Patent ID: 7297270

Claim:
A filter for an extracorporeal blood circuit comprising: a bundle of hollow fibers having an end section encased in a potting material, wherein said end section further comprises a stem of fibers and potting material extending from a disk of the potting material, wherein the stem of fibers and potting material has an outside diameter along an entire length of the stem, and the stem outside diameter is substantially narrower than an outside diameter of the disk of potting material; and an end surface of the stem includes open ends of the fibers distributed throughout the end surface including open ends proximate to a perimeter of the end surface, the stem including a stem side surface substantially perpendicular to the end surface of the stem; a filter housing through which extends said bundle; a filter housing cap at a first end of the filter housing, wherein the disk of the potting material is sealed to the filter housing cap; a filter header cap including an inlet connectable to a blood line and an open end, said filter header cap including a cap side surface substantially parallel to the stem side surface, said cap side surface abuts the stem side surface, and at least one of the cap side surface and stem side surface is tapered along the abutment, wherein the filter header cap is sealed to the filter housing cap, and the filter housing including a second end having an outlet connectable to a blood line, wherein an inside diameter of the filter housing is substantially greater than an outside diameter of the stem.