Design and evaluation of a new, low pressure loss, implantable artificial lung

An artificial lung intended for intrathoracic implantation as a bridge to lung transplantation in chronic pulmonary insufficiency or as an alternative in the treatment of advanced acute respiratory failure is designed and tested. Nine in vitro experiments of oxygen transfer performance by the device, with water, initially were done. A semiempirical mathematical model of convective oxygen transfer in cross flow, hollow fiber membrane lungs was applied to the results from the water tests to predict the transfer rates at any set of blood conditions. Preliminary results of device implantation in two pigs indicate the feasibility of achieving clinically significant oxygen and carbon dioxide transfer rates with a low blood-side pressure loss.