Method and apparatus for administering blood

Claim 1

An apparatus for rapidly raising the temperature of blood from a storage temperature of about 4° C. to body temperature in order that large quantities can be administered in a short time comprising a housing of generally rectangular configuration having a top wall, a bottom wall, side walls, a front wall and a rear wall, said housing including a first inlet for warming medium in a side wall thereof and a first outlet in a side wall thereof for removing the warming medium, said housing including a second inlet in a side wall thereof for receiving blood and a second outlet in a side wall thereof for removing blood, a first manifold connected to said second inlet and extending within said housing, a second manifold connected to said second outlet and extending within said housing in generally parallel relation to said first manifold, a plurality of discrete tubes within said housing, each said tube having one end connected to said first manifold at longitudinally spaced points along said first manifold and the other end connected to said second manifold at longitudinally spaced points along said second manifold, an internal wall extending between said side walls, and front and back walls of said housing and dividing the housing in two parts, the first manifold being positioned in one part and the second manifold being positioned in the other part, said second inlet, said second outlet, said first and second manifolds, said tubes and said internal wall being made of an inert, non-toxic plastic, said internal wall having an opening therethrough, the length of said tubes being substantially greater than the distance between the first and second headers and the tubes being arranged in a figure-8 pattern passing through the opening of the internal wall, such that as the warming fluid flows from the first inlet to the first outlet, it is directed over the entire length of the tubes through which the blood to be warmed is flowing.

Claim 2

An apparatus for rapidly raising the temperature of blood from a storage temperature of about 4° C. to body temperature in order that large quantities can be administered in a short time comprising a housing of generally rectangular configuration having a top wall, a bottom wall, side walls, a front wall and a rear wall, said housing including a first inlet for warming medium in a side wall thereof and a first outlet in a side wall thereof for removing the warming medium, said housing including a second inlet in a side wall thereof for receiving blood and a second outlet in a side wall thereof for removing blood, a first manifold connected to said second inlet and extending within said housing, a second manifold connected to said second outlet and extending within said housing in generally parallel relation to said first manifold, a plurality of discrete tubes within said housing, each said tube having one end connected to said first manifold at longitudinally spaced points along said first manifold and the other end connected to said second manifold at longitudinally spaced points along said second manifold, an internal wall extending between said side walls, and front and back walls of said housing and dividing the housing in two parts, the first manifold being positioned in one part and the second manifold being positioned in the other part, said second inlet, said second outlet, said first and second manifolds, said tubes and said internal wall being made of an inert, non-toxic plastic, said internal wall having an opening therethrough, the length of said tubes being substantially greater than the distance between the first and second headers and the tubes being arranged in a figure-8 pattern passing through the opening of the internal wall, such that as the warming fluid flows from the first inlet to the first outlet, it is directed over the entire length of the tubes through which the blood to be warmed is flowing.