University of Pittsburgh

Medtronic Electromedics, Inc.

Harvey S Borovetz

Gary D Reeder

Mark J Gartner

Philip Litwak

Patricia Sawzik

James F Antaki

Brack G Hattler

Frank R Walters

Robert F Labadie

Patricia J Sawzik

A combination mass transfer and pump apparatus, which in a single step actively mixes a first mass and a second mass and simultaneously pumps one of the first mass and the second mass through the apparatus. The combination mass transfer and pump apparatus substantially comprises a housing and at least one distributor element having a plurality of selectively fluid-permeable membrane elements wherein the at least one distributor element is agitated within the second mass such that the first mass diffuses across the selectively fluid-permeable membrane elements, mixing with the second mass, and in the same step the second mass is pumped through the housing.

Membrane apparatus with enhanced mass transfer, heat transfer and pumping capabilities via active mixing

A blood membrane oxygenator having a housing defining a blood flow path, a rotor hub in the form of a double lumen shaft, and a plurality of distributor disks each having a plurality of hollow fibers which extend across the housing blood flow path. The plurality of distributor disks rotate within the housing to mix the blood resulting in three-dimensional mixing, disruption of the blood boundary layer and efficient blood oxygenation.

Membrane apparatus with enhanced mass transfer via active mixing

A blood membrane oxygenator has a housing defining a blood flow path, a rotor hub in the form of a double lumen shaft, and a plurality of distributor disks each having a plurality of hollow fibers which extend across the housing blood flow path. The plurality of distributor disks rotate within the housing to mix the blood resulting in three-dimensional mixing, disruption of the blood boundary layer and efficient blood oxygenation.

A fluid delivery apparatus including a chamber for holding a conduit, such as a portion of a human vascular tissue, a fluid supply source for delivering a fluid into the conduit and a fluid pressure modulating device for modulating the fluid pressure supplied from the fluid source before the fluid enters the conduit. The modulating device produces a fluid having a desired pressure waveform for delivery to the conduit. The modulating device includes a microprocessor that digitizes the desired pressure waveform into a plurality of discrete digitized data points and stores a motion controller computer program. The modulating device further includes a motion controller which receives the digitized data points and the motion controller computer program and which at least partially restricts the delivery of the fluid to the conduit based on the digitized data points and the motion controller computer program to produce the desired pressure waveform for delivery to the conduit. An associated method of delivering a fluid having desired pressure to a conduit is also provided.

Fluid delivery apparatus and associated method

An intravenous fiber membrane oxygenator is disclosed in several embodiments wherein the fibers either run at a transverse angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the oxygenator and/or are of a reduced length to optimize the gas transfer efficiency of the oxygenator. Various helical or spiral wraps of fibers are disclosed. One embodiment utilizes two sets of longitudinally extending fibers wherein the oxygen gas is moved in opposite directions from a central location of the oxygenator.

Growing community of inventors

Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Harvey S Borovetz