Method of blood-gas separation device and separating device

• US 6,066,111 A
• Filed: 09/22/1997
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Convergenza AG
• Original Assignee: Convergenza AG
• Inventors: Brockhoff, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bianco, Patricia
• Application Number:
  US08/934,941
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 210/788, 210/787, 162/243, 162/245, 95/24, 604/73, 604/96, 604/4-6
• US Class Current: 604/5.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3627 Degassing devices; Buffer reservoirs; Drip chambers; Blood filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/76 Handpieces specially for suction-irrigation A61M1/774, aspiration tips A61M1/84
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 19/0057 the centrifugal movement being caused by a vortex, e.g. using a cyclone, or by a tangential inlet
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/04 Tangential inlets

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°. 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.

Claims

1. Apparatus for removing gas from blood comprising:

a non-rotating centrifuge chamber having a shape which narrows in a tapering funnel manner from an upper portion above to a lower portion below, the chamber having a blood inlet to the wider top end and a blood outlet from the narrower lower end in order to reduce the loss of energy of rotation of a blood stream that is sucked through the chamber;

the blood inlet to the chamber being oriented to be substantially tangential to the axis of rotation of the stream of blood in the centrifuge chamber to form a stream of blood rotating around the substantially vertical axis of rotation of the centrifuge chamber, the blood inlet into the chamber being further directed in the direction of the flow of blood obliquely downward into the centrifuge chamber with an upwardly open angle β

to the axis of rotation of less than 90°

;

the blood outlet being connectable to a suction device for drawing blood through the centrifuge chamber from the inlet to the outlet without reversal of direction of rotation of the stream of blood in the chamber;

a gas outlet located at a vertical elevation higher than the blood inlet to the centrifuge chamber and communicating with the blood inlet for drawing gas off from the surface of the stream of blood that is rotating in the centrifuge chamber, and the gas outlet being connectable to a suction device which enables the gas to be drawn off the surface of the stream of blood and through the gas outlet through a suction device;

said apparatus being shaped so as to be gripped and carried with one hand.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the handgrip is sized so that the centrifuge chamber is arranged at the upper end of the handgrip.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the centrifuge chamber is arranged at the rear or lower end with respect to the direction of blood flow, downstream of the handgrip.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the centrifuge chamber is integrated into the handgrip.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a blood suction tube connected to the blood inlet for bringing blood from a source to the blood inlet, the handgrip being provided on the blood suction tube.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the blood outlet is of a different cross-sectional size than the air outlet.

7. The use of the apparatus of claim 1, by placing the blood suction tube at a wound site of a patient.

8. Apparatus for removing gas from blood comprising:

a non-rotating centrifuge chamber having a shape which narrows in a tapering funnel manner from an upper portion above to a lower portion below, the chamber having a blood inlet to the wider top end and a blood outlet from the narrower lower end in order to reduce the loss of energy of rotation of a blood stream that is sucked through the chamber;

the blood inlet suction channel to the chamber being oriented to be substantially tangential to the axis of rotation of the stream of blood in the centrifuge chamber to form a stream of blood rotating around the substantially vertical axis of rotation of the centrifuge chamber, the blood inlet into the chamber being further directed in the direction of the flow of blood obliquely downward into the centrifuge chamber with an upwardly open angle β

to the axis of rotation of less than 90°

;

the blood outlet being connectable to a suction device for drawing blood through the centrifuge chamber from the inlet to the outlet without reversal of direction of rotation of the stream of blood in the chamber;

a gas outlet located at a vertical elevation higher than the blood inlet to the centrifuge chamber and communicating with the blood inlet for drawing gas off from the surface of the stream of blood that is rotating in the centrifuge chamber, and the gas outlet being connectable to a suction device which enables the gas to be drawn off the surface of the stream of blood and through the gas outlet through a suction device;

said gas outlet connected to a gas outlet suction channel;

an additional gas extraction chamber communicating with the centrifuge chamber above the blood inlet and defining a gas space communicating with the gas outlet, the additional chamber having a cross-section in the direction transverse to the axis of rotation which is at least twice as great as the cross-section of the gas outlet for providing the gas bubbles and blood-gas foam time and space in the gas space to break down into blood parts and gas parts before the gas parts may be drawn off through the gas outlet by a vacuum source connected thereto;

a blood suction tube connected to the blood inlet suction channel for bringing blood from a source through the blood inlet;

said blood suction tube forming an angle with said blood suction channel;

said apparatus being shaped so as to be gripped and carried with one hand and having said blood outlet channel housing forming a handgrip for holding and gripping said apparatus.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said angle defined between the blood suction tube and the blood inlet suction channel is between about 90°

and 180°

.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the blood outlet suction channel and gas outlet suction channel each extend obliquely downward away from said cyclone chamber at a downwardly open angle α

of between about 0° and

90°

relative to the cyclone axis of rotation.

11. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the blood outlet suction channel and gas outlet suction channel extend obliquely downward to the rear at a downwardly open angle α

of between about 0° and

90°

relative to the cyclone axis of rotation.

12. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the handgrip is sized so that the centrifuge chamber is arranged at the upper end of the handgrip.

13. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the centrifuge chamber is arranged at the rear or lower end with respect to the direction of blood flow, downstream of the handgrip.

14. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the centrifuge chamber is integrated into the handgrip.

15. A method of removing gas from blood comprising the steps of:

a) providing a liquid and gas separating device having;

i) a blood suction tube,

ii) a cyclone chamber for dynamically separating liquid and gas, said cyclone chamber in fluid communication with said blood suction tube and downstream of said blood suction tube;

said cyclone chamber in communication with a gas extraction chamber;

iii) a gas outlet in fluid communication with said gas extraction chamber;

iv) a liquid outlet in fluid communication with said cyclone chamber;

v) a suction device pump in fluid communication with said gas outlet and said liquid outlet;

b) placing the blood suction tube at a patient'"'"'s wound site;

c) operating said suction device pump to draw blood from the patient into the cyclone chamber;

d) separating the gas phase from the liquid phase in said cyclone chamber;

e) operating said suction device to draw the gas phase and the liquid phase from said respective outlets, said suction device drawing said gas and said liquid phases separately.

16. A method of removing gas from blood according to claim 15 wherein in step e), the suction device pump draws gas and liquid phases in equal volumes.

17. A method of removing gas from blood according to claim 15 wherein in step e), the suction device draws gas and liquid phases in differing volumes.

18. An apparatus for removing gas from blood, comprising:

a) a blood suction tube for insertion into blood and coupled to said cyclone chamber;

b) a cyclone chamber for dynamically separating liquid and gas, said chamber in fluid communication with said blood suction tube through a blood inlet and said cyclone chamber being downstream of said blood suction tube;

said cyclone chamber in communication with a gas extraction chamber;

c) a gas outlet in fluid communication with said gas extraction chamber;

d) a liquid outlet in fluid communication with said separation chamber and offset with respect to; and

a suction device pump located downstream of said separation chamber and in fluid communication with said gas outlet and said liquid outlet.