DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTEGRATED ARTIFICIAL HEART-LUNG DEVICE FOR LONG-TERM CARDIOPULMONARY SUPPORT

An integrated artificial heart-lung device has been developed as a lon g-term cardiopulmonary support system. The device is composed of gas e xchange and pumping units. The gas exchange unit consists of a special hollow fiber membrane that can prevent serum leakage. The entire bloo d contacting surface of the gas exchange unit is treated with covalent heparin bonding. The pumping unit consists of two pusher-plate artifi cial hearts joined to each end of the artificial lung unit. The core s ize and priming volume of the device ar 11 x 14 x 17 cm and 400 ml, re spectively. In in vitro evaluation, the device exhibited a maximum out put of 7.0 L/min, with a pressure gradient of 10 mmHg per 1 L/min flow rate. In acute in vivo evaluation with adult goats, the device satisf actorily replaced the animals' circulation and respiration for 6 hr. P umping output ranged from 5.5 to 6.0 L/min, whereas PaO2 and PaCO2 wer e kept above 500 mmHg and below 30 mmHg, respectively. The device demo nstrated prominent thrombus resistant properties in nonheparin animal use trials. These results indicate that the integrated artificial hear t-lung device has a potential to be a long-term cardiopulmonary suppor t system that can be used with minimal anticoagulant therapy.