Patent ID: 7947113

Claim:
A method of oxygenating blood comprising: introducing blood into a blood inflow port communicating with an interior of a housing containing a hollow fiber membrane bundle, the hollow fiber membrane bundle possessing an inner surface and being comprised of a plurality of gas exchanging fiber membranes each having a lumen; the blood introduced into the blood inflow port flowing into a space positioned radially outwardly of a core and radially inwardly of the hollow fiber membrane bundle which surrounds the core; conveying an oxygen-containing gas through the lumens of the gas exchanging fiber membranes while the blood flows into gaps in the hollow fiber membrane bundle to subject the blood to oxygenation and produce oxygenated blood; separating air bubbles in the oxygenated blood from the oxygenated blood by virtue of the oxygenated blood passing through a mesh filter member positioned in surrounding relation to the hollow fiber membrane bundle and in contact with the hollow fiber membrane bundle; conveying the air bubbles separated from the oxygenated blood through the lumens of the gas exchanging fiber membranes; flowing the blood which has passed through the filter member to a blood chamber in the housing; and conveying the blood in the blood chamber out of the housing by way of a blood outflow port.