Abstract: A hollow fiber oxygenator including a hollow fiber bundle having first and second ends located within an oxygenator chamber. The oxygenator chamber includes a hollow core around which the hollow fibers are spirally wound and includes an outer casing adjacent the fibers. A gas entry port is coupled to the interior of the fibers adjacent the first end of the bundle and a gas outlet is coupled to the interior of the fibers at the second end of the bundle. A blood inlet to the oxygenator chamber, exterior of the fibers, is provided adjacent the second end of the bundle, and a blood outlet from the oxygenator chamber is provided adjacent the first end of the bundle. The resulting structure provides an axial flow oxygenator, in which the direction of blood flow through the oxygenator chamber is opposite the direction of gas flow through the fibers.

Abstract: A filtration unit comprising a filtration media subunit secured in an outer frame. The subunit comprises a fibrous filtration media enclosed in an inner frame having an upstream frame element and a downstream frame element. Each frame element has longitudinal and transverse struts and the intersection of these struts is in a single plane on the side of the frame elements which contact the filtration media. In one embodiment the filtration unit is enclosed in a sock of knit fabric; in another embodiment, there is a piece of knit fabric between the outer frame and the downstream frame element of the inner frame. The longitudinal struts may have portions which are perpendicular to and project beyond the principal plane of the periphery of the downstream frame element. If such perpendicularly projecting portions are provided, they are preferably arcuate in configuration.

Abstract: A filtration unit comprising a filtration media sub-unit secured in an outer frame. The sub-unit comprises a fibrous filtration media enclosed in an inner frame having an upstream frame element and a downstream frame element. Each frame element has longitudinal and transverse struts and the intersections of these struts are in a single plane on the side of the frame elements which contact the filtration media. In one embodiment the filtration unit is enclosed in a sock of knit fabric; in another embodiment, there is a piece of knit fabric between the outer frame and the downstream frame element of the inner frame. The longitudinal struts may have portions which are perpendicular to and project beyond the principal plane of the periphery of the downstream frame element. If such perpendicularly projecting portions are provided, they are preferably arcuate in configuration.

Abstract: A blood treatment apparatus having within a sealed housing a chamber for mixing oxygen and blood, a column of packed beads through which the mixture of oxygen and blood passes to cause oxygenation of the blood, a blood defoamer through which the oxygenated blood must pass, a reservoir into which the defoamed blood passes and a heat-exchanger which occupies a substantial portion of the lower region of the reservoir. The heat-exchanger comprises a stacked array of spirally wound coils being connected at each of its ends to a manifold which is external of the sealed housing. The configuration of the various components and of the walls of the sealed housing are such that the coils provide high heat-exchange effectiveness by optimizing the size and uniformity of the spacing between coils through which the blood must pass.