Extracorporeal circuit blood heat exchanger

A heat exchanger for use in an extracorporeal blood circuit, or the like, comprising

• (a) a housing of a clear, transparent material,
• (b) said housing including walls forming a portion of a helical passage for the flow of blood therethrough,
• (c) a tubular conduit mounted to and passing through said housing for the flow of a heat exchange medium therethrough,
• (d) the exterior of said conduit forming another portion of said helical passage whereby blood flowing through said helical passage will be in direct contact with said conduit,
• (e) said housing including a cylindrical inner wall and a cylindrical outer wall spaced from the inner wall to define an annular chamber therebetween,
• (f) said conduit being in the form of a helix and mounted in said chamber, each convolution of said conduit being in contact with the inner and outer walls and spaced from adjacent convolutions to define said helical passage, and,
• (g) blood receiving means disposed within said inner wall and connected to the discharge end of said helical blood passage,
• (h) said inner wall being tubular and said outer wall being comprised of a pair of cooperating semi-cylindrical shell sections having end flanges and joined to one another and to said inner wall.