Claims
- 1. In a system for providing and removing priming solution to and from an ultrafiltration unit, connected to a blood source, an ultrafiltration unit having an ultrafiltration membrane which separates a blood compartment from an ultrafiltrate compartment, a blood inlet port, a blood outlet port, and an ultrafiltrate outlet port, the improvement comprising:
- a second inlet port communicating with the ultrafiltrate compartment;
- a feedback tube connecting the blood outlet port to the second inlet port;
- a flow restrictor interposed in the feedback tube to control the flow rate into the ultrafiltrate compartment;
- blood inlet tubing for connecting the blood inlet port to a blood source;
- a port on the blood inlet tubing for connecting a priming solution container to the blood inlet tubing;
- blood outlet tubing extending from the blood outlet port; and
- flow means for causing the priming solution to flow from the blood compartment through the blood outlet port through the feedback tube into the second inlet port communicating with the ultrafiltrate compartment and out of the ultrafiltrate compartment through the ultrafiltrate outlet port, the flow means including a means for connecting the ultrafiltrate outlet port to a vacuum source.
- 2. In a system as described in claim 1, in which said ultrafiltration unit is a hemoconcentrator.
- 3. An ultrafiltration set which can be primed without requiring a pump on the blood line, comprising:
- an ultrafiltration unit having an ultrafiltration membrane which separates a blood compartment from an ultrafiltrate compartment;
- a blood inlet port;
- a blood outlet port;
- a second inlet port communicating with the ultrafiltrate compartment;
- an ultrafiltrate outlet port;
- blood inlet tubing for connecting the blood inlet port to a blood source;
- a port on the blood inlet tubing for connecting a priming solution container to the blood inlet tubing;
- blood outlet tubing extending from the blood outlet port;
- a feedback tube connecting the blood outlet port to the second inlet port;
- flow means for causing priming solution introduced at the blood inlet port to be drawn through said blood compartment to said feedback tube and from said feedback tube through said ultrafiltrate compartment and out of the ultrafiltrate outlet port, the flow means including a means for applying a low pressure to the ultrafiltrate outlet port.
- 4. An ultrafiltration set as described in claim 3, including a flow restrictor interposed in the feedback tube to control the flow rate into the ultrafiltrate compartment.
- 5. A method for providing and removing priming solution to and from an ultrafiltration unit connected to a blood source comprising the steps of:
- providing an ultrafiltration unit having an ultrafiltration membrane which separates a blood compartment from an ultrafiltrate compartment, a blood inlet port, a blood outlet port, a second inlet port communicating with the ultrafiltrate compartment, and an ultrafiltrate outlet port;
- providing a feedback tube connecting the blood outlet port to the second inlet port;
- introducing priming solution to the blood inlet port; and
- applying a vacuum to the ultrafiltrate outlet port to draw the priming solution through the blood compartment, through the ultrafiltrate compartment and out the ultrafiltrate outlet port.
- 6. A method as described in claim 5, including the steps of:
- providing tubing for connecting the blood inlet port to a blood source;
- connecting a priming solution container to the blood inlet tubing;
- prior to introducing priming solution to the blood inlet port, (1) clamping the tubing upstream of the blood inlet port and introducing priming solution into the tubing upstream of the clamp, (2) then clamping the tubing downstream of the feedback tube and removing the clamp upstream of the blood inlet port, whereby the priming solution will be drawn through the blood compartment, through the ultrafiltrate compartment, and out the ultrafiltrate outlet port.
- 7. In a system for providing and removing priming solution to and from an ultrafiltration unit having an ultrafiltration membrane which separates a first compartment from a second compartment, the first compartment having an inlet port and an outlet port, and the second compartment having an outlet port, the improvement comprising:
- an inlet port communicating with the second compartment;
- a feedback tube connecting the outlet port of the first compartment to the inlet port of the second compartment;
- flow means for causing the primary solution to flow from the first compartment through the outlet port of the first compartment through the feedback tube into the inlet port of the second compartment and out of the second compartment through the outlet port of the second compartment.
- 8. In a system as described in claim 7, including blood inlet tubing for conecting the inlet port of the first compartment to a blood source, a first port on the blood inlet tubing for connecting a pressure monitor to the blood inlet tubing, a second port on the blood inlet tubing for connecting a priming solution container to the blood inlet tubing, and blood outlet tubing extending from the outlet port of the first compartment.
- 9. In a system as described in claim 7, wherein said flow means includes means for connecting the outlet port of the second compartment to a container and means for connecting the container to a vacuum source.
- 10. In a system as described in claim 7, including a flow restrictor in the feedback tube to control the flow rate into the second compartment.
- 11. In a system according to claim 7 wherein said flow means includes:
- means for applying vacuum pressure to the outlet port of the second compartment, and means for supplying priming solution to the inlet port of the first compartment.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 583,854, filed 2-27-84, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
583854 |
Feb 1984 |
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