Automatic apparatus for blood dialysis and priming method using the apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus for blood dialysis composed at least of a hemodialyzer (a) whereby blood is brought into contact with a dialysate via a semipermeable membrane and thus purified; a blood circulation system (b) composed of a blood circuit in the arterial side whereby blood is taken out from a patient and flown into the hemodialyzer and another blood circuit in the venous side whereby the blood flown out from the hemodialyzer is returned to the patient; a dialysate supplying/discharging system (c) for supplying and discharging the dialysate composed of a dialysate-supply line for supplying the dialysate to the hemodialyzer and a dialysate-discharge line for discharging the dialysate flown out from the hemodialyzer, and a means (d) of controlling the back-filtration speed. Owing to this constitution, individual steps from the preparation of the dialysis (treatment) to the completion of the treatment and the change from a specific step to the next step can be safely, surely and quickly carried out in most cases. Moreover, a series of therapeutic procedures (i.e., blood collection, initiation of blood dialysis, collection and completion) can be automated.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.