Initial in vitro evaluation of a pediatric vortex-mixing membrane lung

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Devices
• Pediatric Critical Care

Background:

• Pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) requires specialized devices.
• Existing membrane lungs may have limitations in efficiency, prime volume, or ease of use for pediatric patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a new design for a pediatric membrane lung.
• To evaluate its performance in terms of gas transport and operational characteristics.

Main Methods:

• The design incorporates eight blood compartments with U-shaped channels formed by microporous PTFE membranes.
• Pulsatile flow is generated by two rolling diaphragm pumps operated in antiphase, supplemented by a main roller pump.
• The membrane lung has a membrane area of 0.39 m2 and a low blood prime volume of 280 ml.

Main Results:

• Pulsatile flow induces vortex formation, enhancing blood mixing and gas transport efficiency.
• Preliminary tests demonstrated oxygen transfer of 80 ml/min and carbon dioxide transfer of 120 ml/min at a blood flow rate of 1.5 L/min.
• The design facilitates easy priming due to wide channels and vortex mixing.

Conclusions:

• The novel pediatric membrane lung design demonstrates efficient gas transport and ease of use.
• Its pulsatile flow mechanism and compact, low-prime-volume design are advantageous for pediatric applications.