Patent ID: 7857050

Claim:
An apparatus for use in a wellbore, comprising: a first flow conduit; a second flow conduit; a helical structure defining a tortuous fluid path proximate the first flow conduit, the tortuous fluid path to receive a flow of fluid from the first flow conduit and to direct the flow of fluid through the tortuous fluid path to the second flow conduit, wherein the tortuous fluid path is defined by at least first and second members of the structure, and the first and second members are movable with respect to each other to adjust a cross-sectional flow area of the tortuous fluid path, wherein different cross-sectional flow areas provided by different relative positions of the first and second members provide corresponding different flow restrictions for the flow of fluid through the tortuous fluid path from the first flow conduit to the second flow conduit; and an adjustment component that upon actuation moves along a direction to move the first and second members to a fixed position relative to each other to adjust the cross-sectional area of the tortuous fluid path.