Artificial lung to relieve from respiratory problems?

Ritwika Chowdhury, Team bioXone.

Independent breathing is a common obstacle to the survival of pre-term babies because the lungs are not fully formed. This leads to respiratory distress right after birth because they cannot take up enough oxygen on their own.
An international team led by current and former McMaster University researchers has developed an artificial lung to help this condition.
A living piglet has been used in the trials which is a huge step along the route towards the approval for use in humans. The device is thought to save lives and prevent serious damage. It plays the role of placenta and oxygenates the baby’s blood unless they are able to breathe independently.

It connects to the newborn’s umbilical cord. The power of the heart is directed to drive blood through channels of a fine membrane. It is similar to the lining of the lungs which in turn allows the release of carbon dioxide and the intake of oxygen while protecting the blood from outside infection.
The membrane has a thickness of 35 to 50 microns. It lets the natural diffusion of carbon dioxide and oxygen. The heart of the baby beats at a rate enabling regulation of the supply of oxygen.
The design of the artificial lung is complex but it operates without external power and is simple to implement. This makes it a promising solution to lessen the risk of death among preterm babies.

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Source: McMaster University
Journal reference: Dabaghi, M., et al. (2020) A Pumpless Microfluidic Neonatal Lung Assist Device for Support of Preterm Neonates in Respiratory Distress. Advanced Science. http://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202001860

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