Evaluation of fluorochemicals for liquid membrane oxygenation.

An attempt is being made to develop an oxygenator utilizing gaseous oxygen bubbles completely encapsulated with fluorochemical, thereby avoiding the detrimental changes induced by a blood-gas interface. After the feasibility of this method of oxygenation had been proved, the biocompatibility of the fluorochemicals was investigated. No significant changes in human red blood cells, fibrinogen, or platelets were induced by chronic in vitro contact with fluorochemical over a 24-hour peroid. There is no evidence that the fluorochemicals tested extract lipids from plasma. A device which allowed continuous formation of a blood-fluorochemical interface was utilized in vitro with human blood and in vivo with dogs. No significant alterations were induced by fluorochemicals in the human or animal blood or in the canine organs at autopsy. A prototype oxygenator is now undergoing evaluation. A method of analyzing for fluorochemical in blood and other protein solutions is presented.