fluid (such as dialysate, RO water, saline, etc.), and inducing pressure pulses in the fluid. The pressure pulses cause air bubbles from the blood side of the dialyzer to be sheared off the dialyzer membrane. The air bubbles are then conducted from the dialyzer and removed from the extracorporeal circuit. Backfiltering of fluid across the dialyzer from the dialysate circuit into the extracorporeal circuit is performed in synchrony with the pressure pulses to assist in the shearing off of air bubbles from the blood side of the dialyzer membrane.