Implantable artificial lung. Preliminary report.

The ultimate treatment of chronic respiratory insufficiency is pulmonary replacement by an artificial organ, homologous lung transplantation, or chronic paracorporeal respiratory supplementation. The woven capillary membrane oxygenator appears to be a major development toward implantable artificial organs. The four units tested are made up of screens 3.5 by 4.0 cm. of capillary tubing 0.3 mm. I.D. by 0.64 mm. O.D. assembled into rectangular blocks. Units made up by five, ten, twenty, and forty screens have been assembled and tested according to the protocol suggested by Galletti. The maximum oxygen transfer rate with blood was 48 ml. per minute per square meter. Water carbon dioxide transfer rate was 23.1 ml. per minute per square meter. The pressure drops in the liquid phase were 8.5, 15.3, 13.8, 17.6 mm. Hg at 1 L. per minute flow. These results indicate that the woven capillary membrane lung is an acceptably efficient oxygenator. The characteristics of design and performance suggest that this oxygenator can be made to be implanted into the chest or used as a paracorporeal respiratory assistance device.