Gas/liquid contact apparatus

United States Patent U9]

Williams

US005612226A [li] Patent Number: [45] Date of Patent:

5,612,226 *Mar. 18,1997

[54] GAS/LIQUID CONTACT APPARATUS

[75] Inventor: Michael R. Williams, Burlington, Canada

[73] Assignee: LifeTech Corporation, Canada

[ * ] Notice: The term of this patent shall not extend beyond the expiration date of Pat. No. 5,366,696.

[21] Appl. No.: 538,199
[22] Filed: Oct. 3,1995

Related U.S. Application Data

[63] Continuation of Ser. No. 173,001, Dec. 27, 1993, abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 1,630, Jan. 7, 1993, Pat. No. 5,366,696.

[51] Int. CI.6 A61M 11/00

[52] U.S. CI 436/167; 422/45; 422/47;

435/2; 128/DIG. 3; 239/346

[58] Field of Search 422/44-47; 435/2;

128/DIG. 3, 200.14, 200.18, 200.19, 200.21, 200.23; 239/346, 338, 432; 436/167

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 2,827,901 3/1958 Jones 422/45

A gas/liquid contact method and apparatus, for example, for oxygenating blood using 02 and 03. A low pressure stream of oxygen is introduced into a chamber through a spray orifice while inducing blood into the oxygen stream in a first blood/oxygen contact zone. The blood is caused to issue from the spray orifice as a dispersed low-pressure spray of blood droplets and is directed against a dome-shaped film forming surface located within the chamber in the path of spray. The droplets impinge on the surface at relatively low velocity and form a film for providing a further oxygen/ blood contact zone. The apparatus may be designed to operate on a one-pass or a recirculation basis.

24 Claims, 4 Drawing Sheets