Patent ID: 8734382

Claim:
A system for intracorporeal gas exchange comprising: a flexible, rotatable shaft; a plurality of axially spaced agitation mechanisms positioned on the rotatable shaft, such that the rotatable shaft can flex between the axially spaced agitation mechanisms; a medial manifold; a distal manifold, a plurality of hollow gas permeable fibers adapted to permit diffusion of a gas between an intracorporeal fluid and an interior of the hollow fibers, the plurality of hollow fibers being positioned radially outward from the agitation mechanisms, a first end of each of the plurality of hollow fibers being in fluid connection with the medial manifold, a second end of each of the plurality of hollow fibers being in fluid connection with the distal manifold; a first fluid path for flow of an inlet gas into the medial manifold to flow into the first ends of the hollow fibers and a second fluid path in fluid connection with the distal manifold into which an outlet gas exiting the second ends of the hollow fibers can flow to exit the system, wherein at least a first portion of the second fluid path is within the flexible, rotatable shaft; an extracorporeal proximal manifold comprising an inlet in fluid connection with the first fluid path and an outlet in fluid connection with the second fluid path; and a drive shaft and a drive system to impart rotation to the drive shaft, the drive shaft passing through the extracorporeal proximal manifold and through a second portion of the second fluid path to be in operative connection with the rotatable shaft.