Importance

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Abstract

A compact blood oxygenator has a minimal priming volume and is particularly advantageous for pediatric cardiac surgery. A generally rectangular housing has longitudinally spaced and interspersed heat exchanger conduit groups and oxygenator fiber bundles. The conduits and oxygenator fibers extend transversely across the interior of the housing in criss-cross fashion. Cured potting compound and flanges on the interior surfaces of the housing define hermetically sealed heat transfer fluid, blood and gas mixture flow paths. The inlet and outlet ends of the heat exchanger conduits communicate with first and second chambers formed on opposite sides of the housing. The inlet and outlet ends of the oxygenator fibers communicate with third and fourth chambers on the other opposite sides of the housing. The potting compound is formed into a rectangular block with an interior wall that defines a longitudinally extending one-way cylindrical blood flow path that minimizes eddies and stagnant areas that can cause platelet damage or clotting. The oxygenator fiber bundles are made of a fan folded mat of a plurality of generally parallel oxygenator fibers. An axial flow pump is mounted adjacent a blood inlet manifold in the upper end of the housing. The blood oxygenator may be connected to the patient as part of a perfusion circuit which has an accumulator reservoir to minimize tissue damage to the patient.

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First Claim