Effects of ultrathin silicone coating of porous membrane on gas transfer and hemolytic performance.
To assess the effect of an ultrathin (0.2 microm) silicone-coated microporous membrane oxygenator on gas transfer and hemolytic performance, a silicone-coated capillary membrane oxygenator (Mera HP Excelung-prime, HPO-20H-C, Senko Medical Instrument Mfg. Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) was compared with a noncoated polypropylene microporous membrane oxygenator of the same model and manufacturer using an in vitro test circuit. The 2 oxygenators showed little difference in the oxygen (O2) transfer rate over a wide range of blood flow rates (1 L/min to 8 L/min). The carbon dioxide (CO2) transfer rate was almost the same in both devices at low blood flow rates, but the silicone-coated oxygenator showed a decrease of more than 20% in the CO2 transfer rate at higher blood flow rates. This loss in performance could be partly attenuated by increasing the gas/blood flow ratio from 0.5 or 1.0 to 2.0. In the hemolysis study, the silicone-coated membrane oxygenator showed a smaller increase in plasma free hemoglobin than the noncoated oxygenator. The pressure drop across both oxygenators was the same. These results suggest that the ultrathin silicone-coated porous membrane oxygenator may be a useful tool for long-term extracorporeal lung support while maintaining a sufficient gas transfer rate and causing less blood component damage.
Niimi
Y
Y
Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, U.S.A.
Ueyama
K
K
Yamaji
K
K
Yamane
S
S
Tayama
E
E
Sueoka
A
A
Kuwana
K
K
Tahara
K
K
Nosé
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D002648:Child; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011126:Polypropylenes / Q000737:chemistry; D016062:Porosity; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange; D012828:Silicones / Q000737:chemistry*
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011126:Polypropylenes; D012828:Silicones