Patent ID: 7291124

Claim:
A method of priming and using a blood handling system comprising: providing a blood pump/oxygenator; providing a tubing set having a perfusion circuit and a priming circuit, the perfusion circuit including a venous line, an arterial line, and a perfusion line coupled to the venous line and the arterial line, the priming circuit including a first end coupled to the venous line, a second end coupled to the arterial line and a priming line; providing a source of priming fluid; coupling a free end of the venous line to an inlet of the blood pump/oxygenator; coupling a free end of the arterial line to an outlet of the blood pump/oxygenator; coupling the priming line to the source of priming fluid; releasing the priming fluid into the priming line, so that the priming fluid fills the priming circuit, the perfusion circuit and the blood pump/oxygenator; and operating the blood pump/oxygenator to accumulate and vent air from the blood handling system.