Patent ID: 11896752
Assignee: GAMBRO LUNDIA AB
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 9:
10. A method for draining an extracorporeal fluid circuit utilizing a dialysis machine, wherein the dialysis machine is fluidly coupled to a dialyzer, which is fluidly coupled to the extracorporeal fluid circuit, wherein the extracorporeal fluid circuit comprises an arterial line connectable to a patient for drawing blood from the patient and a venous line connectable to the patient for returning blood to the patient, and wherein the arterial line comprises a first port connectable to the patient and the venous line comprises a second port connectable to the patient the method comprising:
after treatment termination from said extracorporeal fluid circuit:
enabling the arterial line to be disconnected from the patient through disconnection of the first port,
enabling the arterial line to be connected to a rinse-back fluid container prior to rinse-back fluid being introduced into the extracorporeal fluid circuit, the rinse-back container being a supply of saline or substitution fluid,
causing the second port to be maintained in connection with the patient,
activating a peristaltic blood pump to generate an introduction of the rinse-back fluid, the rinse-back fluid flowing from the rinse-back container through the dialyzer towards the venous line thereby filling the extracorporeal fluid circuit with the rinse-back fluid until only small residuals of blood are left in the extracorporeal fluid circuit, and
after filling the extracorporeal fluid circuit with the rinse-back fluid, draining remaining fluid from said extracorporeal fluid circuit through the dialyzer, wherein the dialyzer is connected to the dialysis machine via a dialyzer fluid circuit for distribution of dialysis fluid to and from the dialyzer,
wherein the extracorporeal fluid circuit is drained through the dialyzer by applying a negative pressure on the dialyzer fluid circuit relative to the extracorporeal fluid circuit, where the negative pressure is applied on the dialyzer fluid circuit relative to the extracorporeal fluid circuit by introducing air into the extracorporeal fluid circuit by pumping the air through an inlet that is fluidly connected to a venous drip chamber with an air pump that is connected to the extracorporeal fluid circuit via the venous drip chamber after the first port is connected to the second port, the air pump being fluidly connected to the extracorporeal fluid circuit via the drip chamber and the inlet during and after the treatment, and
wherein the venous drip chamber is situated between the dialyzer and the second port; and

activating a peristaltic blood pump to generate a flow of air, causing the remaining fluid to be pushed towards the dialyzer for draining through the dialysis machine.