3D Membrane Microstructures for Increased Efficiency in Blood‐Gas Transfer

Advanced Science, vol. 12, pp. e12302

Abstract

Treating severe lung diseases with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is often accompanied by serious complications, restricting applicability and adversely affecting outcomes. Membrane oxygenators, based on hollow fiber membranes (HFM), are a central ECMO component. Here, current designs are reaching their limits regarding hemocompatibility and gas transfer efficiency. Three-dimensional structures, based on triply periodic minimal surfaces, can provide superior hemodynamics. However, previous 3D membrane structures don't provide the required channel scale and gas transfer performance. In this study, we have fabricated 3D microstructures and tested them in vitro against state-of-the-art HFM. The 3D structure provided gas transfer coefficients within 50 and 45% of the HFM's value for oxygen and carbon dioxide, respectively. Specific pressure drops within the 3D structure are more than ten times lower than in the HFM. Combining these aspects, the 3D structure showed 51and 33% higher mass-transfer efficiency for oxygen and carbon dioxide, respectively. By further reducing channel scale, the 3D structure can help to miniaturize oxygenators while maintaining efficiency. Thereby, the invasiveness of ECMO could be reduced to improve outcomes. Our approach for the design and manufacturing of 3D membrane microstructures can be transferred to other mass-transfer applications like bioreactors or microfluidic cell culture.

Authors 9

1. Kai P. Barbian corresponding Aachen Department of Cardiovascular Engineering Institute of Applied Medical Engineering Medical Faculty 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 Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Forckenbeckstr. 55 52074 Aachen Germany

   Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeckstr. 55, 52074 Aachen, Germany

2. Lukas T. Hirschwald Aachen Chemical Process Engineering

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Chemical Process Engineering (AVT.CVT) RWTH Aachen University Forckenbeckstr. 51 52074 Aachen Germany

   Chemical Process Engineering (AVT.CVT), RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeckstr. 51, 52074 Aachen, Germany

3. John Linkhorst Aachen Chemical Process Engineering

   Technische Universität Darmstadt · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Chemical Process Engineering (AVT.CVT) RWTH Aachen University Forckenbeckstr. 51 52074 Aachen Germany

   Process Engineering of Electrochemical Systems Technical University of Darmstadt Otto‐Berndt‐Str. 2 64287 Darmstadt Germany

   Chemical Process Engineering (AVT.CVT), RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeckstr. 51, 52074 Aachen, Germany

   Process Engineering of Electrochemical Systems, Technical University of Darmstadt, Otto-Berndt-Str. 2, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany

4. Matthias Weßling Aachen Chemical Process Engineering (DWI) Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials

   DWI – Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Chemical Process Engineering (AVT.CVT) RWTH Aachen University Forckenbeckstr. 51 52074 Aachen Germany

   DWI, Leibniz‐Institute for Interactive Materials Forckenbeckstr. 50 52074 Aachen Germany

   Chemical Process Engineering (AVT.CVT), RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeckstr. 51, 52074 Aachen, Germany

   DWI, Leibniz-Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstr. 50, 52074 Aachen, Germany

5. Bettina Wiegmann

   Medizinische Hochschule Hannover · German Center for Lung Research

   Affiliation as printed

   Department for Cardiothoracic Transplantation and Vascular Surgery Hannover Medical School Carl‐Neuberg‐Straße 1 30625 Hannover Germany

   German Center for Lung Research (DZL) Carl‐Neuberg‐Straße 1 30625 Hannover Germany

   Implant Research and Development (NIFE) Lower Saxony Center for Biomedical Engineering Stadtfelddamm 34 30625 Hannover Germany

   Department for Cardiothoracic Transplantation and Vascular Surgery Hannover Medical School Carl‐Neuberg‐Straße 1 30625 Hannover Germany

6. Jannis Focke Aachen Department of Cardiovascular Engineering Institute of Applied Medical Engineering Medical Faculty 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 Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Forckenbeckstr. 55 52074 Aachen Germany

   Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeckstr. 55, 52074 Aachen, Germany

7. Ulrich Steinseifer Aachen Department of Cardiovascular Engineering Institute of Applied Medical Engineering Medical Faculty 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 Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Forckenbeckstr. 55 52074 Aachen Germany

   Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeckstr. 55, 52074 Aachen, Germany

8. Michael Neidlin Aachen Department of Cardiovascular Engineering Institute of Applied Medical Engineering Medical Faculty 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 Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Forckenbeckstr. 55 52074 Aachen Germany

   Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeckstr. 55, 52074 Aachen, Germany

9. Sebastian Victor Jansen Aachen Department of Cardiovascular Engineering Institute of Applied Medical Engineering Medical Faculty 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 Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Forckenbeckstr. 55 52074 Aachen Germany

   Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeckstr. 55, 52074 Aachen, Germany