Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol 40, Issue 3 476-482, Copyright © 1976 by American Physiological Society
Reusable tubular membrane oxygenator for isolated organ hemoperfusion
W. H. Waugh, T. E. Bales and H. Nihei
A reusable tubular membrane oxygenator is described for hypotraumatic
hemoperfusion of isolated organs in physiological studies. The constructed
oxygenator was of approximately 0.24-m2 effective surface area and
contained 450 silicone rubber capillaries of 0.51-mm nominal ID, 34.9 cm
long, fixed by conical-shaped, plastic blood headers at manifolds made from
Dow-Corning MDX-4-4210 silicone elastomer. During ex vivo hemoperfusions in
dogs at inlet hemoglobin saturations near 67%, oxygen transfer rates of the
oxygenator increased serially, from 16.6 +/- 1.7 ml/min per m2 (mean +/-
SD) at blood flows of 100 ml/min to 34.1 +/- 3.8 ml/min per m2 at flows of
500 ml/min. The oxygenator was thromboresistant and of much loss priming
blood volume and wall compliance than the nonresuable Travenol membrane
oxygenator of 0.26-m2 effective surface area. The tubular oxygenator was
easily cleaned and reassembled, with reproducible oxygen transfer rates. It
should prove useful for hemoperfusion studies in organs of moderate size,
such as the isolated canine kidney, stomach, and pancreas.
