EP0089122A2 — Hollow fibre oxygenator, assembly containing same…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 122 words

A blood oxygenator (10) having an oxygenator element (60) comprising a plurality of hollow gas permeable fibres (62) and a hollow blood permeable core (40), said fibres (62) overlying the peripheral surface of said core (40) in a plurality of contiguous layers (70), characterised in that said fibres (62) in each said layer (70) being substantially equally radially distance from said peripheral surface of said core (4.0) and spaced laterally from each adjacent fibre (62) in said layer (70), said contiguous layers (70) having the exterior surface of each individual fibre (62) therein contacting the exterior surface of each adjacent fibre (62) in the layer (70) immediately radially outwardly and radially inwardly thereof at an angle between about 30° and about 90°.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 122 words

A blood oxygenator (10) having an oxygenator element (60) comprising a plurality of hollow gas permeable fibres (62) and a hollow blood permeable core (40), said fibres (62) overlying the peripheral surface of said core (40) in a plurality of contiguous layers (70), characterised in that said fibres (62) in each said layer (70) being substantially equally radially distance from said peripheral surface of said core (4.0) and spaced laterally from each adjacent fibre (62) in said layer (70), said contiguous layers (70) having the exterior surface of each individual fibre (62) therein contacting the exterior surface of each adjacent fibre (62) in the layer (70) immediately radially outwardly and radially inwardly thereof at an angle between about 30° and about 90°.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 121 words

A device as claimed in claim 1, characterised by each layer (70) comprising a plurality of open weave tapes extending spirally around said core in side-by- side relationship, each tape (70) comprising a plurality of said fibres (62) extending substantially parallel and spaced apart, a solid monofilament (61) defining each of the said edges of said tape (70), a solid flexible filament (63) woven over and under the adjacent parallel hollow fibres and around the exterior of said side edge fibres (61) in a continuous traversing pattern along the length of said tape (70); said filament (63) maintaining the spacing between said hollow fibres (62) without substantially altering the circular cross section of said hollow fibres (62) at crossover points therewith.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 112 words

A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2 characterised in that a tubular shell (12) forms a liquid tight annular chamber (18) around said oxygenator element (60), said fibres (62) terminating in spaced apart tubesheets (42,43) joining said fibres (62), core (40) and shell (12) together, a gas tight chamber (48, 53) adjacent to the outer end surfaces of each of said tubesheets (42,43) of said element (60), port means (64) communicating with each said gas chamber (48,53), blood inlet means (57) extending through one of said tubesheets (43) and communicating with the core (40) of said element, and blood outlet means (20) communicating with said liquid tight annular chamber (18).

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 39 words

A device as claimed in claim 3 characterised in that bubble vent means (13,15) communicate with the upper end portions of each of the blood annular chamber (18) around said element and the interior (59) of said core (40).

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 53 words

A device as claimed in claim 3 or 4 characterised by an integral, self-supporting unit having an upper blood reservoir (24) attached at its lower end to the upper end of a blood heater (26), said blood heater (26) being attached at its lower end to the upper end of said shell (12).

Claim 7

Independent Claim 29 words

A device as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that said core (40) is cylindrical, and each said layer (70) extends the full length of said core (40).

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 128 words

An open weave tape of hollow gas permeable fibres (62) for use in wrapping a layered mat on a hollow blood permeable core (40), characterised in that said tape comprises a layer (70) of a plurality of elongated, substantially parallel hollow gas permeable spaced apart fibres (62) and a solid monofilament (61) defining each of the side edges of said layer (70), a solid flexible transverse filament (63) woven over and under said adjacent parallel hollow fibres (62) and around the exterior of said solid side edge filament (61) in a continuous traversing pattern along the length of said tape; said transverse filament (63) maintaining said spacing between said hollow fibres (62) without substantially altering the circular cross section of said hollow fibres (62) at crossover points therewith.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 128 words

An open weave tape of hollow gas permeable fibres (62) for use in wrapping a layered mat on a hollow blood permeable core (40), characterised in that said tape comprises a layer (70) of a plurality of elongated, substantially parallel hollow gas permeable spaced apart fibres (62) and a solid monofilament (61) defining each of the side edges of said layer (70), a solid flexible transverse filament (63) woven over and under said adjacent parallel hollow fibres (62) and around the exterior of said solid side edge filament (61) in a continuous traversing pattern along the length of said tape; said transverse filament (63) maintaining said spacing between said hollow fibres (62) without substantially altering the circular cross section of said hollow fibres (62) at crossover points therewith.

Claim 10

Independent Claim 43 words

A device as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that said gas permeable fibres (62) have an oxygen gas permeability of at least 2 x 10 -5 cc ( S TP) per cm 2 per second per cm Hg transmembrane pressure differential.

Claim 11

Independent Claim 19 words

A device as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that said gas permeable fibres (62) are essentially polyethylene.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 20 words

A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8 characterised in that said fibres (62) are essentially polypropylene.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 256 words

A method for making a mat of hollow gas permeable fibres on a hollow blood permeable core which is characterised by the steps of 1) providing a blood permeable core, 2) providing a tape of hollow gas permeable fibres, said tape comprising a plurality of said fibres arranged in substantially parallel spaced apart and substantially planar relation, 3) spirally wrapping said tape on said core to form a layer of said fibres overlying the peripheral surface of said core, the width of said tape and the diameter of said core being selected such that the edge surface of each successive wrap of said tape in said layer is adjacent to the edge surface of the prior wrap so as to substantially maintain said substantially parallel spaced apart relation between said fibres in each said tape, and covering the peripheral surface of said core for the length of said core, 4) continuing said wrapping to form overlying layers covering the prior formed said layer by reversing the direction of said spiral such that each tape wrap positions each said fibre in said overlying layer relative to the adjacent fibre in the underlying layer at an angle between about 30° and about 90°. 5) repeating said spiral wrapping to form a plurality of said layers in said relation to each other and securing the axially spaced apart ends of said fibres in each layer to each other and to said core in tubesheets having co-planar outer end surfaces in which the open lumens of each said fibre terminate.

Claim 14

Independent Claim 256 words

A method for making a mat of hollow gas permeable fibres on a hollow blood permeable core which is characterised by the steps of 1) providing a blood permeable core, 2) providing a tape of hollow gas permeable fibres, said tape comprising a plurality of said fibres arranged in substantially parallel spaced apart and substantially planar relation, 3) spirally wrapping said tape on said core to form a layer of said fibres overlying the peripheral surface of said core, the width of said tape and the diameter of said core being selected such that the edge surface of each successive wrap of said tape in said layer is adjacent to the edge surface of the prior wrap so as to substantially maintain said substantially parallel spaced apart relation between said fibres in each said tape, and covering the peripheral surface of said core for the length of said core, 4) continuing said wrapping to form overlying layers covering the prior formed said layer by reversing the direction of said spiral such that each tape wrap positions each said fibre in said overlying layer relative to the adjacent fibre in the underlying layer at an angle between about 30° and about 90°. 5) repeating said spiral wrapping to form a plurality of said layers in said relation to each other and securing the axially spaced apart ends of said fibres in each layer to each other and to said core in tubesheets having co-planar outer end surfaces in which the open lumens of each said fibre terminate.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 28 words

A method as claimed in claim 11 characterised in that said wrapping step 3 includes application of a plurality of said tapes for each rotation of said core.

Hollow fibre oxygenator, assembly containing same and method for making same

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag