Removable Liquid Heat Exchanger for Bubble-Free Surface Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for therapeutic temperature control, such as nasopharyngeal cooling, face challenges in ensuring efficient heat exchange and minimizing bubble formation, which can reduce heat transfer efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A removable liquid heat exchanging element with a support structure and flexible liquid transporter, featuring a lumen enclosed by a heat exchanging portion and slanted edges, ensures even liquid distribution and minimizes bubble formation during priming, facilitating efficient heat exchange with a Peltier element-based device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a liquid transporter with a lumen is used for heat exchange, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but bubble formation reduces heat exchange efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs curved surfaces throughout the liquid transporter design, including a curved outlet and arched support structure. These curved geometries facilitate smooth liquid flow and prevent bubble entrapment by eliminating sharp corners where bubbles could accumulate, thereby maintaining heat exchange efficiency while enabling effective heat transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure is designed to engage with the heat exchanging surface before the liquid transporter is fully filled with liquid. This preliminary engagement ensures proper positioning and orientation, preventing bubble formation during the filling process and ensuring optimal heat exchange performance from the start of operation.
2Ease of operation
If the inlet and outlet are positioned at the same side for easy access, then ease of operation is improved, but liquid distribution uniformity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the inlet and outlet at the same side but utilizes the third dimension (depth/length of the lumen) to create a long, narrow flow path. The liquid enters through the inlet, travels along the extended lumen, and exits through the outlet positioned nearby. This dimensional arrangement maintains ease of access while ensuring uniform liquid distribution across the heat exchanging surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The lumen is designed as a segmented or divided flow path within the liquid transporter. This segmentation allows liquid to be distributed more evenly across the heat exchanging surface area, ensuring uniform heat exchange performance while keeping the inlet and outlet accessible from the same side.
3Loss of energy
If a flexible wall is used to enclose the lumen for heat exchange, then heat exchange surface contact is improved, but structural stability may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the flexible wall enclosing the lumen with the support structure into an integrated assembly. The support structure provides rigid structural stability while the flexible wall portions maintain close contact with the heat exchanging surface. This combination allows the system to benefit from both flexibility for heat exchange and rigidity for structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs flexible wall sections in the liquid transporter that can conform to the heat exchanging surface geometry. These flexible shells maximize the contact area between the liquid carrier and heat exchanging surface, improving heat transfer effectiveness while the overall structure maintains stability through the integrated support framework.
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 enables uniform heat exchange over the entire heat exchanging surface, reduces bubble entrapment, and maintains high efficiency in temperature control treatments, particularly for brain cooling applications.
Implementation Method 1
heat exchange can take place over an entire surfaces of the heat exchanging portion which is in contact with a heat exchanging surface of a device for temperature control treatment
Implementation Method 2
device for temperature control treatment... Peltier element-based device
Data Source
AI summary
Removable liquid heat exchanging element (100) for use in a device for temperature control treatment (400) comprising a support structure (300), and a liquid transporter (200) supported by the support structure (300). The removable liquid heat exchanging element (100) is configured to be positioned in a slot (402) in the device for temperature control treatment (400). The liquid transporter (200) comprises an inlet (201) and an outlet (206) and a lumen for liquid transportation. The lumen is at least partially enclosed by a heat exchanging portion (205) of a flexible wall configured to engage a heat exchanging surface (401a, 401b) of the device for temperature control treatment (400). The support structure (300) is configured to engage and partially enclose a portion of the liquid transporter (200) such that an occlusion (203) is formed between the inlet (201) and the heat exchanging portion (205) of the lumen for liquid transportation.