Artificial lung with a built-in heat exchanger

Claim 1

An artificial lung provided with a built-in heat exchanger comprising an outer cylindrical member having top and bottom walls and an outlet for blood formed in a lower portion thereof; an inner cylindrical member disposed within said outer cylindrical member with a lower portion thereof extending through the bottom wall of said outer cylindrical member, the lower portion of said cylindrical member having an oxygen dispenser plate, an intermediate plate and a bottom plate formed therein defining an oxygen inlet chamber and a heat-exchange medium chamber therebetween, respectively, the heat-exchange medium chamber having a partition wall formed therein to divide the same into a heat exchange medium inlet chamber and a heat exchange medium outlet chamber, the lower portion of said inner cylindrical member also having an inlet for blood formed therein, an inlet for oxygen connected to said oxygen inlet chamber, and an inlet and outlet for heat exchange medium connected to said heat exchange medium inlet chamber and said heat exchange medium outlet chamber, resectively, an intermediate cylindrical member disposed between said outer and inner cylindrical members, said intermediate cylindrical member including a bottom wall having spacings formed therein defining a defoaming chamber between said inner and intermediate cylindrical members; and a plurality of tubes disposed within said inner cylindrical member through which heat exchange medium is passed, said plurality of tubes passing through said oxygen inlet chamber and said heat exchange medium chamber, wherein oxygen supplied to said inlet chamber through said oxygen inlet and blood supplied to said inner chamber through said blood inlet are in contact with said heat exchange medium carrying tubes prior to being brought into contact with one another.