Patent ID: 7559914

Claim:
Apparatus for priming an aspiration circuit of a microsurgical system, comprising: a pressurized gas source; a pressurized infusion fluid source; an aspiration chamber fluidly coupled to said pressurized gas source and said pressurized infusion fluid source; a first valve fluidly coupled between said pressurized infusion fluid source and said aspiration chamber; a second valve fluidly coupled between said pressurized gas source and said aspiration chamber; a surgical device having an aspiration port fluidly coupled to said aspiration chamber via a fluid line; a computer electrically coupled to said first and second valves; whereby said computer: actuates said first valve so as to fill said aspiration chamber with an amount of an infusion fluid from said pressurized infusion fluid source sufficient to substantially fill said fluid line and said surgical device; and actuates said second valve so that pressurized gas from said pressurized gas source causes said infusion fluid in said aspiration chamber to substantially fill said fluid line and said surgical device.