Patent ID: 7588549
Filing Date: 2009-09-15
Classification: A61M

Abstract:
1. A device for directly controlling temperature of blood flowing through an extracorporeal blood circuit, comprising: a thermoelectric module for coupling to a supply voltage to generate a temperature difference; and a heat exchanger cassette comprising a core and first and second laminar flow guides, wherein the core is in thermal contact with the thermoelectric module and has a plurality of tubes for carrying parallel channels of the blood, wherein the first and second laminar flow guides provide an inlet and an outlet for coupling to the extracorporeal blood circuit, wherein the tubes are grouped into respective multi-tube cells, wherein all the tubes in any particular multi-tube cell carry the blood in parallel and in the same direction, wherein the first and second laminar flow guides include respective intermediate chambers for receiving respective ends of the tubes in order to connect the multi-tube cells in series between the inlet and the outlet, wherein each intermediate chamber carries a combined flow from one multi-tube cell to a following multi-tube cell, wherein the intermediate chambers each include a radially-curved outside wall for reversing the direction of flow from one multi-tube cell to the next while maintaining a substantially laminar flow, wherein a thermal transfer matrix encapsulates the tubes and provides a thermally conductive path between the tubes and the thermoelectric module, and wherein the thermal transfer matrix is an electrical insulator.