Apparatus for exchanging material between blood and a gas/gas mixture

An apparatus for exchanging material between blood and a gas/gas mixture, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing defining a chamber extending along an axis and having axially opposite ends;
• means for feeding blood into the chamber at one of the ends and withdrawing the fed-in blood from the chamber at the other of the ends;
• a plurality of gas-permeable tubes extending axially in the chamber between the ends;
• means for passing the gas/gas mixture through the tubes, whereby material exchange between the blood and the mixture can take place;
• a gas-impermeable, passive, flexible, and hollow body in the chamber and compressible by pressure of the blood passing through the chamber;
• and
• means for filling the hollow body with gas at a continuous static pressure.

A method of operating an apparatus having

• a housing defining a chamber extending along an axis and having axially opposite ends;
• means for feeding blood into the chamber at one of the ends and withdrawing the fed-in blood from the chamber at the other of the ends;
• a plurality of gas-permeable tubes extending axially in the chamber between the ends;
• and
• means for passing the gas/gas mixture through the tubes, whereby material exchange between the blood and the mixture can take place,
• the method comprising the steps of:
• providing in the chamber a gas-impermeable, flexible, passive, and hollow body and compressible by pressure of the blood passing through the chamber;
• and
• filling the hollow body with gas at a continuous static pressure and maintaining an internal pressure of the hollow body uniform.