Fluid Heating Conduit Baffles for Uniform Blood Temperature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing disposables for heating physiological fluids, such as blood, often result in temperature variations or 'hot spots' during infrared heating, which can lead to the disintegration of blood cells, and fail to ensure uniform temperature distribution.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating turbulence-inducing obstructions, such as baffles, in the conduit bends to prevent hot spots, with the baffles having a height of at least 20% of the conduit height and sloping top edges, and placing them at angles to enhance fluid mixing and temperature uniformity, along with circular cross-section bends to sustain turbulence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the conduit is made wide and shallow for heating, then heating efficiency is improved, but temperature distribution becomes non-uniform causing hot spots
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the conduit from a wide and shallow cross-section to a circular cross-section with diameter of 10-20 mm. This parameter change maintains adequate heating surface area while eliminating the non-uniform temperature distribution that caused hot spots in the previous wide and shallow design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces turbulence-inducing obstructions (such as baffles or ridges) positioned at specific locations within the conduit to segment the fluid flow. These obstructions create controlled turbulence that enhances mixing and distributes heat more uniformly throughout the physiological fluid, preventing hot spots while maintaining heating efficiency.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the conduit is wide and shallow, then heat transfer surface area is increased, but fluid mixing is insufficient leading to hot spots
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces turbulence-inducing obstructions (such as baffles or ridges) positioned at specific locations within the conduit to segment the fluid flow. These obstructions create controlled turbulence that enhances mixing and distributes heat more uniformly throughout the physiological fluid, preventing hot spots while maintaining heating efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the conduit cross-section from wide and shallow to circular geometry. The curved circular shape promotes more uniform flow patterns and better heat distribution compared to the flat wide design, while the turbulence obstructions further enhance mixing effectiveness.
3Manufacturing precision
If turbulence-inducing obstructions are added to the conduit, then temperature uniformity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the turbulence-inducing obstructions with the conduit structure itself, making them integral parts of the disposable heating element. The obstructions are positioned at specific locations within the conduit and are manufactured as a single integrated component, which simplifies assembly and reduces the number of separate parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the parameters of the turbulence obstructions (such as baffle height, ridge dimensions, and positioning) to achieve effective turbulence with minimal structural complexity. The obstructions are designed with specific dimensional parameters that maximize mixing effectiveness while maintaining a simple overall conduit structure suitable for injection molding.
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 solution effectively prevents temperature variations and ensures uniform heating of the physiological fluid by inducing turbulence, thereby preventing cell disintegration and improving the manufacturing simplicity and cost-effectiveness of the disposable.
Implementation Method 1
a first turbulence-inducing obstruction is placed, preferably a baffle having a height of at least approximately 20% of the height of the conduit at the position of that baffle. Such a baffle causes a turbulence in the fluid stream such as to prevent the occurrence of hot spots.
Implementation Method 2
The conduit is further embodied such that at least one side is permeable to infrared radiation to facilitate heating by means of, for example, an infrared lamp or another source of infrared radiation.
Data Source
AI summary
A disposable that is suitable for application in a device for heating a physiological fluid, in particular blood, comprising a conduit for conducting fluid, which conduit comprises conduit sections that are arranged next to each other and bends that connect the conduit section, wherein at least one of the bends comprises a first turbulence-inducing obstruction.