Apparatus for heating, filtering and eliminating gas from biological fluids
First Claim
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1. Apparatus comprising:
- a heat exchanger having a longitudinal axis for heating biological fluids, the heat exchanger having an inlet port and an outlet passage; and
a filter unit, the filter unit surrounding a portion of the heat exchanger along the longitudinal axis, the filter unit comprising;
an inner chamber, the inner chamber being in fluid communication with the outlet passage of the heat exchanger for receiving heated fluid from the heat exchanger, said heated fluid contains gas;
an outer chamber surrounding the inner chamber, the inner and outer chambers having a top and a bottom;
a top cap enclosing the top of the inner and outer chambers;
a bottom cap enclosing the bottom of the inner and outer chambers;
a vent on the top cap venting the inner chamber for venting the gas from heated fluid within the inner chamber; and
a filter element coupling the inner and outer chambers together in fluid communication, the filter element for filtering fluid pumped in a radial direction from the inner chamber to the outer chamber.
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Abstract
The present invention provides an apparatus for heating, filtering and eliminating gas from biological fluids. The apparatus includes a heat exchanger for heating biological fluids coaxially positioned within a filter unit. The filter unit receives heated fluid from the heat exchanger within an inner chamber and vents gas to the atmosphere contained within the heated fluid through a vent on the inner chamber. The fluid is radially filtered between the inner chamber and an outer chamber by a filter element coaxially separating the inner and outer chambers.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. Apparatus comprising:
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a heat exchanger having a longitudinal axis for heating biological fluids, the heat exchanger having an inlet port and an outlet passage; and a filter unit, the filter unit surrounding a portion of the heat exchanger along the longitudinal axis, the filter unit comprising; an inner chamber, the inner chamber being in fluid communication with the outlet passage of the heat exchanger for receiving heated fluid from the heat exchanger, said heated fluid contains gas; an outer chamber surrounding the inner chamber, the inner and outer chambers having a top and a bottom; a top cap enclosing the top of the inner and outer chambers; a bottom cap enclosing the bottom of the inner and outer chambers; a vent on the top cap venting the inner chamber for venting the gas from heated fluid within the inner chamber; and a filter element coupling the inner and outer chambers together in fluid communication, the filter element for filtering fluid pumped in a radial direction from the inner chamber to the outer chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. Apparatus comprising:
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a heat exchanger having a longitudinal axis for heating biological fluids, the heat exchanger having an inlet port and an outlet passage; and a filter unit coaxially surrounding a portion of the heat exchanger along the longitudinal axis, the filter unit comprising; an inner chamber, the inner chamber being in fluid communication with the outlet passage of the heat exchanger for receiving heated fluid from the heat exchanger, said heated fluid containing gas; an outer chamber coaxially surrounding the inner chamber, the inner and outer chambers having a top and a bottom; a top cap enclosing the top of the inner and outer chambers; a bottom cap enclosing the bottom of the inner and outer chambers; a vent on the top cap venting the inner chamber to the atmosphere for venting gas from heated fluid within the inner chamber to the atmosphere; and a filter element coaxially coupling the inner and outer chambers together in fluid communication, the filter element radially filtering fluid pumped in a radial direction from the inner chamber into the outer chamber, the fluid in the apparatus flowing upwardly through the heat exchanging passageway into the inner chamber towards the vent, radially and outwardly from the inner chamber into the outer chamber, and downwardly through the outer chamber. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of processing biological fluids comprising the steps of:
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heating a biological fluid with a heat exchanger having a longitudinal axis; discharging the heated fluid from the heat exchanger into an inner chamber of a filter unit, the inner chamber of the filter unit surrounding a portion of the heat exchanger along the longitudinal axis; eliminating gas from the heated fluid within the inner chamber of the filter unit by venting the gas through a vent on the inner chamber; and filtering the fluid by forcing the fluid from the inner chamber into an outer chamber in a radial direction through a filter element, the outer chamber surrounding the inner chamber and coupled in fluid communication with the inner chamber by the filter element. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of processing biological fluids comprising the steps of:
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pumping biological fluid to be processed with a pump into a heat exchanger having a longitudinal axis; heating the biological fluid with the heat exchanger; discharging the heated fluid from the heat exchanger into an inner chamber of a filter unit, the inner chamber of the filter unit coaxially surrounding a portion of the heat exchanger along the longitudinal axis; eliminating gas from the heated fluid within the inner chamber of the filter unit by venting the gas to the atmosphere through a vent on the inner chamber; filtering the fluid by forcing the fluid from the inner chamber into an outer chamber in a radial direction through a filter element, the outer chamber coaxially surrounding the inner chamber and coupled in fluid communication with the inner chamber by the filter element; and infusing the fluid into a patient. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification