Development of The Modern Oxygenator

Abstract

Extracorporeal oxygenators used in extracorporeal circulation are artificial devices that replace anatomical lungs by supplying oxygen to and removing carbon dioxide from the blood. First conceptualised by Robert Hooke (1635-1703), they were transformed into practical extracorporeal oxygenators by French and German experimental physiologists in the 19th century. Film layer oxygenators, bubble oxygenators, poreless membrane oxygenators and hydrophobic microporous membrane oxygenators have been used until today. From the 1950s to the 1980s, disposable bubble oxygenators were widely used in extracorporeal circulation. However, over the years membrane oxygenators have become the preferred clinical option. Membrane oxygenators have a better capacity to oxygenate venous blood compared to other oxygenators such as bubble type and film type. In addition, the membrane oxygenator requires a smaller volume to achieve adequate gas transfer rate and causes less blood trauma such as haemolysis because it uses a mechanism similar to the lung. Over time, more developed membrane oxygenators were replaced by hydrophobic microporous membrane oxygenators. Later, microporous membrane oxygenators produced with hollow fibre structure made a great contribution to the transfer of blood gases.