# US 2019/0167887 A1 · Air purging systems for blood treatments > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0167887 A1 - Document ID: US20190167887A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/271,421 - Filed: 2019-02-08 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2007-10-01 - Assignees: Baxter International Inc.; Baxter Healthcare S.A. - Applicants: Baxter International Inc.; Baxter Healthcare SA - Inventors: Thomas D. Kelly; Marc S. Minkus; Angelito A. Bernardo; William P. Burns; Robert W. Childers; Shincy J. Maliekkal; Matthew R. Muller; Justin B. Rohde; Michael E. Hogard - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190167887A1 ## CPC - A61M 1/3643: {Priming, rinsing before or after use} - A61M 1/16: with membranes - A61M 1/1601: {Control or regulation} - A61M 1/282: {Operational modes} - A61M 1/288: {Priming (priming in extracorporeal blood circuits A61M1/3643)} - A61M 1/3624: {Level detectors; Level control} - A61M 1/3627: {Degassing devices; Buffer reservoirs; Drip chambers; Blood filters} - A61M 1/3644: {Mode of operation} - A61M 1/3649: {using dialysate as priming or rinsing liquid} - A61M 2202/02: Gases - A61M 2202/0413: Blood - A61M 2205/10: with powered movement mechanisms - A61M 2205/3382: Upper level detectors - A61M 2205/3386: Low level detectors - A61M 2205/75: with filters - Y10T 137/0402: Cleaning, repairing, or assembling - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A hemodialysis system configured to purge air from a blood circuit comprises a dialyzer; a dialysis fluid circuit operable with the dialyzer via dialysis fluid inlet and outlet lines, the dialysis fluid circuit including a fresh dialysis fluid pump, and a used dialysis fluid pump; the blood circuit operable with the dialyzer and including an arterial line, a venous line, a blood pump operable with the arterial line upstream of the dialyzer, a physiologically acceptable fluid source in fluid communication with the arterial line upstream of the blood pump, a drip chamber located along the venous line, and a container for accepting air purged from the blood circuit; and an air purging scheme wherein, with the dialysis fluid inlet and outlet lines connected to the dialyzer, the blood pump pumps a fluid through the dialyzer and into the drip chamber, forcing air from the drip chamber into the container. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hemodialysis system configured to purge air from a blood circuit, the hemodialysis system comprising: a dialyzer; a dialysis fluid circuit in fluid communication with the dialyzer via dialysis fluid inlet and outlet lines, the dialysis fluid circuit including a fresh dialysis fluid pump, a used dialysis fluid pump, a first balancing unit including (i) a first fresh dialysis fluid chamber operable with the fresh dialysis fluid pump and (ii) a first used dialysis fluid chamber operable with the used dialysis fluid pump, and a second balancing unit including (i) a second fresh dialysis fluid chamber operable with the fresh dialysis fluid pump and (ii) a second used dialysis fluid chamber operable with the used dialysis fluid pump; the blood circuit in fluid communication with the dialyzer and including an arterial line for removing blood from a patient and delivering the blood to the dialyzer, a venous line for returning blood from the dialyzer to the patient, a blood pump operable with the arterial line upstream of the dialyzer, a physiologically acceptable fluid source in fluid communication with the arterial line upstream of the blood pump, a drip chamber located along the venous line, and a container for accepting air purged from the blood circuit; and an air purging scheme wherein, with the dialysis fluid inlet and outlet lines connected to the dialyzer, the blood pump drives air from the drip chamber into the container. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The hemodialysis system of claim 1, wherein the container is a dedicated vent container. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The hemodialysis system of claim 1, wherein the container is a used dialysis fluid container. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The hemodialysis system of claim 1, wherein the physiologically acceptable fluid source is a saline fluid source. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The hemodialysis system of claim 1, wherein (i) the first fresh dialysis fluid chamber is located between the fresh dialysis fluid pump and a dialysis fluid inlet line to the dialyzer, (ii) the used dialysis fluid pump is located between the first used dialysis fluid chamber and a dialysis fluid outlet line from the dialyzer, (iii) the second fresh dialysis fluid chamber is located between the fresh dialysis fluid pump and the dialysis fluid inlet line to the dialyzer and (iv) the used dialysis fluid pump is located between the second used dialysis fluid chamber and the dialysis fluid outlet line from the dialyzer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The hemodialysis system of claim 1, wherein during the air purging scheme, the blood pump pumps blood to drive air from the drip chamber into the container. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The hemodialysis system of claim 1, wherein the container is in fluid communication with the drip chamber via a vent line. ### Claim 8 A hemodialysis system configured to purge air from a blood circuit, the hemodialysis system comprising: a dialyzer; a dialysis fluid circuit in fluid communication with the dialyzer via dialysis fluid inlet and outlet lines, the dialysis fluid circuit including a fresh dialysis fluid pump, a used dialysis fluid pump, a first balancing unit including (i) a first fresh dialysis fluid chamber operable with the fresh dialysis fluid pump and (ii) a first used dialysis fluid chamber operable with the used dialysis fluid pump, and a second balancing unit including (i) a second fresh dialysis fluid chamber operable with the fresh dialysis fluid pump and (ii) a second used dialysis fluid chamber operable with the used dialysis fluid pump; the blood circuit in fluid communication with the dialyzer and including an arterial line for removing blood from a patient and delivering the blood to the dialyzer, a venous line for returning blood from the dialyzer to the patient, a blood pump operable with the arterial line upstream of the dialyzer, a physiologically acceptable fluid source in fluid communication with the arterial line upstream of the blood pump, a drip chamber located along the venous line, and a container for accepting air purged from the blood circuit; and an air purging scheme wherein, with the dialysis fluid inlet and outlet lines connected to the dialyzer, the blood pump pumps a fluid through the dialyzer and into the drip chamber, forcing air into the container. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The hemodialysis system of claim 8, wherein the container is a dedicated vent container. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The hemodialysis system of claim 8, wherein the container is a used dialysis fluid container. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The hemodialysis system of claim 8, wherein the physiologically acceptable fluid source is a saline fluid source. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The hemodialysis system of claim 8, wherein (i) the first fresh dialysis fluid chamber is located between the fresh dialysis fluid pump and a dialysis fluid inlet line to the dialyzer, (ii) the used dialysis fluid pump is located between the first used dialysis fluid chamber and a dialysis fluid outlet line from the dialyzer, (iii) the second fresh dialysis fluid chamber is located between the fresh dialysis fluid pump and the dialysis fluid inlet line to the dialyzer and (iv) the used dialysis fluid pump is located between the second used dialysis fluid chamber and the dialysis fluid outlet line from the dialyzer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The hemodialysis system of claim 8, wherein the fluid is blood, and during the air purging scheme, the blood pump pumps blood through the dialyzer and into the drip chamber, forcing air into the container. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The hemodialysis system of claim 8, wherein the container is in fluid communication with the drip chamber via a vent line. ### Claim 15 A hemodialysis system configured to purge air from a blood circuit, the hemodialysis system comprising: a dialyzer; a dialysis fluid circuit in fluid communication with the dialyzer via dialysis fluid inlet and outlet lines, the dialysis fluid circuit including a fresh dialysis fluid pump, and a used dialysis fluid pump; the blood circuit in fluid communication with the dialyzer and including an arterial line for removing blood from a patient and delivering the blood to the dialyzer, a venous line for returning blood from the dialyzer to the patient, a blood pump operable with the arterial line upstream of the dialyzer, a physiologically acceptable fluid source in fluid communication with the arterial line upstream of the blood pump, a drip chamber located along the venous line, and a container for accepting air purged from the blood circuit; and an air purging scheme wherein, with the dialysis fluid inlet and outlet lines connected to the dialyzer, the blood pump pumps a fluid through the dialyzer and into the drip chamber, forcing air from the drip chamber into the container. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The hemodialysis system of claim 15, wherein the container is a dedicated vent container. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The hemodialysis system of claim 15, wherein the container is a used dialysis fluid container. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The hemodialysis system of claim 15, wherein the physiologically acceptable fluid source is a saline fluid source. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The hemodialysis system of claim 15, wherein the dialysis fluid circuit comprises a first balancing unit including (i) a first fresh dialysis fluid chamber operable with the fresh dialysis fluid pump and (ii) a first used dialysis fluid chamber operable with the used dialysis fluid pump, and a second balancing unit including (iii) a second fresh dialysis fluid chamber operable with the fresh dialysis fluid pump and (iv) a second used dialysis fluid chamber operable with the used dialysis fluid pump; ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The hemodialysis system of claim 15, wherein the fluid is blood, and during the air purging scheme, the blood pump pumps blood through the dialyzer and into the drip chamber, forcing air from the drip chamber into the container. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The hemodialysis system of claim 15, wherein the container is in fluid communication with the drip chamber via a vent line.