An enzymatic membrane reactor for extracorporeal blood oxygenation

The potential use of the enzyme catalase to oxygenate blood was investigate d. A microcalorimetric technique was used to study the kinetics of oxygen g eneration in human blood serum at 25 and 37 degrees C. Experiments carried out in serum and in phosphate buffer provided the apparent rate constants f or the enzymatic and non-enzymatic oxygen-generation reactions. A simplifie d mathematical model was then developed to analyse the behavior of a hollow -fiber membrane oxygenator with catalase covalently bound to the membrane s urface. The model was used to simulate an extracorporeal oxygenation treatm ent and outline differences with current devices. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.