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Updated: Jul 24, 2025
Method of Isolated Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion in a Rat Model: Lessons Learned from Developing a Rat EVLP Program
Published on: February 25, 2015
Novel Size-Variable Dedicated Rodent Oxygenator for ECLS Animal Models-Introduction of the "RatOx" Oxygenator and
Lasse J Strudthoff1, Jannis Focke1, Felix Hesselmann1
1Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
Abstract:
The overall survival rate of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) remains at 60%. Research and development has been slow, in part due to the lack of sophisticated experimental models. This publication introduces a dedicated rodent oxygenator ("RatOx") and presents preliminary in vitro classification tests. The RatOx has an adaptable fiber module size for various rodent models. Gas transfer performances over the fiber module for different blood flows and fiber module sizes were tested according to DIN EN ISO 7199. At the maximum possible amount of effective fiber surface area and a blood flow of 100 mL/min, the oxygenator performance was tested to a maximum of 6.27 mL O2/min and 8.2 mL CO2/min, respectively. The priming volume for the largest fiber module is 5.4 mL, while the smallest possible configuration with a single fiber mat layer has a priming volume of 1.1 mL. The novel RatOx ECLS system has been evaluated in vitro and has demonstrated a high degree of compliance with all pre-defined functional criteria for rodent-sized animal models. We intend for the RatOx to become a standard testing platform for scientific studies on ECLS therapy and technology.
