An clinical study for evaluation of gas transfer performance of newly developed silicon coated hollow fiber membrane oxygenator

The gas transfer performance of a newly developed silicone coated, hollow fiber membrane oxygenator (Exelung-prime) was compared with the non- coated oxygenator of the same design (Exelung-binding) on 15 and 10 patients undergone aortocoronary bypass surgery. The oxygen transfer capacity (Qp/Qt), oxygen transfer rate (TO2), carbon dioxide clearance capacity (dCO2/PaCO2) and carbon dioxide transfer rate (TCO2) showed no significant changes during cardiopulmonary bypass and revealed no significant differences between groups according to gas and perfusion blood flow ratio (V/Q). Plasma concentrations of free hemoglobin and haptoglobin showed no differences between groups. Pressure drop via the oxygenator was approximate 100 mmHg in both groups. Silicone coated membrane oxygenators maintains gas transfer rates nearly equal to non-coated ones.