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Updated: Aug 8, 2026
Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in a Mouse
Published on: October 24, 2018
A Novel Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation System With Enhanced Hemocompatibility and Long-Term Stability
Hongyu Wang1, Sheng Liu2, Zejian Jin2
1From the Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology (Beihang University), Ministry of Education; Key Laboratory of Innovation and Transformation of Advanced Medical Devices, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology; National Medical Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Advanced Medical Devices (Interdiscipline of Medicine and Engineering); School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China.
This study optimized a new centrifugal blood pump and membrane oxygenator for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The system demonstrated excellent performance, hemocompatibility, and stability in long-term sheep trials.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Medical Device Development
Background:
- Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) requires efficient blood pumps and oxygenators.
- Optimizing hydrodynamic performance and gas exchange is crucial for device safety and efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To optimize and evaluate a novel centrifugal blood pump and membrane oxygenator for ECMO support.
- To assess the hydrodynamic performance, gas exchange efficiency, and hemocompatibility of the new ECMO system.
Main Methods:
- Design optimization using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for hydrodynamic performance.
- In vitro experiments to assess pressure-flow characteristics and gas transfer.
- 14-day in vivo ECMO support in sheep (venovenous and venoarterial modes) with comprehensive blood analysis.
Main Results:
- CFD indicated uniform pump flow, minimal high-shear regions, and negligible stagnation, suggesting low hemolysis and thrombosis risk.
- In vitro tests showed the oxygenator had lower transmembrane pressure and higher O2 transfer compared to a commercial device.
- In vivo, the system maintained stable flow, oxygenation, and low plasma-free hemoglobin levels (<50 mg/dL) with no device-related complications.
Conclusions:
- The optimized ECMO system exhibits excellent mechanical stability and long-term oxygenation capabilities.
- Favorable hemodynamic performance and outstanding hemocompatibility were demonstrated in large-animal models.
- This novel ECMO device shows significant promise for clinical application in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support.
