Patent ID: 6565807
Filing Date: 2003-05-20
Classification: A61M,B01F,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for oxygenating blood and delivering the oxygenated blood to a patient, the method comprising the acts of:providing a blood pump assembly coupled to a supply of blood; providing a blood oxygenation assembly coupled to the blood pump assembly, the blood oxygenation assembly receiving the blood from the blood pump assembly and oxygenating the blood, the blood oxygenation assembly comprising: an oxygenator having a first inlet, a second inlet, and an outlet, the blood pump adapted to deliver the blood to first inlet of the oxygenator, and a gas-fluid supply assembly comprising: a fluid supply; a chamber having a first inlet, a second inlet, and an outlet; a pump coupled to receive fluid from the fluid supply and to deliver the fluid to the first inlet of the chamber; an oxygen gas supply coupled to deliver oxygen gas to the second inlet of the chamber, the oxygen gas supply maintaining pressure within the chamber at a predetermined level; and an atomizer nozzle coupled to the first inlet of the chamber, the atomizer nozzle creating a droplet pattern of the fluid in the oxygen gas within the chamber to diffuse the oxygen gas into the fluid to create an oxygen-supersaturated fluid, the oxygen-supersaturated fluid collecting within the chamber below the atomizer nozzle and being removable from the chamber via the outlet of the chamber, the outlet of the chamber being coupled to the second inlet of the oxygenator to deliver the oxygen-supersaturated fluid into contact with the blood to form the oxygenated blood; and providing a delivery assembly coupled to the outlet of the oxygenator, the delivery assembly being adapted to deliver the oxygenated blood to a patient.