An exhaust gas flow control system for an oxygenator of an extracorporeal ventilation system connected to an oxygenation gas supply line and to an exhaust line for removal of exhaust gas comprises a flow control path, a pressure control path, an exhaust flow regulator responsive to the controller, and an exhaust gas pressure regulator responsive to a controller configured to maintain a pre-determined pressure level in the exhaust line. This provides a better degree of control over the pressure across the oxygenator from oxygenation gas inlet to exhaust.

Membrane oxygenators useful in a variety of medical situations, including various short-term procedures and relatively longer-term life support, and components of membrane-based oxygenators, such as conditioning modules for exchanging oxygen for carbon dioxide during extracorporeal conditioning of blood, are described. A conditioning module includes a plurality of mats of hollow fibers and a potting material disposed throughout the peripheral edges of the mats to create a circumferential seal that defines a passageway through the plurality of fiber mats having a substantially circular cross-sectional shape. The circumferential seal defines an effective fiber length for each of the hollow fibers. A resisting member is disposed across the proximal ends of at least some of the hollow fibers and is adapted to resist fluid flow into each of the hollow fibers based on the effective fiber length of the particular hollow fiber.

A device for conditioning blood including a heat exchanger module including a heat exchanger fiber layer including heat exchanger fibers to receive a heat exchanger fluid and exchange heat with the blood, a gaseous micro-emboli removal module including a micro-porous fiber layer including micro-porous fibers to receive atmospheric or sub-atmospheric pressures such that at least some gaseous micro-emboli are drawn from the blood through the micro-porous fibers, a gas exchanger module including a gas exchanger fiber layer including gas exchanger fibers to receive a gas mixture and exchange gas with the blood, and a potting material body that embeds the heat exchanger fibers, the micro-porous fibers, and the gas exchanger fibers and defines a blood compartment that extends through the heat exchanger module, the gaseous micro-emboli removal module, and the gas exchanger module.

A heat exchanger for a blood circulation circuit comprises a hollow fiber membrane layer having a plurality of hollow fiber membranes, and a fixing portion fixing both end portions of the hollow fiber membranes from outsides of the hollow fiber membranes. The fixing portion mainly contains polyurethane, and each of the hollow fiber membranes has a heat conductive layer containing high density polyethylene, and an adhesion layer provided on an outside of the heat conductive layer, bonded to the fixing portion, and mainly containing a modified polyolefin resin.

An oxygenator has a plurality of porous hollow fiber membranes comprising polypropylene for gas exchange, wherein each hollow fiber membrane has an inner surface that forms a lumen and an outer surface. The oxygenator is manufactured using a method which involves preparing a coating solution containing at least one compound selected from the group consisting of dopamine, salt of dopamine, and oligomer of dopamine; and bringing the inner surface or the outer surface of the hollow fiber membranes into contact with the coating solution for less than ten hours while blowing oxygen gas in the coating solution to form a dopamine polymer layer containing a polymer of the compound on the inner surface or the outer surface.

The availability of a heart-lung machine in a box provides an opportunity for saving lives in emergency situations arising outside a hospital and for more cost effective care in hospital settings.

An endovascular apparatus including a stabilizing element and a rod that may be detachably coupled to the stabilizing element. The rod may be elongated along a longitudinal axis. The rod may have at least one therapeutic agent thereon. The therapeutic agent may be an enzyme, an antibody, a biomarker, or a bioreceptor for neutralizing components of a bodily fluid of a patient. The rod may be inserted into the patient's body to place the therapeutic agent into fluid communication with the patient's bodily fluid. The rod may be formed from silicone and an outer surface of the rod may be etched prior to coating the rod with the therapeutic agent.

A cardiopulmonary bypass system is described that includes a cardiopulmonary bypass machine having a console, the console has a base and a frame connected to the base. The system further comprises a plurality of peripheral modules operatively connectable to the cardiopulmonary bypass machine via one or more cables. The system further comprises a cable chase having a first end and a second end, and a housing that extends at least partially between the first end and second end to at least partially enclose a channel for receiving one or more cables or conduits connected to one or more of the peripheral modules.

The present invention generally relates to a process suitable for extracorporeal lung support. The process comprises contacting blood with a dialysis liquid separated by a semipermeable membrane. Oxygen is introduced into blood and/or into the dialysis liquid prior to contacting blood and dialysis liquid being separated by the semipermeable membrane. The process is versatile and allows for blood oxygenation as well as removal of at least one undesired substance occurring in the blood, selected from carbon dioxide, bicarbonate and hydrogen cations, from blood. Thereby, the present invention takes advantage of the Haldane effect in the extracorporeal contacting step. The undesired substance can be efficiently transported across a semipermeable membrane to the dialysis liquid. In contrast to extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal methods of the prior art (ECCCbR), the present invention employs a versatile dialysis liquid that allows to adjust the pH and buffering capacity of the dialysis liquid, to add fluids to the dialysis liquid and/or to the blood and to remove substances from the blood in the extracorporeal circuit, depending on the conditions and needs. The present invention also provides regeneration and recycling of the dialysis liquid, and thus for its repeated use. The present invention is suitable for treating human or animal subjects suffering from lung failure or lung disorders.

A device for extracting arterial and pulmonary embolisms is described herein. The device comprises a suction catheter and a return catheter attached to a reservoir. The reservoir comprises two filters that filter out any unwanted material from the blood. The device may be controlled by a console with a pedal. Blood containing unwanted material is suctioned out of a patient, is filtered in the reservoir, and is returned to the patient. The device prevents blood loss from the patient by returning the blood back to the patient after it is filtered. Furthermore, the filtration system is designed to also remove air from the blood as it is suctioned from the patient.