TECHNIQUE FOR PRIMING AND RECIRCULATING FLUID THROUGH A DIALYSIS MACHINE TO PREPARE THE MACHINE FOR USE

摘要

A technique for automatically priming and recirculating sterile fluid through an extracorporeal circuit of a dialysis machine having a blood pump, a dialyzer (54), and a blood tubing set including an arterial line (38) for drawing blood from a patient and a venous line (66) for returning the blood to the patient. The dialysis machine selectively opens and closes clamps (40 and 72) on the arterial and venous lines and further operates a waste valve (106) leading to a waste drain (86). A connector (102) attaches the arterial and venous lines to the waste valve during the priming procedure. The dialysis machine automatically operates the blood pump, the clamps and the waste valve to flush the dialyzer and the blood tubing set with sterile fluid, direct the used fluid down the waste drain and recirculate additional sterile fluid through the extracorporeal circuit.