US 4,639,353 AGranted

Blood oxygenator using a hollow-fiber membrane

AssigneeMitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd.

InventorsTohru Takemura, Atushi Nakashima, Haruhiko Yoshida, Jun Kamo, Eiichi Hamada

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Abstract

A blood oxygenator of the outside perfusion type using hollow fibers as the gas exchange membrane. In this blood oxygenator, a plurality of contact chambers each containing a bundle or bundles of hollow fibers for gas exchange use and communicating with a blood inlet and a blood outlet are disposed to make blood flow in multiple paths within a housing, and each bundle of hollow fibers is arranged so as to be substantially perpendicular to the direction of blood flow. In spite of its compact construction, this blood oxygenator has high oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange rates per unit of membrane even when used in the gas exchange of blood having high flow rate, exhibits only a small pressure loss, and causes little channeling of the blood and gas. Moreover, it is easy to manufacture because of its relatively simple structure.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A blood oxygenator comprising:

a housing having a plurality of contact chambers therein, a blood inlet, a blood outlet, a gas inlet, and a gas outlet, said plurality of chambers communicating respectively with said blood inlet and said blood outlet and forming separate blood flow paths between said blood inlet and said blood outlet, said oxygenator comprising means downstream from said blood inlet for separating blood into separate but substantially equal volumes of blood and for introducing said separate but substantially equal volumes, respectively, into said plurality of chambers;
and
a bundle or bundles of hollow fibers of a composition suitable for blood-gas oxygen exchange and being disposed in each said chamber substantially perpendicular to the direction of blood flow therethrough, opposite ends of said hollow;
fibers respectively communicating with said gas inlet and said gas outlet.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.