Patent ID: 6960322

Claim:
Apparatus for oxygenating and pumping blood comprising: a venous line; an arterial line; a gas removal system coupled to the venous line, the gas removal system comprising a housing having a gas collection plenum and a gas removal port and a filter element disposed within the housing; a blood oxygenation element having a blood outlet coupled to the arterial line; a pump coupled in fluid communication with the blood oxygenation element, the pump coupled directly to the gas removal system to induce a negative pressure in the gas removal system and the venous line; a sensor disposed on the gas collection plenum to monitor a level of gas or blood in the gas collection plenum; a suction line coupled to the gas removal port; a valve operatively associated with the suction line; a microprocessor-based controller coupled to the sensor to continuously monitor the level of gas or blood in the gas collection plenum, the controller programmed to selectively actuate the valve to remove gas accumulated in the gas collection plenum; and a control panel coupled to the controller, the control panel configured to accept input commands that control operation of the gas removal system.