Patent ID: 8647569

Claim:
A paracorporeal respiratory assist lung, comprising: a housing having a smooth inner cylindrical surface, a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, a gas inlet and a gas outlet; a plurality of tubular gas permeable fiber membranes configured to form a cylindrical annular fiber bundle, the annular fiber bundle being disposed within the housing and connected to and in fluid communication with the gas inlet and the gas outlet wherein gas is passed through the lumens of the cylindrical annular fiber bundle, wherein a first annular gap is configured between the housing and the fiber bundle; a stationary cylindrical core with a smooth outer surface being positioned concentrically within the annular fiber bundle, wherein a second annular gap is configured between the smooth outer surface the core and the annular fiber bundle; a stationary cylindrical core with a smooth outer surface being positioned concentrically within the annular fiber bundle, wherein a second annular gap is configured between the smooth outer surface of the core and the fibers of the annular fiber bundle; an impeller having the same diameter as the core and in fluid communication with the liquid inlet via a conduit within the core, the impeller fixed to the interior of a lower portion of the annular fiber bundle; the impeller comprised of a plurality of arcuate arms each culminating in an exit port aligned with the smooth outer surface of the stationary core and ending in the lower portion of the second annular gap; and means for rotating the annular fiber bundle and fixed impeller, wherein rotating the annular fiber bundle cooperates with the smooth inner surface of the housing and the first annular gap to create and maximize Taylor vortices within the first annular gap; and wherein the housing, annular fiber bundle and core are configured such that liquid traveling at a low flow rate enters the liquid inlet, travels down the conduit through the impeller which pumps the liquid in to the second annular gap and radially through the tubular gas permeable hollow fiber membrane, having the Taylor vortices cause the liquid to pass the back and forth through the fiber bundle and the annular gaps to maximize gas exchange, the liquid eventually exiting through the liquid outlet.