Importance

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Abstract

The invention concerns a method and apparatus for removing gas from blood, comprising drawing blood through a non-rotating centrifuge chamber, the chamber having an inlet above and an outlet below with the chamber narrowing like a funnel between the inlet and the outlet. The inlet is oriented for directing the flow tangentially into the blood inlet and around the centrifuge chamber. The outlet is connected to a suction source for drawing off blood without reversal of the direction of rotation of the stream of blood in the chamber. The blood is further directed in the direction of flow of blood obliquely downward into the centrifuge chamber with an upwardly open angle to the axis rotation that is less than 90.degree.. An additional chamber communicates with the centrifuge chamber above the blood inlet and defines a gas base that is larger in cross-section than the gas outlet for providing a gas base for separation of the gas and blood. There is a gas outlet located at a vertical elevation that is higher than the blood inlet for the centrifuge chamber and that communicates with the blood inlet for drawing gas off from the surface of the stream of blood that is rotating in the centrifuge chamber. The apparatus includes a handgrip enabling single hand holding. The centrifuge chamber may be in the handgrip. A blood suction tube may carry blood from a site to the blood inlet.

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First Claim