Gas exchange efficiency of a membrane oxygenator with use of a vibrating flow pump.

We have developed a newly designed blood pump, named the vibrating flow pump (VFP), which can generate high frequency oscillated flow. The driving frequency is 10-50 Hz, and flow volume is linearly controlled electric power (current and voltage). The VFP was applied as the pump for extracorporeal circulation (ECC) in acute animal experiments. The gas exchange efficiency of the membrane oxygenator with the VFP and a roller pump (RP) was evaluated. Under general anesthesia with halothane, 7 adult goats underwent ECC; an inflow cannula was inserted into the right atrium, an outflow cannula was sutured to the descending thoratic aorta, and total ECC was performed with a flow of about 80 ml/min/kg. The ECC system with the VFP showed excellent gas exchange efficiency compared with that of the RP. The hemodynamics of ECC using the VFP were easily maintained within normal limits. These results suggest that the VFP is very useful as a pump for ECC; thus, a compact-sized ECC system may be achieved.