Heater-cooler system
AssigneeSpectrum Medical Ltd.
InventorsStephen Turner, Benjamin David Garbutt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A heater-cooler apparatus of an extracorporeal perfusion system comprises at least one fluid circuit (102, 104) providing a supply of a heat transfer fluid to the perfusion system, a cold storage unit (266), and a refrigeration unit (250) for charging the cold storage unit (266). The cold storage unit (266) comprises a chamber (312) containing a liquid that freezes at a temperature above that to which the heat transfer fluid is cooled by the refrigeration unit (250), and a passage through which the heat transfer fluid is conveyed, the passage extending through the chamber (312). This allows a more effective cold storage unit to be provided.
Claims24
A heater-cooler apparatus for an extracorporeal perfusion system, the heater-cooler apparatus comprising:
- a cold storage unit;
- a refrigeration unit configured to charge the cold storage unit;
- and
- at least one fluid circuit configured to (i) direct a heat transfer fluid through the refrigeration unit to cool the heat transfer fluid, (ii) direct the heat transfer fluid cooled by the refrigeration unit through the cold storage unit from the refrigeration unit to the cold storage unit to charge the cold storage unit, and (iii) provide the heat transfer fluid to the extracorporeal perfusion system,
- wherein the cold storage unit comprises a chamber containing a liquid that freezes at a temperature above that to which the heat transfer fluid is cooled by the refrigeration unit, and a passage through which the heat transfer fluid is conveyed, the passage extending through the chamber.
A method of operating a heater-cooler apparatus including a cold storage unit, a refrigeration unit configured to charge the cold storage unit, and at least one fluid circuit configured to (i) direct a heat transfer fluid through the refrigeration unit to cool the heat transfer fluid, (ii) direct the heat transfer fluid cooled by the refrigeration unit through the cold storage unit from the refrigeration unit to the cold storage unit to charge the cold storage unit, and (iii) provide the heat transfer fluid to the extracorporeal perfusion system, and a passage through which the heat transfer fluid is conveyed, the passage extending through a chamber in the cold storage unit, the method comprising:
- a charging stage, including:
- operating the refrigeration unit to charge the cold storage unit to change a liquid in the chamber of the cold storage unit to a solid state;
- and
- ceasing operation of the refrigeration unit;
- and
- an operating stage including:
- directing the heat transfer fluid through the cold storage unit to cool the heat transfer fluid for supplying the extracorporeal perfusion system via the at least one fluid circuit, wherein the chamber contains the liquid that freezes at a temperature above that to which the heat transfer fluid is cooled by the refrigeration unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.