Method for generalized extracorporeal support

A method for increasing the concentration of a gas in the blood, comprising:

• withdrawing blood from a subject;
• directing blood flow through a mixing passage defined by a passageway inner wall;
• introducing a gas-supersaturated fluid into the blood along the passageway inner wall at a predetermined angle to the blood flow while minimizing bubble formation;
• and
• returning the blood to the subject.

A method for increasing the concentration of a gas in the blood, comprising

• withdrawing blood from a subject into an extracorporeal blood circulation circuit;
• introducing a gas-supersaturated fluid into the blood at a site in said circuit while minimizing bubble formation;
• reducing blood velocity at the site where the gas-supersaturated fluid is introduced;
• and
• returning the blood to the subject.

A method for increasing the concentration of a gas in the blood, comprising:

• withdrawing blood from a subject into an extracorporeal blood circulation circuit;
• introducing a gas-supersaturated fluid into the blood at a site in said circuit while minimizing bubble formation;
• accumulating a volume of blood upstream of the fluid introduction site to help reduce flow variations at the fluid introduction site;
• and
• returning the blood to the subject.

A method for increasing the concentration of a gas in the blood, comprising:

• withdrawing blood from a subject into an extracorporeal blood circulation circuit;
• introducing a gas-supersaturated fluid into the blood at a site in said circuit while minimizing bubble formation;
• filtering at least a portion of the fluid from the blood;
• and
• returning the blood to the subject.

A method for increasing the concentration of a gas in the blood, comprising:

• placing a sheath within a blood vessel in a patient and connecting the sheath to an extracorporeal blood circulation circuit input;
• placing a catheter introducer into a different blood vessel or a different site of the same blood vessel of the patient;
• advancing an intravascular catheter through said introducer;
• connecting a circuit output to said catheter;
• withdrawing blood from a subject through the sheath into said circuit;
• introducing a gas-supersaturated fluid into the blood at a site in said circuit while minimizing bubble formation;
• and
• returning the blood to the subject through the catheter.

A method for increasing the concentration of a gas in blood, comprising the steps of:

• withdrawing blood from a subject into a blood circulation circuit;
• introducing a gas-supersaturated fluid into the blood at a site in the circuit, wherein the gas-supersaturated fluid contains an amount of the dissolved gas that would occupy a volume of between about 0.5 and about 3 times the volume of a solvent contained in the gas-supersaturated fluid, wherein the amount is normalized to standard temperature and pressure;
• and
• returning the blood to the subject.