A New Hollow Fiber Membrane Oxygenator with an Integral Heat Exchanger: A Hematological Evaluation in Dogs

Summary

A recently developed hollow fiber membrane oxygenator, made of microporous polypropylene (Capiox, Terumo, 1.6 m²) was tested to evaluate the hemocompatibility and the ease and safety of operation. Two types of this oxygenator were tested: one with and one without an integral heat exchanger. Each type was tested in 6 dogs during a partial bypass of 2 hours at a flow rate of 2 l/min. In addition, gas transfer measurements were carried out.

The Terumo oxygenator preserved the blood cells and the platelet function very well. In addition, neither the Wu-Hoak index, a method to measure platelet aggregates, nor inspection of the oxygenator revealed platelet aggregates. Operation and debubbiing procedure were easy and safe. The estimated rated blood flow for O₂ was 1.5 l/min with a corresponding CO₂ removal of 90 ml/min. The integral heat exchanger did not affect the results significantly, Our data show that this oxygenator is easy and safe to use. Clinical evaluation is recommended.

Key words

Hollow fiber oxygenator - Hemocompatibility - Gas exchange