US 2015/0306296 A1 · BLOOD OXYGENATOR

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a blood oxygenator that includes a checkerboard layout of fluid (e.g., blood) and gas (e.g., oxygen) channels. When viewed as a cross-section through each of the channels of the oxygenator, the checkerboard configuration includes alternating gas and fluid channels in both the x-axis (e.g., in-plane) and in the y-axis (e.g., out-of-plane) directions. The oxygenator described herein reduces manufacturing complexity by using first, second, and third polymer layers that include asymmetrical channel designs. The channel designs include “open” gas channels, which are exposed to the ambient atmosphere. The oxygenator is placed within a pressure vessel to drive gas into each of the open gas channels, which in some implementations, negates the need for a gas manifold.

Claims28

Dependent claims

An oxygenator comprising:

a first polymer layer comprising a first plurality of gas channels and a first plurality of fluid channels;
a second polymer layer comprising a second plurality of gas channels and a second plurality of fluid channels, each of the second plurality of gas channels overlapping one of the first plurality of fluid channels and each of the second plurality of fluid channels overlapping one of the first plurality of gas channels;
a third polymer layer comprising a third plurality of gas channels and a third plurality of fluid channels, each of the third plurality of gas channels overlapping one of the second plurality of fluid channels and each of the third plurality of fluid channels overlapping one of the second plurality of gas channels;
and
a plurality of gas vias defined in the second polymer layer, each of the plurality of gas vias coupling one of the first plurality of gas channels to one of the third plurality of gas channels.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Blood oxygenator

Life of this patent

Blood oxygenator

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims28