Patent ID: 8137554

Claim:
A dialyzer, comprising: a semipermeable dialyzer membrane; a microchannel fluidic device fluidly associated with the membrane to provide a blood flow adjacent to and on one side of the membrane through a first plurality of microchannels having a first end, a second end and plural parallel channels extending between the first and second ends, and a dialysate flow adjacent to and on a second side of the membrane through a second plurality of microchannels, the second plurality of microchannels having a first end, a second end and plural parallel channels extending between the first and second ends; a first single-fluid inlet fluidly coupled to the first plurality of microchannels for delivering blood to the first plurality of microchannels; a second single-fluid inlet fluidly coupled to the second plurality of microchannels for delivering dialysate to the second plurality of microchannels; a first plurality of posts that define a header located adjacent the microchannels for distributing blood flow substantially equally among the first plurality of microchannels; a second plurality of posts that define a header located adjacent the microchannels for distributing dialysate flow substantially equally among the second plurality of microchannels; and a microscale heat exchanger operatively associated with the first plurality of microchannels, the second plurality of microchannels, or both.