Oxygenator Heating Element for Blood Temperature Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oxygenators used in medical gas exchangers, such as those in heart-lung therapies and dialysis, require complex auxiliary equipment for heating and can contaminate the environment due to water baths in heater-cooler devices, which are heavy, immobile, and difficult to clean.
Innovation Solution
An oxygenator with an electric heating element, comprising an electric resistor that heats the blood flowing through the housing chamber, eliminating the need for a heater-cooler device and utilizing a voltage source, along with temperature sensors and a temperature control device to prevent overheating, and featuring a heat-conducting arrangement and insulation layers for efficient heat distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a heater-cooler device with water bath is used to regulate blood temperature, then temperature control function is achieved, but device weight increases and mobility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the heating function from the complex water-bath heater-cooler device and integrates it directly into the oxygenator housing. The electric heating element is embedded in the housing wall, eliminating the need for external heater-cooler equipment and its associated water bath, thereby dramatically reducing device weight and improving mobility while maintaining temperature control capability
Solution Approach 2:
The heating function is merged with the oxygenator housing structure itself. The housing wall serves dual purposes: structural containment and heat transfer medium. The electric heating element integrated into the housing creates a combined structure where the housing both protects internal components and actively participates in temperature regulation, eliminating separate heater-cooler equipment
2Temperature
If a water bath is used in heater-cooler devices, then temperature regulation is achieved, but environmental contamination occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the water bath component entirely from the system. Instead of using water as a heat transfer medium in an external bath, the heating function is achieved through an electric heating element directly integrated into the oxygenator housing, eliminating the source of potential environmental contamination while maintaining effective temperature control
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical water-bath heating system is replaced with an electrical heating system. The electric heating element uses electrical energy directly to heat the blood or gas within the oxygenator, substituting the complex mechanical water circulation system with a simpler, cleaner electrical heating mechanism that produces no environmental contamination
3Temperature
If heater-cooler devices are used for temperature control, then temperature regulation function is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating function is merged into the oxygenator housing structure, eliminating the need for separate heater-cooler devices. The housing wall serves as both structural element and heat transfer medium, with the electric heating element integrated directly into it. This integration dramatically simplifies the overall system by removing complex auxiliary equipment while maintaining effective temperature control
Solution Approach 2:
The oxygenator housing is given multiple functions: it provides structural containment, facilitates gas exchange, and actively regulates temperature. The housing wall serves as a multi-functional component that both protects internal components and acts as a heat transfer surface, eliminating the need for dedicated temperature control equipment and reducing overall system complexity
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 solution allows for efficient and controlled temperature regulation of blood and gas within the oxygenator, reducing the risk of overheating and environmental contamination, while simplifying the design and improving mobility and cleanliness of the equipment.
Implementation Method 1
the heating element has an electric resistor... the resistor of the heating element can be used to heat the heating element by means of the electric connection on the oxygenator by way of an applied voltage
Implementation Method 2
the heating element is arranged in the housing chamber... use larger heating surfaces and thus to achieve a small temperature difference between the heating element and blood
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an oxygenator with a housing wall, defining a housing chamber with a blood inlet and a blood outlet, a gas inlet and a gas outlet, and also with a heating element which is arranged in the oxygenator between the blood inlet and blood outlet in order to control the temperature of the blood flowing through the housing chamber. The oxygenator also comprises an electric connection and the heating element has an electric resistor which is designed as a wire. The invention also relates to a method for controlling the heat emission at the heating element of an oxygenator by measuring the flow of blood through the oxygenator and the power of a pump influencing the flow, with the heating power being adjusted in accordance therewith.