Baxter International Inc.

Medtronic, Inc.

Baxter Travenol Laboratories, Inc.

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation

Richard L. Bringham

R. Scott Bell

Richard L Bringham

Philip L Ritger

David L Karshmer

Wilfred F Mathewson

Lucas S Gordon

Karl E Mosch

Roger J Elgas

Robert F Gremel

Henry W Palermo

R Scott Bell

Wifred F Mathewson

Blood heat exchanger apparatus with improved heat exchanged capability and improved bonding of micro-conduit heat exchange fibers. The micro-conduit comprises a plurality of elongated fibers, which may be made of a hydrophobic material such as polypropylene or polyethylene. The micro-conduit fibers may be provided as a heat exchanger micro-conduit wrapping material, wherein the micro-conduit fibers are attached to a thin flexible interconnect, such as woven netting, to maintain the fibers at predetermined and substantially parallel alignment with each other. The wrapping material is wrapped about an elongated spindle to provide a generally cylindrical heat exchange core. A shell is placed around the core to contain the heat transfer fluid which passes around the exterior of the fibers. Opposing first and second seals are created by applying potting compound between fibers proximate the spindle's first and second ends respectively. The surface chemistry of the fibers is modified by a treatment such as corona treatment process to facilitate bonding of the seals which comprises a potting compound such as urethane.

Surface treatment for micro-conduits employed in blood heat exchange

A device including an integrally formed membrane oxygenator and heat exchange device positioned in a single housing. The device includes a thermally conductive body formed with a plurality of blood pathways on its surface, and a gas permeable membrane, or membranes positioned in the housing in substantial contact with the heat exchange body to cover or lie within a portion of each of the pathways. The membrane defines a gas pathway separate from the blood pathway through which a gas is directed. The blood is directed through the individual blood pathways. The device also includes various ports and passageways for delivering the blood to the individual channels, and for collecting and removing the blood from the device.

Method for oxygenation of a patient's blood

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.

Multiple blood path membrane oxygenator

Integrated membrane blood oxygenator/heat exchanger

A blood reservoir is formed with a hard outer shell housing defining at least one blood compartment. A flexible bag is mounted in the outer shell and is connected to the reservoir inlet port to allow blood to directly enter the flexible bag. The bag includes two oppositely positioned ends, one of which includes a mircoporous screen and is situated to lie partially below a minimum level attained by blood in the reservoir. The second bag end is substantially open, and includes a porous element partially coated with an antifoaming agent. The coated portion of the element is positioned above a maximum level attained by the blood in the hard shell. The potential of excessive mixing between the blood and air is reduced by controlling the expansion of the bag during blood flow.

Blood/gas separator and flow system

A heat exchanger and blood oxgenator apparatus includes a housing having a blood inlet portion, a blood outlet portion, and a housing wall defining an enclosed chamber disposed along a chamber axis between the blood input portion and the blood output portion through which to pass a quantity of blood to be temperature controlled. A heat exchanger tube having an exterior surface and a hollow interior through which to pass a heat exchange medium for purposes of exchanging heat with a quantity of blood brought into contact with the exterior surface, is disposed in a generally helical coil that is mounted within the chamber to encircle the chamber axis. A scalloped inner surface is included on the housing wall to face generally inward toward the heat exchanger tube. Spacing members disposed between the exterior surface of the heat exchanger tube and the scalloped inner surface of the housing wall retain the exterior surface spaced apart from the scalloped inner surface to define a flow passage through which to pass a quantity of blood so that the blood contacts a substantial portion of the exterior surface.

Heat exchanger and blood oxygenator apparatus

A membrane oxygenator includes an upper nested arrangement of a hard shell venous reservoir, a bowl-like defoamer within the reservoir and a heat exchanger coil vertically supported within the defoamer, and includes a membrane oxygenator unit mounted on the bottom of the upper arrangement. The oxygenator unit includes an inlet chamber with a tangential inlet providing swirling blood flow to dislodge air bubbles and centrifuge air to an upper center region of an inlet chamber where gas is exhausted through a vent. A bottom blood outlet chamber of the blood oxygenator unit has a relatively thin vertical cross-sectional area such that priming flow velocity therein discharges all air from the outlet chamber.

Integrated membrane oxygenator, heat exchanger and reservoir

Growing community of inventors

San Clemente, CA, United States of America

Richard L Bringham