Hemodialysis machine with automatic priming by induced pressure pulses

A hemodialysis machine with automatic priming of a dialyzer membrane, comprising:

• a dialyzer having a blood side thereof and a dialysate side thereof, said dialyzer membrane separating said blood side of said dialyzer from said dialysate side of said dialyzer;
• a dialysate circuit circulating dialysate solution to said dialysate side of said dialyzer;
• an extracorporeal circuit having arterial and venous blood lines connecting a patient to said dialyzer;
• a means for introducing fluid into said arterial and venous lines and for filling said arterial and venous lines and said blood side of said dialyzer with said fluid;
• a blood pump in said extracorporeal circuit for pumping fluids in said arterial and venous lines;
• first and second clamps clamping said arterial and venous blood lines, respectively;
• a control system operative of said first and second clamps and said blood pump in a priming mode to achieve automatically priming of said dialyzer, said control system operating said blood pump and said first and second clamps in a manner to induce multiple brief pressure pulses in said extracorporeal circuit when said extracorporeal circuit is substantially filled with said fluid, said pressure pulses shearing off air bubbles from said blood side of said membrane;
• said control system and blood pump operative to remove said air bubbles from said blood side of said dialyzer membrane and out of said extracorporeal circuit.