Development and evaluation of a variable, miniaturized oxygenator for various test methods

Artificial Organs, vol. 47, pp. 695–704

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) became an accepted therapy for the treatment of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, ECMO systems are still prone to thrombus formation and decrease of gas exchange over time. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct qualified studies to identify parameters for optimization of ECMO systems, and especially the oxygenator. However, commercially marketed oxygenators are not always appropriate and available for certain research use cases. Therefore, we aimed to design an oxygenator, which is suitable for various test conditions such as blood tests, numerical simulation, and membrane studies, and can be modified in membrane area size and manufactured in laboratory. METHODS: Main design criteria are a homogeneous blood flow without stagnation zones, low pressure drop, manufacturability in the lab, size variability with one set of housing parts and cost-efficiency. Our newly designed oxygenator was tested comparatively regarding blood cell damage, gas transfer performance and pressure drop to prove the validity of the design in accordance with a commercial device. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference between the tested oxygenators was detected and our new oxygenator demonstrated sufficient hemocompatibility. Furthermore, our variable oxygenator has proven that it can be easily manufactured in the laboratory, allows to use various membrane fiber configurations and can be reopened easily and non-destructively for analysis after use, and the original geometry is available for numerical simulations. CONCLUSION: Therefore, we consider this newly developed device as a valuable tool for basic experimental and numerical research on the optimization of oxygenators.

Authors 8

1. Jutta Arens corresponding Aachen Department of Cardiovascular Engineering Institute of Applied Medical Engineering Medical Faculty

   RWTH Aachen University · University of Twente

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Engineering Organ Support Technologies Group, Department of Biomechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Technology University of Twente Enschede The Netherlands

   Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany; Engineering Organ Support Technologies Group, Department of Biomechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Technology University of Twente Enschede The Netherlands

2. Lotte Schraven Aachen Department of Cardiovascular Engineering Institute of Applied Medical Engineering Medical Faculty

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

3. Andreas Kaesler Aachen Department of Cardiovascular Engineering Institute of Applied Medical Engineering Medical Faculty

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

4. Christian Flege Aachen Department of Intensive Care Medicine Medical Faculty

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

5. Thomas Schmitz‐Rode Aachen Institute of Applied Medical Engineering Medical Faculty

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

6. Rolf Rossaint Aachen Department of Anesthesiology, Medical Faculty

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Anesthesiology, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Department of Anesthesiology, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

7. Ulrich Steinseifer Aachen Department of Cardiovascular Engineering Institute of Applied Medical Engineering Medical Faculty

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

8. Rüdger Kopp Aachen Department of Intensive Care Medicine Medical Faculty

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany