Oxygenator with Central Inlet-Outlet for Uniform Blood Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) systems face issues with high thrombus incidence, low gas exchange efficiency, and poor biocompatibility due to non-uniform flow and pressure fields within the membrane oxygenator, leading to flow dead zones and increased thrombosis risk.
Innovation Solution
The design of the oxygenator features a housing with a blood inlet and outlet at the center of the oxygenation chamber, along with interval spaces and orifice plates, which ensures uniform blood flow and pressure distribution, eliminating flow dead zones and enhancing gas-blood exchange efficiency through strategically arranged hollow permeable tubes and heat exchange tubes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If blood inlet and outlet are arranged at the center of the oxygenation chamber, then flow field and pressure field are uniformly distributed and flow dead zones are eliminated, but the structural design becomes more specific and requires precise manufacturing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry in the arrangement of blood inlet and outlet positions relative to the oxygenation chamber geometry. By strategically positioning the inlet at the upper center and outlet at the lower center, the design creates an asymmetric flow pattern that prevents flow dead zones while maintaining uniform distribution throughout the chamber, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability and manufacturing precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements equipotentiality by ensuring uniform flow field and pressure field distribution throughout the oxygenation chamber. The central inlet-outlet arrangement creates a balanced flow system where blood flow and pressure are evenly distributed across the entire chamber volume, eliminating flow dead zones and reducing thrombosis risk while maintaining manufacturability
2Productivity
If blood flow path is optimized for uniform flow distribution, then gas-blood exchange efficiency is improved, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the blood flow path into distinct functional zones: an inlet buffer zone for initial blood distribution, the main oxygenation chamber for gas exchange, and an outlet region for collected blood. This segmentation allows each zone to be optimized independently, improving overall gas-blood exchange efficiency while keeping the overall design relatively simple and manufacturable
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements multi-functionality by designing the oxygenation chamber to simultaneously achieve uniform flow distribution, efficient gas-blood exchange, and compact structure. The central inlet-outlet arrangement serves multiple purposes: it creates uniform flow patterns, maximizes exchange surface utilization, and maintains a compact device footprint, thereby improving productivity without significantly increasing device complexity
3Reliability
If blood retention time is shortened, then thrombosis probability is reduced, but the oxygenation chamber volume must be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by designing the flow path and chamber geometry to prevent thrombus formation before it can occur. The central inlet-outlet arrangement creates uniform flow patterns that prevent stasis and thrombus nucleation, while the optimized flow path ensures rapid blood transit through the chamber, reducing retention time and thrombosis risk without requiring excessive chamber 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
This design reduces blood flow resistance, shortens blood retention time, and improves gas and heat exchange efficiencies, thereby lowering the probability of thrombosis and enhancing the overall performance of the membrane oxygenator.
Implementation Method 1
gas-blood exchange efficiency
Implementation Method 2
hollow permeable tubes
Implementation Method 3
heat exchange efficiencies
Implementation Method 4
heat exchange water path
Implementation Method 5
blood uniformly flows to the blood outlet from top to bottom due to gravity
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are an oxygenator and an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation device. The oxygenator includes: a housing, an upper end cover of the housing being provided with a blood inlet, and a lower end cover of the housing being provided with a blood outlet; and an oxygenation chamber, arranged in the housing, where the axis of the blood inlet and the axis of the blood outlet coincide with the axis of the oxygenation chamber. The blood inlet and the blood outlet are arranged at the center of the upper and lower parts of the oxygenation chamber, after the blood entering the oxygenation chamber is uniformly diffused to the periphery, the blood uniformly flows to the blood outlet from top to bottom due to gravity. The extracorporeal membrane oxygenation device includes the described oxygenator.