Infusion fluid heat exchanger and cartridge

• US 7,563,248 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2005
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smisson-Cartledge Biomedical LLC
• Original Assignee: Smisson-Cartledge Biomedical LLC
• Inventors: Jerrell, Jeffrey W., Christensen, John M., Cartledge, Richard G., Koltz, Michael L., Smisson, Hugh F. III, Rainier, Bradford J., York, Frederick J., Iaconis, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi; Nicholas D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eisenberg; Rebecca E
• Application Number:
  US11/082,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20060211988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,587 Days
• Field of Search: 604/31, 604 65- 67, 604/113, 604/122, 604/131
• US Class Current: 604/122
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/0281 Apparatus for treatment of blood or blood constituents prior to transfusion, e.g. washing, filtering or thawing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/127 with provisions for heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2206/10 Flow characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2206/14 Static flow deviators in tubes disturbing laminar flow in tubes, e.g. archimedes screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16831 Monitoring, detecting, signalling or eliminating infusion flow anomalies low-level float-valves causing cut-off A61M5/40; indicating or recording presence, absence or direction of flow in general G01P13/0066
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/36 with means for eliminating or preventing injection or infusion of air into body dialysis systems, blood oxygenators A61M1/14; haemofiltration equipment A61M1/34; automatic tube cut-off A61M39/281
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/365 Air detectors A61M5/1684 takes precedence; in extracorporeal blood circuits A61M1/3626
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/44 having means for cooling or heating the devices or media

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for increasing the temperature of a fluid being infused into a patient'"'"'s body while the infusion is taking place. The present invention also provides for improved monitoring of air in the infusion system such to prevent the introduction of air into the patient'"'"'s body receiving the fluid infusion. The present invention also provides for a system pump which provides a variable flow rate that serves a vast amount of infusion needs and purposes. A disposable cartridge in accordance with the present invention will allow for the efficient transfer of heat energy to the fluid being infused into the patient'"'"'s body. The cartridge will further ensure that deleterious amounts of air will not be introduced into the patient'"'"'s body.

Claims

1. A disposable fluid infusion cartridge comprising

a. a heat exchanger comprising upper and lower aspects and an internal heat exchange zone defined by a first and second plurality of overlapping fins, creating a substantially uniform flow path depth, wherein each fin has a ratio of height to width of at least 1:

2, whereby fluid enters the lower aspect of the heat exchanger via a lower port and fills a lower flow cavity across the width of the heat exchange zone prior to flowing at least partially across the width of each succeeding overlapping fin and through the heat exchange zone and out an upper port at the upper aspect of the heat exchanger; and

b. an air trap comprising upper and lower aspects defining a longitudinal axis extending centrally therebetween, an upper fluid input port, a lower fluid output port positioned off-center from the longitudinal axis, an upper air output port, and a fluid flow disrupter positioned off-center from the longitudinal axis and proximate the lower fluid output port, wherein the fluid input port introduces fluid into the air trap from the heat exchanger in a circular flow, and wherein the circular flow of the fluid at the fluid flow disrupter is disrupted to create a pressure differential proximate the lower fluid output port to draw the fluid into the lower fluid output port, and further comprising a purging mechanism for purging air from the air trap and preventing air from passing beyond the air trap.

2. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the height of the fins to the width of the fins is from about 1:

2 to 1;

50.

3. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the height of the fins to the width of the fins is from about 1:

4 to 1;

25.

4. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the height of the fins to the width of the fins is from about 1:

5 to 1;

10.

5. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the height of the fins ranges from about 0.25 inches to about 1 inch.

6. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the flow path depth to the height of the fins is from about 0.01:

1 to 1;

1.

7. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the flow path of the heat exchange zone has a depth of about 0.01 inches to about 0.25 inches.

8. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the distance between a first and second fin within the same plurality of fins is from about 0.25 inches to about 1 inch.

9. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the heat exchanger is comprised of two symmetric units fixed together.

10. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the heat exchanger is comprised of a single unit.

11. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the heat exchanger is comprised of at least two units fixed together.

12. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the air-trap is cylindrical.

13. The cartridge of claim 12 wherein the air-trap is taller than it is wide.

14. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the fluid flow disrupter extends from an inner surface of the lower aspect of the air-trap.

15. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the purging mechanism utilizes an ultrasonic detection mechanism to monitor fluid volume in the air-trap.

16. The cartridge of claim 15 wherein the purging mechanism uses a valve at a fluid output port and a valve at an air output port working in tandem to force air out the air output port as the volume of the fluid within the air-trap increases, to a pre-determined level.

17. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the air-trap can effectively remove air when moved off vertical axis up to 45°

.

18. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the heat exchanger has a surface of area exposed to a heating element is from about 30 square inches to 45 square inches.

19. The cartridge of claim 18 wherein the surface area is substantially flat across said area.

20. A disposable infusion cartridge comprising:

a. a heat exchanger comprising an enclosed uniform tortious flow path containing short segments of linear flow length, creating a ribbon of fluid, greater in width than in segments of linear flow length, for enhanced exposure to the inner surface of the heat exchanger; and

b. a cylindrical air-trap for removing air from the fluid comprising an upper and lower aspect defining a longitudinal axis extending centrally therebetween, and further comprising an upper fluid input port, a lower fluid output port positioned off-center from the longitudinal axis, an upper air output port, and a fluid flow disrupter positioned off-center from the longitudinal axis and proximate the lower fluid output port, wherein the air-trap creates a vortex of fluid and the fluid flow disrupter disrupts the vortex of fluid to create a pressure differential proximate the lower fluid output port for drawing fluid into the lower fluid output port.

21. The cartridge of claim 20 wherein the ratio of the length of the short segments of the tortious flow path to the width of the flow path is from about 1:

2 to 1;

50.

22. The cartridge of claim 20 wherein the ratio of the length of the short segments of the tortious flow path to the width of the flow path is from about 1:

4 to 1;

25.

23. The cartridge of claim 20 wherein the ratio of the length of the short segments of the tortious flow path to the width of the flow path is from about 1:

5 to 1;

10.

24. The cartridge of claim 20 wherein the length of the short segments of the tortuous path are from about 0.25 inches to about 1 inch in length.

25. The cartridge of claim 20 wherein the depth of the tortious flow path has a ratio of depth to length of the short segments from about 0.01:

1 to 1;

1.

26. The cartridge of claim 20 wherein the tortious flow path of the heat exchange zone has a depth of about 0.01 inches to about 0.25 inches.

27. The cartridge of claim 20 wherein the tortious flow path is created via at least one plurality of fins.

28. The cartridge of claim 20 wherein the distance between a first and second fin within a plurality of fins is from about 0.25 inches to about 0.5 inches.

29. The cartridge of claim 20 wherein the fluid flow disrupter extends from an inner surface of the air-trap.

30. The cartridge of claim 20 further comprising a purging mechanism that utilizes an ultrasonic detection mechanism to monitor fluid height.

31. The cartridge of claim 30 wherein the purging mechanism uses a valve at the lower fluid output port and a valve at the upper air output port working in tandem to force air out the upper air output port as the volume of the fluid within the air-trap increases.

32. The cartridge of claim 31 wherein the valves of the purging mechanism are controlled by monitoring mechanisms contained within a pump housing reversibly attachable to the cartridge.

33. The cartridge of claim 20 wherein the air-trap can effectively remove air when moved off vertical axis up to 45°

.

34. The cartridge of claim 20 wherein the heat exchanger has a surface of area exposed to a heating element is from about 30 square inches to about 45 square inches.

35. The cartridge of claim 20 wherein the surface area is substantially flat across said area.

36. The cartridge of claim 20 further comprising at least one pressure monitor for monitoring the pressure of fluid within the disposable cartridge.

37. The cartridge of claim 20 further comprising at least one bubble detector for monitoring the presence of a bubble within fluid passing through the disposable cartridge.