Heat Exchanger for an Oxygenator and Method for Producing Such a Heat Exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger for an oxygenator comprises multiple tube sections, each having a longitudinal tube axis, wherein the tube sections are disposed as a bundle having a longitudinal bundle axis, and the tube sections are connected to each other in at least one connecting section of the bundle by joining by way of chemical and/or physical bonded joints. A method for producing the heat exchanger is also provided.

1 . A heat exchanger for an oxygenator, comprising:
 multiple tube sections disposed as a bundle having a longitudinal bundle axis with each one of the individual tube sections a longitudinal tube axis; and   the multiple tube sections connected to each other in at least one connecting section of the bundle by joining by way of chemical and/or physical bonded joints; and   wherein the bundle (a) is comprised of individual tube sections connected to each other by adhesive bonding forming a tube bundle that is dimensionally stable, (b) is disposed in a housing and having a pair of connecting sections at opposite ends of the bundle, and (c) is adhesively bonded at each one of the connecting sections and the housing.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the tube sections are made of plastic. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal tube axes form an angle with the longitudinal bundle axis which is greater than 10°. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal tube axes of the tubes of the bundle extend non-linearly. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger according to any  claim 1 , wherein the bundle is disposed at least sectionally in the housing. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 4 , wherein the tubes of the bundle extend curvilinearly. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein the longitudinal tube axes form an angle greater than 20°. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the bundle is generally cylindrical, and has a non-variable cross-sectional surface along the longitudinal bundle axis of the bundle. 
     
     
         9 . A The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein a perpendicular distance (D) between outer walls of two neighboring tube sections, the distance being no more than 200 μm, in particular no more than 100 μm. 
     
     
         10 . A method for producing a heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , comprising of the following method steps:
 providing multiple tube sections, each having a longitudinal tube axis;   disposing the tube sections to form a bundle having a longitudinal bundle axis, wherein the longitudinal tube axes are in particular oriented parallel to each other; and   connecting the tube sections to each other on at least one connecting section of the bundle by joining the tube sections by way of chemical and/or physical bonded joints.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , comprising the further step of twisting of the bundle about the longitudinal bundle axis after the tube sections have been connected. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10 , comprising the further step of inserting the bundle into a housing. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the bundle is inserted into the housing in such a way that a connecting section disposed at each bundle end is disposed at least sectionally outside the housing. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the bundle is severed at the at least one connecting section. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 12  wherein the housing into which the bundle is inserted is tubular. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein twisting of the bundle about the longitudinal bundle axis dispose the longitudinal tube axes of the tubes of the bundle at an angle relative to the longitudinal bundle axis. 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 10 , comprising the further step of compressing the bundle along the longitudinal bundle axis after the tube sections have been connected to impart a curvature to the tube sections of the bundle. 
     
     
         18 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein each connecting section has an outer surface, the housing has an inner side, and the bundle is adhesively bonded at each connecting section by adhesive between the outer surface of the connecting section and the inner side of a corresponding end of the housing. 
     
     
         19 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 2 , wherein the tube sections are made of polyurethane. 
     
     
         20 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein the longitudinal tube axes form an angle greater than 30°.