Automatic priming and rinsing of an extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus

A method for priming and rinsing of an extracorporeal circuit and of a dialyzer of an extracorporeal blood treatment device prior to a first-time use of the extracorporeal circuit and of the dialyzer, the method comprising the steps of:

• connecting or, respectively, short-circuiting an arterial section and a venous section of the extracorporeal circuit of the extracorporeal blood treatment device;
• and
• priming the extracorporeal circuit and the dialyzer by supplying a liquid from a dialyzing liquid circuit of the extracorporeal blood treatment device to the extracorporeal circuit across a membrane of the dialyzer,
• wherein the step of priming the extracorporeal circuit and the dialyzer comprises the steps of:
• opening or keeping open a dialyzer inlet valve of the dialyzing liquid circuit and a vent valve of the extracorporeal circuit;
• closing or keeping closed a dialyzer outlet valve of the dialyzing liquid circuit;
• and
• pumping the liquid at a required pressure into the dialyzer with a flow pump provided in the dialyzing liquid circuit,
• the method further comprising the step of:
• rinsing of the extracorporeal circuit and the dialyzer simultaneously with priming or immediately subsequent to priming, wherein rinsing comprises the steps of:
• creating a pressure difference between the extracorporeal circuit and the dialyzing liquid circuit;
• and
• rinsing the extracorporeal circuit and the dialyzer via a liquid transfer across the membrane of the dialyzer from the extracorporeal circuit to the dialyzing liquid circuit.

An extracorporeal blood treatment device comprising:

• an extracorporeal circuit comprising an arterial section and a venous section, a dialyzer and a dialyzing liquid circuit, wherein:
• the extracorporeal circuit and the dialyzing liquid circuit are separated from each other by a membrane provided in the dialyzer,
• the extracorporeal blood treatment device is prepared or, respectively, configured for priming and rinsing of the extracorporeal circuit and the dialyzer prior to a first-time use of the extracorporeal circuit and the dialyzer, and for this purpose the arterial section and the venous section are short-circuited or, respectively, connected via a connector device,
• the dialyzing liquid circuit has a dialyzer inlet valve, a dialyzer outlet valve and at least one flow pump,
• the extracorporeal circuit has at least one vent valve,
• the extracorporeal blood treatment device has a control unit, which is configured to control priming such that a liquid is supplied from the dialyzing liquid circuit across the membrane of the dialyzer to the extracorporeal circuit,
• the control unit is configured to control rinsing of the extracorporeal blood treatment device simultaneously with priming or immediately subsequent to priming such that for rinsing a pressure difference is created between the extracorporeal circuit and the dialyzing liquid circuit and a liquid transfer is effected across the membrane of the dialyzer from the extracorporeal circuit to the dialyzing liquid circuit, and
• the control unit is configured, for controlling of the rinsing:
• to open or to keep open the dialyzer inlet valve,
• to close or to keep closed the at least one vent valve,
• to close or to keep closed the dialyzer outlet valve, and
• to control the at least one flow pump so that it pumps the liquid at a required pressure into the dialyzer, namely until a predetermined maximum pressure is reached in the extracorporeal circuit.

A method for priming and rinsing of an extracorporeal circuit and of a dialyzer of an extracorporeal blood treatment device prior to a first-time use of the extracorporeal circuit and of the dialyzer, the method comprising the steps of:

• connecting or, respectively, short-circuiting an arterial section and a venous section of the extracorporeal circuit of the extracorporeal blood treatment device;
• priming the extracorporeal circuit and the dialyzer by supplying a liquid from a dialyzing liquid circuit of the extracorporeal blood treatment device to the extracorporeal circuit across a membrane of the dialyzer;
• and
• rinsing the extracorporeal circuit and the dialyzer simultaneously with priming or immediately subsequent to priming, wherein the step of rinsing the extracorporeal circuit and the dialyzer comprises the steps of:
• creating a pressure difference between the extracorporeal circuit and the dialyzing liquid circuit;
• rinsing the extracorporeal circuit and the dialyzer via a liquid transfer across the membrane of the dialyzer from the extracorporeal circuit to the dialyzing liquid circuit;
• opening or keeping open the dialyzer inlet valve;
• closing or keeping closed the vent valve;
• closing or keeping closed the dialyzer outlet valve, and
• pumping the liquid at a required pressure into the dialyzer until a predetermined maximum pressure is reached in the extracorporeal circuit.