The goal of this program is to develop hollow-fiber membranes and fiber fabrics that are customized for use in the Intravenous Membrane Oxygenator (IMO) under development at the University of Pittsburgh. The IMO is being developed as a method of augmenting incomplete respiration in adults with acute respiratory failure. Although the current versions of the IMO perform adequately, the gas-exchange rate of the IMO is not optimal. Specifically, the commercially available hollow-fiber membranes and fiber fabrics used in the IMO do not result in maximum membrane area in the device, limiting gas exchange. The goal of this program is to develop hollow-fiber membranes and fabrics specifically designed to optimize gas exchange in the IMO. In Phase I, we propose to develop hollow-fiber membranes with the optimum dimensions, strength, and permeability. We will work with researchers at the University of Pittsburgh to evaluate these fibers in a prototype IMO. Success in Phase I would lead to a Phase II program focused on optimization of the hollow-fiber membranes and fiber fabrics made from these membranes. Phase II would culminate with long-term tests of the prototype devices in animals at the University of Pittsburgh, demonstrating the effectiveness of the technology.
Development of the improved hollow-fiber membranes should make possible the practical application of the IMO. The membranes also promise to be useful for other commercial products, including extracorporeal oxygenators.
