Heat exchange systems, devices and methods
First Claim
1. A method for heating or cooling a fluid, the method comprising:
- providing at least one reciprocating positive-displacement pump, each pump having;
a curved rigid chamber wall;
a flexible membrane attached to the rigid chamber wall, so that the flexible membrane and rigid chamber wall define a pumping chamber;
an inlet for directing fluid through the rigid chamber wall into the pumping chamber in at least one of (a) a direction that is substantially tangential to the rigid chamber wall and (b) a direction that provides low-shear flow into the pumping chamber; and
an outlet for directing fluid through the rigid chamber wall out of the pumping chamber in at least one of (a) a direction that is substantially tangential to the rigid chamber wall and (b) a direction that provides low-shear flow out of the pumping chamber;
providing a heat exchanger; and
pumping the fluid from at least one source using the at least one reciprocating positive-displacement pump so as to cause the fluid to pass through the heat exchanger.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to heat-exchanger systems that can be used to heat or cool a fluid such as blood. Pod pumps that provide low shear and low turbulence may be used in such systems, particularly for systems that pump blood. A certain heat-exchanger system used to heat blood or other fluids may be used to provide whole-body hyperthermic treatments or regional hyperthermic chemotherapy treatments. A disposable unit may be used to separate the fluid path from the fluid control systems. The disposable unit typically includes a heat-exchanger component that is received by a corresponding heat exchanger in a base unit. Fluid pumped through the heat-exchanger component is heated by the heat exchanger.
291 Citations
122 Claims
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1. A method for heating or cooling a fluid, the method comprising:
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providing at least one reciprocating positive-displacement pump, each pump having;
a curved rigid chamber wall;
a flexible membrane attached to the rigid chamber wall, so that the flexible membrane and rigid chamber wall define a pumping chamber;
an inlet for directing fluid through the rigid chamber wall into the pumping chamber in at least one of (a) a direction that is substantially tangential to the rigid chamber wall and (b) a direction that provides low-shear flow into the pumping chamber; and
an outlet for directing fluid through the rigid chamber wall out of the pumping chamber in at least one of (a) a direction that is substantially tangential to the rigid chamber wall and (b) a direction that provides low-shear flow out of the pumping chamber;
providing a heat exchanger; and
pumping the fluid from at least one source using the at least one reciprocating positive-displacement pump so as to cause the fluid to pass through the heat exchanger. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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12. (canceled)
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21-23. -23. (canceled)
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29. A disposable unit for use in a heat exchanger system, the disposable unit comprising:
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at least one reciprocating positive-displacement pump, each pump having a curved rigid chamber wall;
a flexible membrane attached to the rigid chamber wall, so that the flexible membrane and rigid chamber wall define a pumping chamber;
an inlet for directing fluid through the rigid chamber wall into the pumping chamber in at least one of (a) a direction that is substantially tangential to the rigid chamber wall and (b) a direction that provides low-shear flow into the pumping chamber; and
an outlet for directing fluid through the rigid chamber wall out of the pumping chamber in at least one of (a) a direction that is substantially tangential to the rigid chamber wall and (b) a direction that provides low-shear flow out of the pumping chamber; and
a heat-exchanger component, in fluid communication with the at least one pump and adapted to be received by a heat exchanger. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 36, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42, 46, 48)
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33-35. -35. (canceled)
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40. (canceled)
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43-45. -45. (canceled)
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47. (canceled)
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49-56. -56. (canceled)
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57. A heat-exchanger system comprising:
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a heat exchanger for receiving a heat-exchanger component of a disposable unit;
a pneumatic actuation system for operating at least one reciprocating positive-displacement pump of the disposable unit for pumping fluid through the heat-exchanger component, each pump including a pumping chamber defined by a curved rigid chamber wall and a flexible membrane attached to the rigid chamber wail an further including an actuation chamber defined at least in part by the flexible membrane, the actuation chamber in fluid communication with the pneumatic actuation system; and
a controller for controlling the pneumatic actuation system and the heat exchanger. - View Dependent Claims (60)
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58-59. -59. (canceled)
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61-85. -85. (canceled)
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86. A radiator for use in a heat-exchanger system, the radiator comprising:
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a body including a thermally conductive material; and
a channel disposed in the body for receiving a length of tubing. - View Dependent Claims (87)
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88. A method of moving blood between a patient-access device and a heat exchanger for heating the blood the method comprising:
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providing a reciprocating positive-displacement pump;
providing a flow line having a first portion between the patient-access device and the pump and having a second portion between the pump and the heat exchanger;
providing for each of the first and second portions of the flow line a valve for permitting flow in only one direction of the flow line; and
actuating the pump to cause the flow of blood between the patient-access device and the heat exchanger. - View Dependent Claims (89, 90)
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91-92. -92. (canceled)
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93. A system for extracorporeal thermal therapy, the system comprising:
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a heat exchanger for heating the blood, a reciprocating positive-displacement pump for moving blood between a patient-access device and the heat exchanger, the pump having an inlet line and an outlet line;
a first valve, located in the inlet line, for preventing flow of blood out of the pump; and
a second valve, located in the outlet line, for preventing flow of blood into the pump.
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94-95. -95. (canceled)
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96. A heat exchanger for heating extracorporeal blood, the heat exchanger comprising a pump, the heat exchanger comprising:
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a heat-exchange flow path having an inlet and an outlet;
an electricity-to-heat converter that turns electrical power into heat for absorption by the blood;
a first temperature sensor located at the inlet for measuring the temperature of the blood entering the heat exchanger;
a second temperature sensor located at the outlet for measuring the temperature of the blood exiting the heat exchanger;
a metering system that determines at least one of the volume or flow rate of blood passing through the heat exchanger; and
a controller in communication with the converter, the first and second temperature sensors, and the metering system, the controller receiving information regarding at least one of;
the amount of power being used by the converter, temperature information from the first and second temperature sensors, flow-rate information from the metering system, and volume information from the metering system, the controller analyzing the received information in order to determine whether a fault condition exists, and generating a signal if a fault condition is detected.
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97. A heat exchanger for heating extracorporeal blood for hyperthermia treatment, the heat exchanger comprising:
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an inlet for unheated blood;
an outlet for heated blood;
a flow path from the inlet to the outlet;
a set of heating elements overlapping the flow path, including at least first and second heating elements the second heating element being located adjacent the flow path near the outlet, and the first heating element being located adjacent the flow path at a point upstream of the second heating element;
a first temperature sensor located adjacent the flow path upstream of the first heating element;
a second temperature sensor located adjacent the flow path between the first and second heating elements; and
a controller for receiving temperature information from the first and second temperature sensors and for generating a signal if a temperature difference being measured by the first and second sensors exceeds a limit.
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98-121. -121. (canceled)
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122. A method of heating a patient'"'"'s blood, the method comprising;
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providing a heat-exchanger system for heating blood from the patient and pumping heated blood to the patient;
connecting a first temperature probe from the patient to the heat-exchanger system, the heat-exchanger system controlling the blood heating and pumping based on temperature information received from the first temperature probe and displaying the temperature information received from the first temperature probe to an operator;
monitoring patient temperature by the operator using an independent second temperature probe, and terminating the treatment if either of the temperature probes conveys an unacceptable temperature reading.
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Specification