Patent ID: 8795220

Claim:
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 core arranged coaxially within the housing, the core having a core interior in fluid communication with the blood inlet, the core including an outer surface and only a single elongate core aperture formed within the outer surface and extending generally parallel to a core longitudinal axis, the elongate core aperture configured to permit blood to exit from the core interior such that all blood exiting the core interior exits through the elongate core aperture; heat exchanger hollow fibers disposed about the core such that a heat exchanger fluid may flow through the heat exchanger hollow fibers and blood passing from the elongate core aperture may flow across the heat exchanger hollow fibers; a cylindrical shell arranged coaxially about the heat exchanger hollow fibers, the cylindrical shell including an elongate shell aperture configured to permit blood to exit from the cylindrical shell such that all blood exiting the cylindrical shell exits through the elongate shell aperture; and gas exchanger hollow fibers disposed about the inner cylindrical shell such that gases may flow through the gas exchange hollow fibers and blood passing from the elongate shell aperture may flow across the gas exchanger hollow fibers and towards the blood outlet; wherein the shell aperture is disposed at a location substantially diametrically opposite the location of the core aperture, such that blood flows across the heat exchanger hollow fibers is substantially circumferential wherein the blood outlet is disposed at a location diametrically opposite the location of the shell aperture, such that blood passing from the shell aperture to the blood outlet is substantially circumferential.