Blood processing unit with modified flow path

A blood processing apparatus comprising:

• a housing having a blood inlet and a blood outlet, the blood inlet extending into an interior of the housing;
• a heat exchanger core arranged within the housing and having a core aperture disposed near a first end of the housing, the heat exchanger core configured to impart a core radial flow component to blood passing from the blood inlet to an exterior of the heat exchanger core;
• heat exchanger hollow fibers disposed about the heat exchanger core such that a heat exchanger fluid may flow through the heat exchanger hollow fibers and blood from the core aperture may flow across the heat exchanger hollow fibers;
• a cylindrical shell extending coaxially about the heat exchanger core and having an annular shell aperture disposed near a second end of the housing such that blood passing from the core aperture may flow to the annular shell aperture, the cylindrical shell including an inner surface and one or more shell ribs that protrude from the inner surface and extend toward the heat exchanger core, the one or more shell ribs configured to impart a shell radial flow component to the blood to deflect the blood away from the inner surface and toward the heat exchanger core as the blood passes from the core aperture to the annular shell aperture;
• and
• gas exchanger hollow fibers disposed about the cylindrical shell such that gases may flow through the gas exchange hollow fibers and blood passing from the annular shell aperture may flow across the gas exchanger hollow fibers.

A method of processing blood, comprising:

• receiving blood at a blood inlet in a housing, the blood inlet extending into an interior of the housing;
• passing blood from the blood inlet to a core aperture in a heat exchanger core arranged within the housing, the core aperture disposed near a first end of the housing;
• imparting a core radial flow component to the blood passing from the blood inlet to an exterior of the heat exchanger core;
• passing a heat exchanger fluid through heat exchanger hollow fibers disposed about the heat exchanger core;
• passing blood from the core aperture into a cylindrical shell extending coaxially about the heat exchanger core;
• passing blood in the cylindrical shell across the heat exchanger hollow fibers;
• imparting a longitudinal blood flow component to blood in the cylindrical shell;
• imparting a shell radial blood flow component to the blood in the cylindrical shell, wherein the cylindrical shell has an inner surface and one or more shell ribs that protrude from the inner surface and extend toward the heat exchanger core to deflect the blood in the cylindrical shell away from the inner surface and toward the heat exchanger core;
• passing blood through at least one annular shell aperture disposed near a second end of the housing such that blood passing through the core aperture exits through the annular shell aperture;
• and
• passing blood from the annular shell aperture across gas exchanger hollow fibers disposed about the cylindrical shell, wherein gas flows through the gas exchange hollow fibers.