Oxygenator with thermal insulation

Abstract

An oxygenator includes a housing having a blood inlet and a blood outlet, the blood inlet extending into an interior of the housing. A heat exchanger is disposed within the housing, and is coupled, at an inlet end, to a heat-exchange fluid inlet. A gas exchanger also is disposed within the housing, and includes a bundle of gas-exchange fibers coupled, at a gas outlet end, to a gas-exchange fluid outlet. The oxygenator includes at least one insulator configured to thermally insulate at least the gas outlet end of the bundle of gas-exchange fibers.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An oxygenator configured to oxygenate blood flowing therethrough, the oxygenator comprising:
 a housing having a blood inlet and a blood outlet, the blood inlet and the blood outlet in fluid communication with an interior of the housing;   a heat exchanger disposed within the housing, the heat exchanger including a heat-exchange fluid inlet, a heat-exchange fluid outlet, and a bundle of gas-exchange fibers through which a heat-exchange fluid is configured to flow from a fluid inlet end of the bundle of heat-exchange fibers to a fluid outlet end of the bundle of heat-exchange fibers;   a gas exchanger disposed within the housing, the gas exchanger including a gas-exchange fluid inlet, a gas-exchange fluid outlet, and a bundle of gas-exchange fibers through which a gas-exchange fluid is configured to flow from a gas inlet end of the bundle of gas-exchange fibers to a gas outlet end of the bundle of gas-exchange fibers; and   an insulating chamber configured to receive an insulating fluid to thermally insulate at least the gas outlet end of the bundle of gas-exchange fibers proximate the gas-exchange fluid outlet.   
     
     
         2 . The oxygenator of  claim 1 , wherein the insulating fluid facilitates maintaining the gas-exchange fluid at a certain temperature or within a certain temperature range. 
     
     
         3 . The oxygenator of  claim 1 , wherein the oxygenator includes an insulating fluid inlet and an insulating fluid outlet configured to facilitate circulation of the insulating fluid through the insulating chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The oxygenator of  claim 3 , wherein the insulting chamber is configured to receive a portion of the heat-exchange fluid from the heat exchanger as the insulating fluid. 
     
     
         5 . The oxygenator of  claim 1 , wherein the insulating fluid is a fluid other than blood flowing through the oxygenator. 
     
     
         6 . The oxygenator of  claim 1 , wherein ends of the heat-exchange fibers are embedded in a potting material. 
     
     
         7 . The oxygenator of  claim 1 , wherein ends of the gas-exchange fibers are embedded in a potting material. 
     
     
         8 . The oxygenator of  claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of the insulating chamber is disposed radially outward of the potting material upstream of the gas outlet end of the gas-exchange fibers. 
     
     
         9 . The oxygenator of  claim 1 , wherein the heat-exchange fibers are woven into mats arranged in a criss-cross configuration. 
     
     
         10 . The oxygenator of  claim 1 , wherein the gas-exchange fibers are woven into mats arranged in a criss-cross configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The oxygenator of  claim 1 , further comprising a conduit disposed outside of the housing and configured to provide the insulating fluid to the insulating chamber. 
     
     
         12 . An oxygenator configured to oxygenate blood flowing therethrough, the oxygenator comprising:
 a housing having a blood inlet and a blood outlet, the blood inlet and the blood outlet in fluid communication with an interior of the housing;   a heat exchanger disposed within the housing, the heat exchanger including a heat-exchange fluid inlet, a heat-exchange fluid outlet, and a bundle of gas-exchange fibers through which a heat-exchange fluid is configured to flow from a fluid inlet end of the bundle of heat-exchange fibers to a fluid outlet end of the bundle of heat-exchange fibers;   a gas exchanger disposed within the housing, the gas exchanger including a gas-exchange fluid inlet, a gas-exchange fluid outlet, and a bundle of gas-exchange fibers through which a gas-exchange fluid is configured to flow from a gas inlet end of the bundle of gas-exchange fibers to a gas outlet end of the bundle of gas-exchange fibers; and   an insulating chamber configured to receive an insulating fluid therein, the chamber in fluid communication with an insulating fluid inlet and an insulating fluid outlet, such that the insulating fluid is configured to flow through the insulating chamber from the insulating fluid inlet to the insulating fluid outlet.   
     
     
         13 . The oxygenator of  claim 12 , wherein the insulating fluid facilitates maintaining the gas-exchange fluid at a certain temperature or within a certain temperature range. 
     
     
         14 . The oxygenator of  claim 12 , wherein the insulting chamber is configured to receive a portion of the heat-exchange fluid from the heat exchanger as the insulating fluid. 
     
     
         15 . The oxygenator of  claim 12 , wherein the insulating fluid is a fluid other than blood flowing through the oxygenator. 
     
     
         16 . The oxygenator of  claim 12 , wherein ends of the heat-exchange fibers are embedded in a potting material. 
     
     
         17 . The oxygenator of  claim 12 , wherein ends of the gas-exchange fibers are embedded in a potting material. 
     
     
         18 . The oxygenator of  claim 17 , wherein at least a portion of the insulating chamber is disposed radially outward of the potting material upstream of the gas outlet end of the gas-exchange fibers. 
     
     
         19 . The oxygenator of  claim 12 , wherein the heat-exchange fibers are woven into mats arranged in a criss-cross configuration. 
     
     
         20 . The oxygenator of  claim 12 , wherein the gas-exchange fibers are woven into mats arranged in a criss-cross configuration.