Patent ID: 6602468
Filing Date: 2003-08-05
Classification: A61M,B01F,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for oxygenating blood and delivering the oxygenated blood to a patient, the method comprising the acts of:(a) coupling a blood pump assembly to a supply of blood; (b) coupling a liquid-to-liquid blood oxygenation assembly to the blood pump assembly to receive the blood from the blood pump assembly and oxygenate the blood, wherein the liquid-co-liquid oxygenation assembly comprises: a mixing chamber having a first inlet, a second inlet, and an outlet; wherein the first inlet is positioned on the mixing chamber in such a way that the blood enters the mixing chamber and flows in a generally vortical direction; a gas-supersaturated fluid supply assembly adapted to deliver an oxygen-supersaturated fluid having a liquid phase supersaturated with oxygen to the mixing chamber via the second inlet to mix with the blood and form oxygenated blood, wherein the oxygenated blood exits the mixing chamber through the outlet, (c) selecting a delivery system for delivering the oxygenated blood to a patient, the delivery system comprising: a generally tubular elongated member having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the distal end portion being adapted to be inserted into the patient and the proximal end portion being coupled to the blood oxygenation assembly, the member farther having a first lumen with an effective diameter for carrying oxygenated blood, the first lumen generally extending from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion, and the member having a transition portion located between the proximal end portion and the distal end portion, the transition portion being relatively flexible compared to the proximal end portion and being relatively stiff compared to the distal end portion, wherein the selecting step comprises determining the effective diameter of the lumen needed to achieve a bubble-free delivery of the oxygenated blood based on a specified oxygenated flow rate and a target oxygen partial pressure in the oxygenated blood; and (d) coupling the selected delivery system to the blood oxygenation assembly.