Oxygenator having a variable capacity oxygenating tube

Claim 1

An oxygenator comprising: a blood storage tube of a cylindrical shape; an oxygenating tube longitudinally inserted in said blood storage tube in coaxial relation thereto; at least one blood inlet port provided at a lower end of said oxygenating tube; an oxygen disperser, provided within a central portion of the lower end of said oxygenating tube, including an injection plane composed of a perforated plate of a concave section, having a downwardly recessed surface; a debubbling chamber provided within the annulus formed by said blood storage tube and said oxygenating tube and disposed at the upper portions thereof; a blood storage chamber defined by a substantially lower portion of said blood storage tube; a heat exchanger wound around said oxygenating tube in said blood storage tube; a blood capacity control means including an uppermost blood outlet at the top of said oxygenating tube and at least one outer side opening provided in a side wall of the substantially upper portion of said oxygenating tube and at least one corresponding inner side opening provided in a side wall of an internal cylindrical member rotatably longitudinally inserted in said substantially upper portion of said oxygenating tube, wherein, by rotating the internal cylindrical member, each pair of said outer and inner side openings are brought into alignment with each other thereby creating a lower blood outlet or deviated from their aligned positions thereby providing for the flow of blood through said uppermost outlet whereby the blood capacity of said oxygenating tube is controlled.