Bubble Removing Unit for Extracorporeal Circulator
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing extracorporeal circulators face challenges in reliably preventing bubbles from being fed to patients during cardiac surgeries, as excessive bubbles can pass through filters and accumulate, potentially causing issues during extracorporeal circulation.
Innovation Solution
An extracorporeal circulator system with a bubble removing unit that utilizes centrifugal force and buoyancy to separate bubbles, featuring a bubble reservoir, vacuum chamber, and filters to prevent bubble accumulation, along with sensors and control mechanisms to manage blood flow and recirculation, ensuring bubbles are not fed to the patient while reducing priming volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a bubble removing unit with filter is used to remove bubbles from blood, then bubbles can be separated and collected, but excessive bubbles may pass through the filter and accumulate, posing the risk that bubbles are not completely removed
Solution Approach 1:
The bubble removing unit is segmented into multiple functional zones: a blood inflow space with filter for initial bubble separation, a communication space for bubble accumulation, and a blood outflow space for filtered blood discharge. This segmentation allows different removal mechanisms to work in sequence, improving reliability without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
A communication space acts as an intermediary zone between the blood inflow space and blood outflow space. This intermediate space collects bubbles that pass through the filter, preventing them from reaching the outflow while allowing filtered blood to pass through. The communication space serves as a buffer that enhances bubble removal reliability without requiring complex additional components.
2Reliability
If a large bubble reservoir is used to store and remove bubbles, then bubble removal capability is improved, but the priming volume of the extracorporeal circulation circuit increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bubble removing unit creates a localized bubble collection zone (communication space) with specific functional properties - a space dedicated to bubble accumulation that is integrated into the blood flow path. This localized approach allows effective bubble removal in a compact volume, improving bubble removal capability without proportionally increasing overall priming volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication space utilizes the vertical dimension by positioning it above the blood outflow space, allowing bubbles to rise and accumulate in the upper region while blood flows through the lower region. This dimensional arrangement enables effective bubble separation in a compact footprint, improving removal capability without linearly increasing priming volume.
3Productivity
If centrifugal force is applied to collect bubbles in the center of the housing, then bubble separation efficiency is improved, but the device requires a larger housing volume to accommodate the separation process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple bubble separation mechanisms - centrifugal force for initial separation in the blood inflow space, buoyancy for bubble rise to the communication space, and filter interception for final bubble capture. This merging of mechanisms achieves high separation efficiency within a compact integrated housing, improving productivity without proportionally increasing housing volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The blood outflow space is nested within the housing, with the communication space positioned above it, creating a compact nested arrangement. This nesting allows the housing to accommodate multiple functional zones in a space-efficient manner, maintaining high separation efficiency while minimizing overall housing volume.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively prevents bubbles from being fed to the patient, maintaining smooth extracorporeal circulation and reducing the risk of bubble accumulation, thereby ensuring patient safety and minimizing damage to the blood pump.
Implementation Method 1
applies centrifugal force to the blood to collect bubbles into the center of the housing (blood inflow space)
Implementation Method 2
collects the bubbles to the upper space of the housing by buoyancy
Implementation Method 3
a vacuum chamber disposed on the bubble reservoir and connected to deaerator means to be maintained at a negative pressure
Data Source
AI summary
An extracorporeal circulator comprising a line for extracting blood from a patient, a pump for supplying blood, an artificial lung section performing gas exchange on blood, a line for supplying blood passed through the artificial lung section to the patient, a unit for removing bubbles mixed into the blood, a controller for controlling the flow rate of blood being supplied such that bubbles are not fed to the patient, and a line for detouring blood delivered from the blood pump to return it to the blood pump.