Polarographic pO2 sensors with heparinized membranes for in vitro and continuous in vivo registration

The membranes of the pO2 sensor in a conventional blood gas analyser and a commercially available catheter pO2 electrode were coated with a glutardialdehyde stabilized heparin layer. It was analysed whether or not the "non-thrombogenic" heparin surface could improve the accuracy of in vitro pO2 registration and continuous in vivo paO2 monitoring. The in vivo experiments were performed on anaesthetized and non-anticoagulated dogs. Two identical blood gas analysers were used, one furnished with a heparin coated pO2 membrane and the other with a standard pO2 membrane. In vitro pO2 determinations exhibited--when simultaneously analysing the same blood sample--identical mean values. For repeated pO2 determinations, however, the standard deviation was significantly lower on the analyser furnished with a heparinized membrane. The non-heparinized catheter pO2 electrode showed a marked deterioration in accuracy with time as compared with blood-gas analysis on reference blood samples. Falsely low paO2 values were presented. The heparinized catheter electrode monitored values in full agreement with those of the conventional blood gas analyser using standard membranes. It is concluded that the heparin surface on the oxygen diffusible membranes diminishes the variability of the diffusion characteristics both at contact with anticoagulated blood in vitro and during in vivo paO2 monitoring. The "non-thrombogenic" heparin surface prevents diffusion impeding clot formations when an arterial catheter pO2 sensor is used.