Patent ID: 7189352

Claim:
A method of priming an integrated extracorporeal blood circuit with prime solution displacing air in the components and lines interconnecting the components of the extracorporeal blood circuit, the integrated extracorporeal blood circuit drawing venous blood from the venous system of a patient through a venous return line and delivering oxygenated blood through an arterial line to the arterial system of the patient during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery adapted to be performed on the patient in the presence of a perfusionist, the priming method comprising: coupling the venous return line to the arterial line; supporting the extracorporeal blood circuit in 3-D space so that the components and lines interconnecting the components are disposed between a circuit high elevation and a circuit low elevation; supporting a prime solution source at a source elevation higher than the circuit low elevation; delivering prime solution into the integrated extracorporeal blood circuit at the circuit low elevation; controlling the flow of prime solution from the prime solution source into the extracorporeal blood circuit to upward fill the components and lines of the extracorporeal blood circuit with prime solution; purging air from the extracorporeal blood circuit as the prime solution rises and fills the extracorporeal blood circuit, wherein the components of the extracorporeal blood circuit comprise a blood oxygenator, a venous air removal device (VARD), an arterial filter, and a blood pump; and the supporting step comprises supporting the integrated extracorporeal blood circuit in 3-D space with an oxygenator venous blood inlet and a venous blood outlet of the blood pump coupled together and with the circuit low elevation, a lower venous blood outlet of the VARD coupled to the venous blood inlet of the blood pump at a VARD outlet elevation above the venous blood inlet of the blood pump, the arterial line coupled to an arterial filter outlet of the arterial filter at an arterial line elevation higher than the VARD inlet elevation, an arterial filter inlet of the arterial filter coupled to the oxygenated blood outlet of the blood oxygenator and supported at an arterial filter inlet elevation higher than the arterial line elevation, and the venous return line coupled to an upper venous blood inlet of the VARD at a venous return elevation.