Abstract
We made the new machine of extracorporeal lung assist (ECLA) with artificial membrane lung and prolonged veno-venous bypass to support gas exchanges for neonatal respiratory failure. Making up and down a pressure of water in a rigid plastic box including a small silicone reservoir, a blood intermittently comes in and out the reservoir via a thin wall single lumen catheter of segmented polyurethane inserted into the vein. Pneumatic pinch valves which are electrically controlled close and open the extracorporeal circuit to circulate the blood through a artificial membrane lung. In 18 pigs aged within 14 days, we tested the safty and efficacy of the apparatus. The blood priming volume was less than 220ml. The apparatus had bypass blood flow of 112ml/kg/min at maximum. By preventing of hemorrhage from surgical wound in cervical region with careful hemostasis and control of the rate of heparin infusion, the prolonged veno-venous bypass of seven days were successfully accomplished. This system of extracorporeal lungg assist may be clinically suitable for the neonatal respiratory failure.
