EVALUATION OF A VIBRATING INTRAVASCULAR LUNG ASSISTANCE DEVICE FOR PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to assess and quantify the beneficial effects of long-term gas exchange, at varying frequencies, for development of a vibrating intravascular lung assistance device (VIVLAD), for patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The experimental design and procedure are then applied to the construction of a new device to be used to assess the effectiveness of membrane vibrations. We developed an analytical solution for the hydrodynamics of flow through a bundle of sinusoidally vibrated hollow fibers with the intention of gaining insight into how wall vibrations might enhance the performance of the VIVLAD. As a result, we were able to measure the effect of various excited frequencies in gas transfer rates and hemolysis from the maximum gas transfer rate. The maximum oxygen transfer rate was reached through the occurrence of maximum amplitude and the transfer of vibration to the hollow fiber membranes. It was excited by the frequency band of 7 Hz at each blood flow rate, as this frequency was the 2nd mode resonance frequency of the flexible beam, which was also bundled with 675 hollow fiber membranes in the blood flow. Also, when module type 6 was excited at a frequency of 7 Hz, blood hemolysis was low. Therefore, we determined that the limit of hemolysis frequency is 7 Hz, as maximum amplitude occured at this frequency.