Mass transfer device having a microporous, spirally wound hollow fiber membrane

A hollow fiber oxygenator, comprising a hollow fiber bundle, would around a supporting core, said supporting core having a first end and a second end and defining an axis extending from said first end to said second end, said hollow fiber bundle comprising hollow, gas permeable fibers each having a first end, a second end and a hollow interior, wherein the first ends of said fibers are adjacent the first end of said core and the second ends of said fibers are adjacent the second end of said core, said fibers including a first plurality of fibers wound helically around said core in a first direction from said first end to said second end of said core, and a second plurality of fibers wound helically around said core in a second direction opposite said first direction from said first end of said core to said second end of said core, whereby said first and second pluralities of fibers intersect one another at an angle measured along the axis of said core;

• an outer casing mounted adjacent to and surrounding said fiber bundle;
• sealing means for sealing between the first ends of said fibers in said fiber bundle and sealing said fibers to said core and said outer casing;
• second sealing means sealing between said second ends of said fibers in said fiber bundle and sealing said fibers to said core and to said outer casing such that said first and second sealing means, said core and said outer casing together define an oxygenator chamber;
• a gas inlet operatively coupled to the interior of said fibers at the first ends of said fibers and a gas outlet operatively coupled to the interior of said fibers at the second ends of said fibers;
• and
• blood inlet means for allowing blood to enter said oxygenator chamber and blood outlet means for allowing blood to exit from said oxygenator chamber, one of said blood inlet means and said blood outlet means located only adjacent said first ends of said fibers of said fiber bundle, the other of said blood inlet means and said blood outlet means located only adjacent the second ends of said fibers of said fiber bundle, said blood inlet means and said blood outlet means spaced from one another along the axis of said core.