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Heat exchanger for medical applications

  • US 5,997,816 A
  • Filed: 05/14/1997
  • Issued: 12/07/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1997
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A heat exchanger for use in medical applications which comprises:

  • a) a housing formed of a biocompatible material and having a top and a bottom;

    b) a heat exchanger core which comprises a substantially cylindrical tube having a plurality of substantially parallel circumferential corrugations to thereby define a plurality of exterior flow channels and interior flow channels, the housing and core defining;

    i) a biological fluid flow path across the exterior flow channels and in communication with a biological fluid inlet and a biological fluid outlet;

    ii) a heat exchanging medium flow path across the interior flow channels and in communication with a heat exchanging medium inlet and a heat exchanging medium outlet, the biological fluid flow path and the heat exchanging medium flow path being isolated from one another; and

    iii) a heat exchanging medium inlet chamber and a heat exchanging medium outlet chamber, the chambers being in fluid communication with each other via the heat exchanging medium flow path, wherein the inlet chamber communicates with the flow path through an inlet slot and the outlet chamber communicates with the flow path through an outlet slot, the outlet slot being wider than the inlet slot;

    wherein each of the biological fluid inlet, the biological fluid outlet, the heat exchanger medium inlet, and the heat exchanging medium outlet extend from the bottom of the housing, and the core is positioned at an angle relative to the biological fluid inlet such that when the biological fluid inlet is positioned vertically, the exterior flow channels are positioned upward toward the biological fluid outlet at an angle of about 5°

    to about 20°

    relative to the normal.

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