US4128479A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Blood-gas exchanger
Assignee: Japan Foundation for Artificial Organs
•
Filing: 1978-01-20
•
Granted: 1978-12-05
•
Expires: 1998-01-20
Abstract
Abstract A unit is presented for the transfer of a gaseous component in one stream to or from a liquid component in another stream, in which a membrane assembly is wound spirally around a central rigid cylindrical core. The membrane assembly comprises a continuous length of flattened tubular membrane with a gas net passing through the intermediate portion of the membrane from end to end thereof and substantially the width of the interior of the tubular membrane. In forming the coil, a net separator is wound between the membrane layers of the coil. An inlet tube for one of the components communicates with one end of the membrane and an outlet tube for the same component communicates with the other end of the membrane. Means is provided for passing another of the components longitudinally of the coil between the membrane layers from one end of the coil to the other end. The specific embodiment of a blood oxygenator is described.
Inventors
- 👤 Paul S. Malchesky
- 👤 Yukihiko Nose
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 01:00
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D63/00; B01D63/10; B01D63/101; B01D2313/00; B01D2313/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
393 words
A blood-gas exchanger unit comprising a central rigid cylindrical core, there being a slot means through said core extending parallel to its axis and along a major portion of the length of said core; a gas inlet and a gas outlet tube each extending longitudinally inside of said core near said slot means for a major portion of its length and each extending out beyond one end of said core; an elongated lamination consisting serially of (a) a length of inner blood net; (b) a first portion of a length of membrane assembly; (c) a length of sandwiched blood net; and (d) a second portion of said length of membrane assembly; said membrane assembly comprising a continuous length of a flattened membrane tube chosen from diffusion type and microporous type having a continuous opening extending longitudinally thereof and a continuous gas net extending substantially throughout said membrane tube; said membrane being between about 0.0005 inches and about 0.020 inches in thickness and having adequate blood and gas rates of transfer and having biocompatibility; said membrane assembly being folded upon itself midway between its ends and said folded assembly being wrapped firmly around said core with said fold in the outside wrap and sealed in that position with both ends of said membrane in the inside wrap, thus forming a generally spiral coil; opposite ends of said membrane assembly being in communication solely with said gas inlet and gas outlet tubes respectively and sealed thereto; said blood nets and said flattened membrane tube being of the same dimension longitudinally of said unit and said gas net having a slightly smaller dimension conforming to the inside of said flattened membrane tube; a blood inlet cap at one end enclosing said coil except for a blood inlet opening; a blood outlet cap at the opposite end closing said coil except for a blood outlet opening; said caps having peripheral rims snugly fitted to said coil and sealed thereto thus enclosing a spiral blood compartment; said caps spaced from the ends of said spiral coil and there providing blood manifolds; the inside of said inlet cap providing means for dispersing blood evenly and regularly from said blood inlet opening to the adjacent end of said spiral coil; means surrounding said unit and closely limiting its expansion radially; and means rigidly limiting the expansion of said unit longitudinally.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
393 words
A blood-gas exchanger unit comprising a central rigid cylindrical core, there being a slot means through said core extending parallel to its axis and along a major portion of the length of said core; a gas inlet and a gas outlet tube each extending longitudinally inside of said core near said slot means for a major portion of its length and each extending out beyond one end of said core; an elongated lamination consisting serially of (a) a length of inner blood net; (b) a first portion of a length of membrane assembly; (c) a length of sandwiched blood net; and (d) a second portion of said length of membrane assembly; said membrane assembly comprising a continuous length of a flattened membrane tube chosen from diffusion type and microporous type having a continuous opening extending longitudinally thereof and a continuous gas net extending substantially throughout said membrane tube; said membrane being between about 0.0005 inches and about 0.020 inches in thickness and having adequate blood and gas rates of transfer and having biocompatibility; said membrane assembly being folded upon itself midway between its ends and said folded assembly being wrapped firmly around said core with said fold in the outside wrap and sealed in that position with both ends of said membrane in the inside wrap, thus forming a generally spiral coil; opposite ends of said membrane assembly being in communication solely with said gas inlet and gas outlet tubes respectively and sealed thereto; said blood nets and said flattened membrane tube being of the same dimension longitudinally of said unit and said gas net having a slightly smaller dimension conforming to the inside of said flattened membrane tube; a blood inlet cap at one end enclosing said coil except for a blood inlet opening; a blood outlet cap at the opposite end closing said coil except for a blood outlet opening; said caps having peripheral rims snugly fitted to said coil and sealed thereto thus enclosing a spiral blood compartment; said caps spaced from the ends of said spiral coil and there providing blood manifolds; the inside of said inlet cap providing means for dispersing blood evenly and regularly from said blood inlet opening to the adjacent end of said spiral coil; means surrounding said unit and closely limiting its expansion radially; and means rigidly limiting the expansion of said unit longitudinally.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
A blood-gas exchanger unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said gas net is substantially a flattened tube.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
A blood-gas exchanger unit as defined in claim 1 wherein said gas net is between 20 meshes per inch each way and 32 meshes per inch each way.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
A blood gas exchanger unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said blood net is between 50 meshes per inch each way and 70 meshes per inch each way.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
A blood-gas exchanger unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said membrane is of silicone rubber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
A blood-gas exchanger unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said membrane is of microporous type chosen from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, Teflon and copolymers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
58 words
A blood-gas exchanger as defined in claim 5, which is a blood oxygenator, wherein said membrane is of diffusion type of silicone rubber and has a series of parallel outwardly and longitudinally extending ridges on each face thereof along said membrane about 0.011 inches between opposite ridges, and the rest of said membrane being about 0.004 inches thick.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
A blood-gas exchanger unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said membrane is in communication with said gas inlet and outlet tubes along substantially the entire width of said membrane assembly.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
56 words
A blood-gas exchanger unit as defined in claim 1, including a blood spacer just beyond said membrane assembly fold in the direction of wrapping, said spacer being approximately the thickness of said fold adjacent thereto and tapering therebeyond to merge smoothly into said spiral coil, said spacer being adhered to said fold and to said coil.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
56 words
A blood-gas exchanger unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said inlet cap and said disperser being both generally conical with said disperser cone being of less height and of less base diameter than said inlet cap cone and diverging at a greater angle so that said two cones gradually converge along the entering blood stream.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
A blood-gas exchanger unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said last named means limiting expansion radially is a cylinder of heat-shrink tubing tightly fitting outside said spiral coil.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
A blood-gas exchanger unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said last named means limiting expansion radially is an outside wrap of said blood gas net firmly bonded to itself.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
A blood-gas exchanger unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said last named means limiting expansion longitudinally comprises non-extendable members secured between said two end caps.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
209 words
A unit for transfer of a gaseous component in one stream to or from a liquid component in another stream comprising a rigid cylindrical core, a membrane assembly comprising a continuous length of flattened tubular membrane and a gas net passing through the intermediate portion of said membrane from end to end thereof and substantially the width of the interior of said flattened membrane, said membrane having adequate rates for said component transfer, said membrane assembly being folded upon itself and being wrapped firmly in layers around said core and providing a coil with said fold radially outside and with both ends of said membrane tube radially inside, a net separator between said membrane layers of said coil, an inlet tube within said core at one end of said unit for one of said components and connected to and communicating there directly with one end of said membrane tube, an outlet tube within said core at said same end for said one of said components and connected to and communicating there directly with the other end of said membrane tube and means for causing the passing of another of said components longitudinally of said coil between said membrane layers from one end of said coil to the other end.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
209 words
A unit for transfer of a gaseous component in one stream to or from a liquid component in another stream comprising a rigid cylindrical core, a membrane assembly comprising a continuous length of flattened tubular membrane and a gas net passing through the intermediate portion of said membrane from end to end thereof and substantially the width of the interior of said flattened membrane, said membrane having adequate rates for said component transfer, said membrane assembly being folded upon itself and being wrapped firmly in layers around said core and providing a coil with said fold radially outside and with both ends of said membrane tube radially inside, a net separator between said membrane layers of said coil, an inlet tube within said core at one end of said unit for one of said components and connected to and communicating there directly with one end of said membrane tube, an outlet tube within said core at said same end for said one of said components and connected to and communicating there directly with the other end of said membrane tube and means for causing the passing of another of said components longitudinally of said coil between said membrane layers from one end of said coil to the other end.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
29 words
A unit as defined in claim 14, wherein said gaseous component inlet and outlet are within said core, whereby to cause no obstruction to flow of said liquid component.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
A unit as defined in claim 14, wherein said core has a hollow chamber therein, and means for passing a heat exchanger fluid through said last named chamber.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
12 words
A unit as defined in claim 14, wherein said core is solid.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
15 words
A unit as defined in claim 14, wherein said membrane is of the diffusion type.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
15 words
A unit as defined in claim 14, wherein said membrane is of the microporous type.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
A unit as defined in claim 14, wherein said inlet and outlet tubes are within said core.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
A unit as defined in claim 14, wherein said inlet and outlet tubes are held in axially parallel recesses in the outer surface of said core.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3489647A
Cited
US3510004A
Cited
US3508662A
Cited
US3709367A
Cited
US3616929A
Cited
US3724673A
Cited
US3794468A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-12-04 | 1982-06-05 | 1982-12-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-12-04 | 1986-06-05 | 1986-12-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-12-04 | 1990-06-05 | 1990-12-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |