Patent attributes
An air trap for a blood circuit and method for removing air from blood in a dialysis unit. The air trap may include a blood inlet supply line, a blood outlet supply line, and a container having an approximately spherical internal wall, an inlet at a top end of the container connected to the blood inlet supply line, and an outlet at a bottom end of the container connected to the blood outlet supply line. The inlet may be offset from a vertical axis of the approximately spherical internal wall such that blood entering the container is directed to flow in a spiral-like path. The inlet port may be arranged to introduce blood into the container in a direction that is approximately tangential to the approximately spherical inner wall of the container and/or in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the vertical axis of the container.