Patent ID: 7819834

Claim:
A perfusion system for treating blood of a patient during a surgical procedure, comprising: a venous line for carrying blood removed from the patient; a flow control valve having first and second inlets and first and second outlets, wherein the first inlet is coupled to the venous line; an air removal system for removing emboli from the blood flowing in the perfusion system; a first intermediate line coupling the first outlet of the flow control valve to the air removal system; a second intermediate line coupled to the second inlet of the flow control valve; a blood pump coupled to the second intermediate line and the air removal system for pumping the blood from the air removal system to the second inlet of the flow control valve; an arterial line coupled to the second outlet of the flow control valve for carrying treated blood back to the patient; wherein the flow control valve is selectably placed in an open position or a recirculate position, wherein the first inlet is coupled to the first outlet when the flow control valve is in either the open position or the recirculate position so that blood is substantially continuously removed from the patient, wherein the second inlet is coupled to the second outlet and blocked from the first outlet when the flow control valve is in the open position so that the treated blood is carried back to the patient, and wherein the second inlet is coupled to the first outlet and blocked from the second outlet when the flow control valve is in the recirculate position so that the treated blood is returned to the air removal system and is substantially blocked from returning to the patient.