Method of blood oxygenation

A method for oxygenating a patient's blood comprising the steps of:

• withdrawing blood from the patient;
• providing the blood to an oxygenation assembly, the oxygenation assembly comprising a membrane oxygenator comprising:
• a housing having a first end portion, a second end portion, and an oxygen gas inlet port;
• a plurality of hollow fibers disposed within the housing, the plurality of hollow fibers generally extending between the first end portion and the second end portion of the housing, the plurality of hollow fibers being adapted to pass fluid from the first end portion of the housing to the second end portion of the housing while permitting oxygen gas diffusion therethrough;
• a first seal disposed about the plurality of hollow fibers in the first end portion of the housing and a second seal disposed about the plurality of hollow fibers in the second end portion of the housing, the first and the second seal defining therebetween a gas chamber within the housing, the gas chamber being coupled to the oxygen gas inlet port;
• a first end cap disposed on the first end portion of the housing, the first end cap having a blood inlet port and defining a blood inlet manifold between the first end cap and the first seal;
• and
• a second end cap disposed on the second end portion of the housing, the second end cap having a blood outlet port and defining a blood outlet manifold between the second end cap and the second seal;
• oxygenating the blood in the oxygenation assembly to form oxygenated blood having a pO2 greater than about 500 mm Hg;
• and
• delivering the oxygenated blood to the patient.