| 摘要 |
A compliant artificial lung for extrapulmonary gas transfer comprises a membrane oxygenator adapted to be disposed within a flexible housing or bladder. The bladder defines a hollow chamber for recieving blood introduced via a blood inlet nozzle. The membrane oxygenator comprises a bundle of microporus or non-porous, hollow fibers adapted to transport an oxygen-rich gas. Venous (unoxygenated) blood is introduced into the bladder through the blood inlet nozzle and flows through spaces between (and across the surfaces of) the various fibers comprising the fiber bundle. The surface contact between the venous blood and the microporous fibers of the bundle facilitates the gas-exchanging function of transporting oxygen to the blood while removing carbon dioxide. This aids in transforming venous blood into arterial blood. The compliant artificial lung is sufficiently flexible to withstand the volume, pressure, and flow-rate characteristics of blood pumped within a natural range of the stroke volume of the heart, such that it may simulate the function of an anatomical lung by accepting pulsatile blood flow from the heart, while providing a continuous flow of oxygenated blood as output. |
