PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an oxygenator with a built-in filter device in which a large filter membrane area is made to function with a limited blood filling amount and the captured air bubbles are efficiently discharged outside.SOLUTION: A bundle of hollow fiber membranes 12 is stored in a gas exchange unit 3, and a gas containing oxygen is circulated through a lumen. A blood flow path 4 is provided which circulates blood by crossing the hollow fiber membranes, and a filter space 15 adjacent to a blood derivation side of the bundle of the hollow fiber membranes is inserted with a filter 16. An exhaust port unit 17 is provided which forms an exhaust path and brings the filter space into communication with an outer space and enables exhaust of air bubbles. The filter is constituted by a sheet filtering medium 18 folded back in multiple leaves, and mounted by providing membrane surface gaps between membrane surfaces of respective folded leaves. Edge line gaps are formed between an edge line 19 of pleats and an inner circumferential surface of the blood flow path, and the circumferential edge part other than the edge lines of the pleats in the sheet-like filtering medium is brought into close contact with an inner circumferential surface of the blood flow path. The exhaust path is configured to come into communication with the membrane surface gaps, and an opening/closing plug for operating the opening/closing of the exhaust path is provided.COPYRIGHT: (C)2014,JPO&INPIT【課題】制限された血液充填量で大きなフィルタ膜面積を機能させ、捕捉した気泡を効率的に外部に排出するフィルタ装置を内蔵した人工肺を提供する。【解決手段】ガス交換部3に中空糸膜12の束が収納され、その内腔を通して酸素含有ガスを流通させる。中空糸膜を横断して血液を流通させる血液流路4が設けられ、中空糸膜の束の血液導出側に隣接するフィルタ空間15にフィルタ16が挿入され、フィルタ空間を外部空間と連通させる排気路を形成し気泡の排出を可能とする排気ポート部17が設けられる。フィルタは、複数葉に折り返されたシート状濾材18からなり、各葉の膜面間に膜面間隙を設けて装着され、プリーツ稜線19と血液流路の内周面との間には稜線間隙が形成され、シート状濾材におけるプリーツ稜線以外の周縁部は、血液流路の内周面に密着している。排気路は膜面間隙と連通するように構成され、排気路の開閉を操作する開閉栓が設けられる。【選択図】図4
