Multiple blood path membrane oxygenator
AssigneeBaxter International Inc.
InventorsWilfred F. Mathewson, Richard L. Bringham, Philip L. Ritger, David Karshmer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A membrane oxygenator designed to provide blood flow evenly across a gas permeable membrane in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the gas permeable membrane. In particular, the present invention is directed to a membrane oxygenator wherein the blood is distributed substantially evenly and at a substantially constant velocity, in a cross-wise direction across the gas permeable membrane. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the membrane is a bundle of gas permeable hollow fibers with the blood being distributed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the individual hollow fiber membranes.
Claims16
A blood oxygenator comprising:
- a housing formed with a blood outlet, a gas inlet and a gas outlet;
- a cylindrical support core having an outer surface and contained within the housing;
- a cylindrically shaped bellows having a plurality of pleats defining a plurality of blood receiving channels, said cylindrically shaped bellows having an outer wall disposed about the outer surface of the core;
- means communicating with the cylindrically shaped bellows for delivering blood to each of the blood receiving channels;
- a plurality of gas permeable hollow fiber membranes positioned in each of the blood receiving channels, each of the hollow fiber membranes having a first open end in communication with the gas inlet and an opposing second open end in communication with the gas outlet;
- wherein a gas enters each hollow fiber membrane through the first open end and exits at the second open end;
- and
- a plurality of circumferential and uninterrupted blood flow passageways within the blood receiving channels, the blood flow passageways defined between the outer wall of the cylindrically shaped bellows and the plurality of hollow fiber membranes, the blood flow passageways in fluid communication with the blood outlet.
A blood oxygenator comprising:
- a housing formed with a gas inlet and a gas outlet;
- a cylindrical support core contained within the housing;
- a cylindrically shaped bellows mounted within the housing and about the core, the bellows having an outer wall with a plurality of pleats formed therein, with a plurality of blood receiving channels being defined between adjacently positioned pleats and the outer wall;
- a blood manifold communicating with the bellows for delivering blood to each of the blood receiving channels;
- a plurality of gas permeable hollow fiber membranes positioned in each of the blood receiving channels, each of the hollow fiber membranes having a first open end in communication with the gas inlet and an opposing second open end in communication with the gas outlet;
- wherein a gas enters each hollow fiber membrane through the first open end and exits at the second open end, and wherein the plurality of hollow fiber membranes are arranged in each of the blood receiving channels to defined spacings between adjacently positioned ones of the hollow fiber membranes through which blood may flow;
- a plurality of circumferential and uninterrupted blood flow passageways positioned within the blood receiving channels, the blood flow passageways defined between the outer wall of the bellows and the plurality of hollow fiber membranes, wherein blood delivered from the blood manifold flows uninterruptedly through the blood flow passageways and substantially fills the blood flow passageways before passing outwardly in radial direction through the spacings between the hollow fiber membranes;
- and
- a blood exit manifold integrally connected to the housing for collecting blood passing through the spacings between the plurality of hollow fiber membranes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.