Device for the extracorporeal controlling of the temperature of patients, having a separable secondary unit

Abstract

Device for the extracorporeal controlling of the temperature of patients by transmitting heat between a fluid and a transmission medium, having a primary circuit having a primary unit (102, 201) for receiving the fluid, and a secondary circuit having a secondary unit (104, 200) which includes connectors (240, 242) for infeeding and outfeeding the transmission medium, wherein the secondary unit (104, 200) is capable of being fastened to the primary unit (102, 201) and has nozzles (206) for configuring an impingement flow, said nozzles (206), in the case of a secondary unit (104, 200) being fastened to the primary unit (102, 201), being directed in the direction of the primary unit (102, 201).

Claims

1. Device for the extracorporeal controlling of the temperature of patients by transmitting heat between a fluid and a transmission medium, having a primary circuit having a primary unit for receiving the fluid; and a secondary circuit having a secondary unit, the secondary unit comprising a chamber with an open side, one or more nozzles directed in the direction of the open side, and connectors for infeeding and outfeeding the transmission medium, wherein the secondary unit is fastened to the primary unit such that said one or more nozzles are directed in the direction of the primary unit for an impingement flow.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the primary unit comprises a barrier element for transmitting heat to the transmission medium.

3. Device according to claim 2, wherein the barrier element comprises a plate.

4. Device according to claim 3, wherein the secondary unit has a seal which encloses an open side of the secondary unit and which seals the secondary unit fastened to the primary unit in relation to the barrier element.

5. Device according to claim 3, wherein the plate has a flat surface as a flow obstacle for the impingement flow.

6. Device according to claim 1, wherein the secondary unit is separable from the primary unit.

7. Device according to claim 1, wherein the secondary unit is configured for single use.

8. Device according to claim 1, wherein the secondary unit is at least substantially made from a plastics material.

9. Device according to claim 1, having a connection element for releasably fastening the secondary unit to the primary unit.

10. Device according to claim 1, wherein the barrier element has a heat exchanger.

11. Device according to claim 1, wherein the secondary unit comprises at least a first secondary unit and a second secondary unit each having the one or more nozzles, wherein each of the first secondary unit and the second secondary unit can be fastened to the primary unit such that the nozzles are directed in the direction of the primary unit for the impingement flow.

12. Device according to claim 11, wherein each of the first secondary unit and the second secondary unit comprises a seal that encircles the open side.

13. Method for the extracorporeal controlling of the temperature of patients by transmitting heat between a fluid and a transmission medium with the device according to claim 1, the method comprising the steps of: fastening the secondary unit to the primary unit; controlling the temperature of the transmission medium in the secondary unit by means of the fluid guided through the primary unit; separating the secondary unit from the primary unit; cleaning the primary unit; fastening a further secondary unit to the primary unit; controlling temperature of a further transmission medium in the further secondary unit by means of the fluid guided through the primary unit; and separating the further secondary unit from the primary unit.

14. Method according to claim 13, wherein the transmission of heat between a fluid and the transmission medium is based on the impingement flow principle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail hereunder by means of drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic construction of the device having a primary unit and a secondary unit;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic section through a secondary unit having a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein the secondary unit is separably connected to a primary unit; and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a method in one typical embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS SHOWN IN THE FIGURES

(5) Typical exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described hereunder, wherein the same reference signs are used for identical or similar parts and are not explained once again in the context of each figure. The invention is not limited to the typical embodiments described hereunder.

(6) A typical embodiment of the device 100 is schematically shown in FIG. 1. The device 100 typically comprises a primary circuit which is provided for thermal transportation and has a primary unit 102, and a secondary circuit which is provided for thermal transportation and has a secondary unit 104.

(7) The primary circuit having the primary unit 102 transmits heat 106 to the secondary unit 104. As is generally the case in this application, this wording also includes a transportation of heat in the opposite direction, that is to say cooling. The heat transmission 106 is typically implemented by way of one nozzle or a plurality of nozzles which configures/configure an impingement flow. The secondary circuit by means of a transmission medium, in the example illustrated by means of a 0.9% NaCl solution (isotonic solution) transmits heat 112 from the secondary unit 104 to an oxygenator 110 in which the heat can be transmitted to the blood of a patient. Again, as is the case anywhere in this application, the term “transmitting heat” also includes an extraction of heat, thus cooling. In this way, a patient whose blood circulation is at least in part guided through the oxygenator 110 can be controlled in terms of temperature, that is to say be cooled or heated.

(8) A schematic section through a typical secondary unit 200 is shown in a lateral view in FIG. 2. The secondary unit 200 is separably connected to a primary unit 201.

(9) The secondary unit 200 comprises a first chamber 202 having a connector 240 for the infeeding of a transmission medium, and a second chamber 204 having a connector 242 for the out outfeeding of the transmission medium. The first chamber 202 of the secondary unit 200 comprises a filter mesh 203.

(10) The first chamber 202 is connected to the second chamber 204 by nozzles 206 which are disposed so as to be organized in a nozzle array 208. The filter mesh 203 is disposed such that a fluid first meets the filter mesh 203 before said fluid makes its way through the nozzles 206 into the second chamber 204; the filter mesh 203 is thus disposed upstream of the nozzles 206. The second chamber 204 has an open side. The nozzles 206 of the nozzle array 208 are directed toward the open side of the second chamber 204. The one nozzle or the plurality of nozzles typically configure in each case one impact jet.

(11) The open side of the second chamber 204 has a seal 210 that encircles the open side. The seal 210 seals the open side of the second chamber 204 in relation to a barrier element 220 of the primary unit 201. The barrier element 220 in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2 comprises a plate, or in the illustrated typical exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2 is configured as a plate, respectively. The plate of the barrier element 220 is connected to a heat exchanger structure 222 of the primary unit 201. In typical embodiments the one impact jet or the plurality of impact jets impacts/impact the barrier element or a plate of the barrier element, and configure an impact flow.

(12) The connection between the heat exchanger structure and the plate is typically materially integral or form-fitting. In typical embodiments the heat exchanger structure is integrated in the plate.

(13) The heat exchanger structure 222 in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2 has ducts which are passed through by a flow of a fluid.

(14) The fluid is typically controlled in terms of temperature by means of a heat exchanger of the primary circuit.

(15) In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2 the barrier element 220 of the primary unit 201 is connected to a structure, for example a periphery, of the second chamber 204 of the secondary unit 200 by way of a separable connection 230 in the form of tension clamps. In typical embodiments the seal 210 is disposed on the periphery. Simple and reliable sealing is achieved in this way.

(16) The separable connection is typically a form-fitting connection. A typical separable connection can be embodied, for example, as a bayonet closure or as tension clamps. In one typical embodiment the secondary unit is embodied so as to be round. The secondary unit can typically also be embodied so as to be angular.

(17) The seal typically seals the secondary unit in relation to the barrier element of the primary unit. In one typical embodiment the seal laterally seals an open side of the secondary unit in relation to a barrier element of the primary unit or in relation to the primary unit. The seal is typically embodied in one part. In one typical embodiment the seal is embodied having at least two parts which seal an open side of the secondary unit in relation to an uncontrolled leakage of transmission medium.

(18) In one typical embodiment the open side of the secondary unit has a plurality of openings. The open side of the secondary unit typically has one or a plurality of openings.

(19) A typical method 300 for the extracorporeal controlling of the temperature of patients by transmitting heat by means of a fluid and a transmission medium is schematically shown in FIG. 3.

(20) In the exemplary method, 300 as shown in FIG. 3, a first secondary unit is separably connected to a primary unit in step 302. The separable connection is typically separable without damage. The separable connection is typically sealed in relation to an uncontrolled leakage of transmission medium.

(21) A first transmission medium in the first secondary unit is controlled in terms of temperature by means of the fluid guided through the primary unit in step 304.

(22) The first secondary unit is separated without damage from the primary unit in step 306. The barrier element of the primary unit or the primary units is cleaned in step 308. Cleaning typically includes sterilizing the primary unit or at least part of the primary unit such as, for example, the barrier element.

(23) The method for the next patient subsequently returns back to step 302 wherein a second secondary unit and a second transmission medium are then used in the second sequence such that no bacteria introduced into the first transmission medium in the first sequence can lead to any contamination. A third sequence and further sequences of the method can be performed for controlling the temperature of further patients.

(24) The repetition can also be performed using a sterilized secondary unit.