Integrated centrifugal blood pump-oxygenator, an extracorporeal life support system and a method of de-bubbling and priming an extracorporeal life support system

1. A blood oxygenator comprising:

a housing having a blood inlet, a blood outlet, a gas inlet, and a gas outlet;

an impeller rotatable to output a blood flow; and

an oxygenator membrane in an interior of the housing;

wherein the housing is configured so that oxygen is transferred from the gas inlet to the oxygenator membrane and transferred from the oxygenator membrane to the blood flow, and carbon dioxide is transferred from the blood flow to the oxygenator membrane and transferred from the oxygenator membrane to the gas outlet; the blood flow output from the impeller flowing to an exterior surface of the oxygenator membrane, flowing through the oxygenator membrane, and flowing to the blood outlet after exiting an interior surface of the oxygenator membrane; wherein the blood inlet is centrally located in the interior of the oxygenator membrane; and the blood oxygenator further comprises a blood outlet channel surrounding the blood inlet and connected to the blood outlet.

2. The blood oxygenator in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the oxygenator membrane comprises potted fibers and at least one of an upper potting and a lower potting, wherein the at least one of the upper potting and the lower potting holds the potted fibers in place.

3. The blood oxygenator in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the oxygenator membrane comprises hollow fibers.

4. The blood oxygenator in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the oxygenator membrane comprises fibers functionalized with heparin.

5. The blood oxygenator in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the oxygenator membrane comprises fibers that exhibit a degree of packing of about 10% to about 55%.

6. The blood oxygenator in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the impeller is disposed in a bottom of the housing.

7. The blood oxygenator in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the membrane is substantially annular.

8. The blood oxygenator in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the housing is configured such that the blood flow surrounds the oxygenator membrane to enter the exterior surface of the oxygenator membrane from positions distributed about 360° around the oxygenator membrane.

9. The blood oxygenator in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a top including the blood inlet, the blood outlet, and the gas inlet.

10. The blood oxygenator in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises a bottom comprising a peripherally located, outwardly radiating diffuser blade.

11. The blood oxygenator in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the blood oxygenator is configured to transfer a gas comprising oxygen from the gas inlet to the oxygenator membrane at a gas transfer rate from about 200 to about 400 milliliters per minute.

12. The blood oxygenator in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a rotation rate of the impeller is variable and the impeller is configured to output the blood flow at a blood flow rate from about 2 liters per minute at a first rotation rate of the impeller to about 7 liters per minute at a second rotation rate of the impeller.

13. An extracorporeal life support system for a patient, comprising:

a blood oxygenator comprising:

a housing having a blood inlet, a blood outlet, a gas inlet, and a gas outlet; and

an oxygenator membrane in an interior of the housing; and

a blood pump comprising a rotational body, the rotational body being connected to the housing and configured to pump blood through the housing from the blood inlet to the blood outlet;

wherein the housing is configured so that oxygen is transferred from the gas inlet to the oxygenator membrane and transferred from the oxygenator membrane to the blood flow, and carbon dioxide is transferred from the blood flow to the oxygenator membrane and transferred from the oxygenator membrane to the gas outlet; the blood flow output from the impeller flowing to an exterior surface of the oxygenator membrane, flowing through the oxygenator membrane, and flowing to the blood outlet after exiting an interior surface of the oxygenator membrane; wherein the blood inlet is centrally located in the interior of the oxygenator membrane; and the blood oxygenator further comprises a blood outlet channel surrounding the blood inlet and connected to the blood outlet.

14. The life support system in accordance with claim 13 , further comprising at least one cannula or tubing, configured to operably connect at least one of the blood inlet and the blood outlet to the patient.

15. The life support system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the blood pump is a centrifugal flow blood pump.

16. The life support system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the membrane is substantially annular.

17. The life support system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the housing is configured such that the blood flow surrounds the oxygenator membrane to enter the exterior surface of the oxygenator membrane from positions distributed about 360° around the oxygenator membrane.

18. The life support system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the housing comprises a top including the blood inlet, the blood outlet, and the gas inlet.

19. The life support system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the housing further comprises a bottom comprising a peripherally located, outwardly radiating diffuser blade.

20. The life support system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the blood oxygenator is configured to transfer a gas comprising oxygen from the gas inlet to the oxygenator membrane at a gas transfer rate from about 200 to about 400 milliliters per minute.

21. The life support system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein a rotation rate of the rotational body is variable and the rotational body is configured to pump blood through the housing at a blood flow rate from about 2 liters per minute at a first rotation rate of the rotational body to about 7 liters per minute at a second rotation rate of the rotational body.