Dialysis systems and methods having vibration-aided air removal

1. A dialysis system comprising:

a dialysis fluid disposable including a disposable cassette having a flexible pumping sheet, the dialysis fluid disposable configured to hold and transport a dialysis fluid;

an air separation chamber in fluid communication with the dialysis fluid disposable; and

a dialysis instrument configured to pump dialysis fluid through the dialysis fluid disposable, the instrument including a vibrator configured to vibrate the air separation chamber to separate air from the dialysis fluid traveling through the chamber.

2. The dialysis system of claim 1 , which is a hemodialysis system, the disposable cassette configured to transport blood.

3. The dialysis system of claim 1 , wherein the air separation chamber includes a fluid baffle floating within the air separation chamber.

4. The dialysis system claim 3 , wherein the floating fluid baffle includes one of: (i) plural particles; (ii) a coiled strip; and (iii) a twisted strip.

5. The dialysis system of claim 1 , wherein the air separation chamber when in an operating position includes a first baffle portion extending up from and angling inwardly from an inlet of the air separation chamber and a second baffle portion extending down from the first baffle portion and angling outwardly towards an outlet of the air separation chamber.

6. The dialysis system of claim 5 , wherein the first and second baffle portions are at least substantially straight, forming a triangular shape.

7. The dialysis system of claim 5 , the first baffle portion of the air separation chamber ending and the second baffle portion beginning approximately half-way across a horizontal width of the air separation chamber.

8. The dialysis system of claim 5 , the first baffle portion ending and the second baffle portion beginning approximately half-way up a vertical height of the air separation chamber.

9. The dialysis system of claim 5 , wherein at least one of: (i) at least one of an inlet path and an outlet path of the air separation chamber is disposed at least substantially vertically when the air separation chamber is placed in an operating position; and (ii) at least one of the inlet path to and the outlet path from the air separation chamber is disposed at least substantially at a same angle as the first baffle portion and the second baffle portion, respectively, of the air separation chamber.

10. The dialysis system of claim 1 , wherein the air separation chamber is part of the dialysis fluid disposable.

11. The dialysis system of claim 1 , wherein the disposable cassette includes a base wall beneath the flexible pumping sheet, the air separation chamber formed at least partially by the base wall.

12. The dialysis system of claim 1 , wherein the vibrator is an ultrasonic or mechanical vibrator.

13. The dialysis system of claim 1 , wherein the vibrator is configured to vibrate at least a part of the dialysis fluid disposable in addition to the air separation chamber.

14. A dialysis system comprising:

a dialysis fluid disposable including a pump chamber, the dialysis fluid disposable configured to hold and transport a dialysis fluid; and

a dialysis instrument configured to pump dialysis fluid through the dialysis fluid disposable, the instrument including a vibrator configured to vibrate the pump chamber of the dialysis fluid disposable to separate air from the dialysis fluid traveling through the dialysis fluid disposable.

15. The dialysis system of claim 14 , wherein the dialysis fluid disposable includes a flexible sheet.

16. The dialysis system of claim 14 , wherein the dialysis fluid disposable includes a plurality of valve chambers in fluid communication with the pump chamber.

17. The dialysis system of claim 14 , which is a hemodialysis system, the disposable cassette configured to transport blood.

18. A dialysis method comprising:

flowing a dialysis fluid by flexing a flexible sheet of a pump chamber;

removing air from the dialysis fluid using buoyancy forces; and

removing air from the dialysis fluid using vibration forces applied to the pump chamber or to an air separation chamber in fluid communication with the pump chamber.

19. The dialysis method of claim 18 , which includes removing air from blood or dialysate.

20. The dialysis method of claim 18 , which includes removing air from the dialysis fluid simultaneously using buoyancy and vibration forces.