Fluid mixer and water oxygenator incorporating same

A fluid mixer including an elongate mixing chamber having an inlet at one end for admission of fluid and an outlet at an opposite end, the chamber having two opposed longitudinal side walls each of which consists of a series of troughs and peaks at each side of the longitudinal axis of the chamber and extending along the length of the chamber, the series of troughs and peaks at opposite sides of the longitudinal axis being relatively displaced so that the peaks of the profile along one side face the troughs of the profile along the other side, the troughs being of generally part-cylindrical shape and the peaks being cusps of generally rectilinear form, fluid conditioning means mounted within the chamber and extending longitudinally within the chamber for conditioning the fluid as it passes through the chamber, the cusps lying close to the conditioning means so as to cause the fluid to pass close to the conditioning means at periodic intervals during passage through the chamber, and the configuration of the troughs and cusps causing fluid entering the chamber through the inlet to flow along a tortuous path through the chamber towards the outlet to create a turbulent flow which promotes intimate mixing within the fluid.