Membrane apparatus with enhanced mass transfer, heat transfer and pumping capabilities via active mixing

• US 7,122,151 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2004
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: University Of Pittsburgh (University of Pittsburgh of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education)
• Original Assignee: University Of Pittsburgh (University of Pittsburgh of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education)
• Inventors: Reeder, Gary D., Litwak, Philip, Borovetz, Harvey S., Gartner, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bianco, Patricia
• Application Number:
  US10/827,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20040219061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 604/4.01, 604 501- 504, 604/6.13, 604/6.11, 604/6.1, 604/6.09, 604/6.14, 422 44- 48, 128/DIG.3, 128/898, 137/560, 435/1.1, 435/1.2, 435/283.1, 435/284.1, 210/600, 210/607, 210/634, 210/767, 210644-647, 210650-651
• US Class Current: 422/44
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1629 with integral heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1698 Blood oxygenators with or without heat-exchangers intracorporal A61M1/1678; manufacturing of membranes therefor B01D67/00; semi-permeable membranes for separation processes characterised by their properties B01D69/00; semi-permeable membranes characterised by their material B01D71/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/26 and internal elements which are moving
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/262 rotating
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/267 used for pumping
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3623 Means for actively controlling temperature of blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2206/14 Static flow deviators in tubes disturbing laminar flow in tubes, e.g. archimedes screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/113 in other functional devices, e.g. dialysers or heart-lung machines
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/216 including a rotating member acting on the blood, e.g. impeller
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/221 Heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2321/2066 Pulsated flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2321/2083 By reversing the flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/026 Wafer type modules or flat-surface type modules
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/043 with separate tube sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/16 Rotary, reciprocated or vibrated modules
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 65/08 Prevention of membrane fouling or of concentration polarisation
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/271 with means for moving the materials to be mixed radially between the surfaces of the rotor and the stator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/03 Heart-lung
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 165/357 forming annular heat exchanger

Abstract

A combination mass transfer and pump apparatus, which in a single step actively mixes a first mass and a second mass and simultaneously pumps one of the first mass and the second mass through the apparatus. The combination mass transfer and pump apparatus substantially comprises a housing and at least one distributor element having a plurality of selectively fluid-permeable membrane elements wherein the at least one distributor element is agitated within the second mass such that the first mass diffuses across the selectively fluid-permeable membrane elements, mixing with the second mass, and in the same step the second mass is pumped through the housing.

Claims

1. An apparatus for liver assist comprising:

(a) a housing defining a blood flow path and having a blood inlet, a blood outlet, a liver-assist fluid inlet and a liver-assist fluid outlet;

(b) a double lumen shaft defining a liver-assist fluid inlet path and a liver-assist fluid outlet path wherein the double lumen shaft liver-assist fluid inlet path is in fluid communication with the housing liver-assist fluid inlet and the double lumen shaft liver-assist fluid outlet is in fluid conmmnication with the housing liver-assist fluid outlet;

(c) at least one distributor element mounted on the double lumen shaft and defining a blood flow path, the at least one distributor element having;

(i) an outer ring with a first and second face;

(ii) an outer ring cap concentrically spaced with respect to the outer ring such that the outer ring and outer ring cap define a liver-assist fluid supply plenum and a liver-assist fluid return plenum;

(iii) a first hollow spoke in fluid communication with the liver-assist fluid inlet path and the liver-assist fluid supply plenum;

(iv) a second hollow spoke in fluid communication with the liver-assist fluid path and the liver-assist fluid return plenum; and

(v) a plurality of selectively semi-permeable membrane elements extending across the distributor blood flow path and each of the plurality of selectively permeable membrane elements in fluid communication with the liver-assist fluid supply plenum and the liver-assist fluid return plenum; and

wherein when blood flows through the housing flow path and dialysate flows through the plurality of selectively fluid permeable membrane elements and when the at least one distributor element rotates about the at least one double lumen shaft, metabolic waste products from the blood diffuse into the dialysate which simultaneous heating and pumping of the blood occurs.