Detection of Thrombi in Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Circuits Using Low-Frequency Acoustic Measurements

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) provides temporary support for patients with severe acute cardiac or respiratory failure. Although thrombotic complications are common during ECMO, the real-time detection and management of thrombosis-related complications remain challenging. In this study, we introduce a noninvasive approach for detecting thrombi using an acoustic detection technique. The presence of blood clots in the ECMO circuit has been correlated with an increase in the amplitude of the acoustic spectrum <20 Hz. This amplification allows for the prediction of clots in the ECMO circuit using acoustic measurements. The predicted results were compared with visual observations, and the technique achieved a total accuracy of 84%. Hypothesizing that some of the false positives were indicators of clots in the circuitry, the accuracy may be up to 96%. This technique could be integrated with the existing clot detection method to enhance patient outcomes.