Membrane based blood oxygenators are successfully used for cardiopulmonary by-pass (CPB) surgery. A number of programs are evaluating long-term membrane based blood oxygenators for artificial lungs and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). For both short- term use (CPB) and long-term use (ARDS), there is a need for enhanced blood compatible surfaces. Examples of two coating systems that are presently used to enhance blood compatibility are Avecor's Trillium and Medtronic's Carmeda. While both of these systems have some success in enhancing blood compatibility, the success is limited. Also, they tend to reduce gas (oxygen) flux and most importantly they are prone to wetting out. Compact Membrane Systems (CMS) proposes the development of a novel non-porous surface having excellent (1) wet-out resistance, (2) gas flux, and (3) blood compatibility. Enhanced blood compatibility will be based on known blood biocompatible systems. In Phase I, CMS will develop these novel structures and demonstrate enhanced performance in an in-vitro environment.
Successful completion of this project will significantly improve the treatment of the 500,000 CPB surgeries per year. It will also be a cornerstone in improving the potential of long-term therapy associated with ARDS.
