Blood processing unit with modified flow path

A blood processing apparatus comprising:

• a housing having a blood inlet and a blood outlet, the blood inlet extending into an interior of the housing;
• a heat exchanger core disposed within the housing and in operative communication with the blood inlet, the heat exchanger core including an exterior surface and a core aperture in fluid communication with the blood inlet and configured to permit blood to pass from the blood inlet to an exterior of the heat exchanger core;
• heat exchanger hollow fibers disposed about the heat exchanger core such that a heat exchanger fluid may flow through the heat exchanger hollow fibers and blood passing from the core aperture may flow across the heat exchanger hollow fibers;
• wherein the heat exchanger core includes one or more radially disposed ribs configured to impart a radial component to blood flow across the heat exchanger hollow fibers;
• a cylindrical shell extending coaxially about the heat exchanger core, the cylindrical shell including a surface and one or more shell apertures extending through the surface, all of the one or more shell apertures disposed near an end of the cylindrical shell opposite to an end near which the core aperture is located, the surface configured such that blood flowing through the cylindrical shell is forced to flow from the core aperture to one or more of the shell apertures, the one or more shell apertures configured to permit blood to pass to an exterior of the cylindrical shell;
• gas exchanger hollow fibers disposed about the cylindrical shell such that gases may flow through the gas exchange hollow fibers and blood passing from the one or more shell apertures may flow across the gas exchanger hollow fibers;
• and
• one or more radially disposed ribs on an outer surface of the cylindrical shell, the one or more radially disposed ribs configured to impart a radial component to blood flow across the gas exchanger hollow fibers.

A blood processing apparatus comprising:

• a housing having a blood inlet and a blood outlet, the blood inlet extending into an interior of the housing;
• a heat exchanger core extending coaxially within the housing and axially aligned with the blood inlet, the heat exchanger core including a pair of core apertures disposed about 180 degrees apart, the pair of core apertures configured to permit blood to pass from the blood inlet to an exterior of the heat exchanger core;
• heat exchanger hollow fibers disposed about the heat exchanger core such that a heat exchanger fluid may flow through the heat exchanger hollow fibers and blood passing from the pair of core apertures may flow across the heat exchanger hollow fibers;
• a cylindrical shell extending coaxially about the heat exchanger core, the cylindrical shell including a surface and a pair of shell apertures extending through the surface, the pair of shell apertures being disposed about 180 degrees apart, each of the pair of shell apertures disposed near an end of the cylindrical shell that is opposite to an end near which the pair of core apertures are located and radially offset from the pair of core apertures in order to cause a spiral blood flow through the heat exchanger hollow fibers;
• and
• gas exchanger hollow fibers disposed about the cylindrical shell such that gases may flow through the gas exchanger hollow fibers and blood passing from the pair of shell apertures may flow across the gas exchanger hollow fibers.