ECMO has been significantly downsized. National Cardiovascular Research Center April 11, 2:51
The National Cardiovascular Research Center announced that the cardiopulmonary bypass device called "ECMO", which is used to treat patients who became extremely ill with infection by the new coronavirus, was significantly reduced in size. I want to conduct clinical trials over the next two years and put it to practical use.
The new ECMO was developed by a group of the National Cardiovascular Research Center in Suita, Osaka.
ECMO is an artificial heart-lung machine used for patients with pneumonia or heart failure, whose symptoms cannot be saved with a ventilator. It is also used for patients with the new coronavirus.
Common devices, such as driving equipment and monitors, weigh about 30 kilograms in total, and as large as the height of a human when assembled, there was the problem that blood clots could form in the device if used for a long time.
The new ECMO weighs about 7 kg and measures about 30 cm square, making it a portable size. In addition, it was difficult to form a thrombus by devising the structure of the pump. This means that they could be used consecutively for a month.
The group intends to conduct clinical trials over the next two years to confirm its safety in humans and to make it practical.
"We have been working on the development in the face of difficulties in treating severely ill patients.