Novel scalable and monolithically integrated extracorporeal gas exchange device

A novel extracorporeal gas exchange device (EGED) is developed, implemented and characterized. The aim hereby is to overcome drawbacks of state-of-the-art devices and of state-of-science approaches, like their labor intensive fabrication and their low volume density of the gas exchange area, respectively. As a consequence of the stacked setup of alternating layers of the blood compartment and the ventilation gas compartment, the developed EGED allows for double sided gas exchange. Furthermore, it enables an adaption to the diversity of medical requirements by scaling the amount of layers. The developed fabrication chain is used to fabricate leakage-free evaluation models and allows for a transition to automated fabrication. The EGED is completely fabricated in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and features diffusion membranes, which are separating the compartments, with a mean thickness of 90 μm. With the evaluation models and oxygen as ventilation gas an oxygen transfer of 60 ml/lblood (25 ml/(min m(2))) and a carbon dioxide transfer of 70 ml/lblood (30 ml/(min m(2))) are achieved. The linear scalability of the concept as well as the functionality of the EGED with air as ventilation gas is shown.