Patent ID: 6855291

Claim:
A blood oxygenation method comprising the acts of: withdrawing blood from a patient; oxygenating the blood in an oxygenation assembly to form oxygenated blood, the oxygenation assembly comprising a membrane oxygenator comprising: a housing having a first end portion and a second end portion; a plurality of tubular membranes disposed in the housing, each of the plurality of tubular membranes having an internal surface and an external surface; a first inlet in the housing arranged to deliver oxygen gas into contact with only the external surface of each of the plurality of tubular membranes; a second inlet in the housing arranged to deliver the blood into contact with only the internal surface of each of the plurality of tubular membranes, wherein the oxygen gas diffuses through the tubular membranes and into the blood to form the oxygenated blood; and an outlet in the housing for expelling the oxygenated blood; and delivering the oxygenated blood to the patient.