Interchangeable disposable acoustic for use with an ultrasonic flowmeter, particularly during extracorporeal measurement of blood flow

A replaceable fluid flow chamber assembly for an ultrasonic flowmeter that determines fluid flow velocity by detecting effects on ultrasound that is communicated to a flowing fluid from an ultrasonic transducer, the assembly comprising:

• a flow body having and defining
• a smooth and featureless channel therethrough to flow fluid blood without any damaging of blood cells, the flow body and its channel flow connected at both ends of the channel to an external conduit flowing fluid, and
• an exterior surface located proximately to the channel, the surface having a complimentary shape and contour to an external ultrasonic transducer so as to mechanically engage the external ultrasonic transducer, and also having an acoustic impedance suitable to acoustically couple the external ultrasonic transducer;
• wherein at such times as (i) the flow body's channel is flow connected to the external conduit flowing fluid, and, concurrently, (ii) the flow body's exterior surface mechanically engages and acoustically couples the ultrasonic transducer, then an ultrasonic acoustic path is established through the flow body between the transducer and the fluid flowing within the flow body's channel;
• wherein, by the properties of the ultrasonic flowmeter to determine fluid flow velocity by detecting effects on sound that is communicated to a flowing fluid by an ultrasonic transducer, the ultrasonic transducer couples sound into the ultrasonic acoustic path and, by the detection of effects on the sound, the ultrasonic flowmeter determines a velocity of fluid flowing within the flow body's conduit that channel through the flow body which flows fluid blood without any damaging of blood cells;
• wherein fluid flow velocity in the channel of a flow-connected flow body is determinable while the channel is simultaneously able to flow blood without damaging blood cells.

A replaceable fluid flow chamber assembly for an ultrasonic flowmeter that determines fluid flow velocity by detecting effects on ultrasound that is communicated to a flowing fluid from an ultrasonic transducer, the assembly comprising:

• a flow body having and defining
• a smooth and featureless channel therethrough to flow fluid blood without any damaging of blood cells, the flow body and its channel flow connected at both ends of the channel to an external conduit flowing fluid, and
• an exterior surface located proximately to the channel, the surface having a complimentary shape and contour to an external ultrasonic transducer so as to mechanically engage the external ultrasonic transducer, and also having an acoustic impedance suitable to acoustically couple the external ultrasonic transducer, the flow body's exterior surface consisting essentially of an ultrasonically coupling material that is both compliant and highly sound-conducting to facilitate making a low sound energy loss ultrasonic acoustic connection between the flow body and the ultrasonic transducer;
• wherein at such times as (i) the flow body's channel is flow connected to the external conduit flowing fluid, and, concurrently, (ii) the flow body's exterior surface mechanically engages and acoustically couples the ultrasonic transducer, then an ultrasonic acoustic path is established through the flow body between the transducer and the fluid flowing within the flow body's channel;
• wherein, by the properties of the ultrasonic flowmeter to determine fluid flow velocity by detecting effects on sound that is communicated to a flowing fluid by an ultrasonic transducer, the ultrasonic transducer couples sound into the ultrasonic acoustic path and, by the detection of effects on the sound, the ultrasonic flowmeter determines a velocity of fluid flowing within the flow body's conduit and that channel through the flow body which flows fluid blood without any damaging of blood cells;
• wherein fluid flow velocity in the channel of a flow-connected flow body is determinable while the channel is simultaneously able to flow blood without damaging blood cells.

A replaceable blood flow chamber assembly for a ultrasonic flowmeter that determines blood flow velocity by a detection of effects on ultrasound that is communicated to a flowing blood from an ultrasonic transducer, the assembly comprising:

• a blood flow body having and defining
• a smooth and featureless channel therethrough to flow blood without any damaging any blood cells, the flow body and its channel flow connected at both ends of the channel to an external conduit flowing blood, and
• a first exterior surface located proximately to the channel, the surface having a complimentary shape and contour to an external ultrasonic transducer so as to mechanically engage the external ultrasonic transducer, and also having an acoustic impedance suitable to acoustically couple the external ultrasonic transducer;
• wherein at such times as (i) the blood flow body's channel is flow connected to the external conduit flowing blood, and, concurrently, (ii) the blood flow body's first exterior surface mechanically engages and acoustically couples the ultrasonic transducer, then a straight ultrasonic acoustic path is established between the transducer and the blood flowing within the blood flow body's channel;
• wherein, by the properties of the ultrasonic flowmeter to determine blood flow velocity by detecting effects on ultrasound that is communicated to flowing blood by an ultrasonic transducer, the ultrasonic transducer couples sound into the ultrasonic acoustic path and, by the detection of effects on the sound, the ultrasonic flowmeter determines a velocity of the blood flowing within the blood flow body's channel and this channel which flows the blood without damaging any blood cells.

A replaceable blood flow chamber assembly for a ultrasonic flowmeter that determines blood flow velocity by a detection of effects on ultrasound that is communicated to a flowing blood from an ultrasonic transducer, the assembly comprising:

• a blood flow body having and defining
• a smooth and featureless channel therethrough to flow blood without any damaging any blood cells, the flow body and its channel flow connected at both ends of the channel to an external conduit flowing blood,
• a first exterior surface located proximately to the channel, the surface having a complimentary shape and contour to an external ultrasonic transducer so as to mechanically engage the external ultrasonic transducer, and also having an acoustic impedance suitable to acoustically couple the external ultrasonic transducer,
• an adapter by which the channel of the blood flow body is flow connected to the conduit flowing blood by act of plugging together the conduit and the blood flow body,
• a protuberance having a complimentary shape and size to a cavity of an external body having and defining such a cavity, the at least one ultrasonic transducer being held upon an interior wall of the external body's cavity so that when the flow body's protuberance is plugged into the cavity then the at least one ultrasonic transducer is placed into contact with the blood flow body, by which contact the blood flow body is ultrasonically acoustically connected to the at least one ultrasonic transducer by act of plugging;
• wherein the blood flow body is completely plug connected in both its blood flow and in its ultrasonic acoustic connections;
• wherein at such times as (i) the blood flow body's channel is flow connected to the external conduit flowing blood, and, concurrently, (ii) the blood flow body's first exterior surface mechanically engages and acoustically couples the ultrasonic transducer, then a straight ultrasonic acoustic path is established between the transducer and the blood flowing within the blood flow body's channel;
• wherein, by the properties of the ultrasonic flowmeter to determine blood flow velocity by detecting effects on ultrasound that is communicated to flowing blood by an ultrasonic transducer, the ultrasonic transducer couples sound into the ultrasonic acoustic path and, by the detection of effects on the sound, the ultrasonic flowmeter determines a velocity of the blood flowing within the blood flow body's channel and this channel which flows the blood without damaging any blood cells.