Simulation of blood oxygenation in capillary membrane oxygenators using modified sulfite solution

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Fluid Dynamics
• Biomaterials Science

Background:

• Capillary membrane oxygenators (CMOs) are crucial for blood oxygenation.
• In vitro testing of CMOs using natural blood is complex and time-consuming.
• Conventional blood analogs lack hemoglobin's oxygen-binding properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel modified sulfite solution as a blood analog for CMO testing.
• To simulate hemoglobin's oxygen affinity using sodium sulfite.
• To simplify and improve the accuracy of in vitro CMO investigations.

Main Methods:

• A modified sulfite solution containing sodium sulfite was formulated.
• Oxygen transfer rate (OTR) was measured using the sulfite solution.
• The sulfite solution's performance was validated against native porcine blood in two commercial CMOs.

Main Results:

• The modified sulfite solution effectively simulates hemoglobin's role in oxygen capture.
• OTR measurements using the sulfite solution showed comparable results to native blood.
• The sulfite solution offers a more precise and less complex alternative to water/glycerol testing.

Conclusions:

• The novel sulfite solution significantly simplifies in vitro investigations of CMOs.
• This approach reduces the reliance on complex natural blood experiments during device development.
• The modified sulfite solution enhances the accuracy of reassessing failed devices in clinical settings.