Establishment of an extracorporeal lung assist controlled by electronics

与人工膜肺进行体外气体交换以帮助残疾的肺功能，我们称之为ECLA，已在世界范围内研究作为克服呼吸机治疗限制的生命支持手段。然而，在日本，即使在用于呼吸护理的长时间旁路循环中，也经常使用用于心脏直视手术的常规心肺机。这可能是日本临床研究结果不佳的原因之一。此外，人力对于持续数天至数周的长时间旁路手术的成功至关重要。通过这项科学研究补助金，我们试图通过应用电子技术使系统自动化来制造特定的旁路系统，以节省人力。通过使用激光束检测血液储存器的膨胀，自动控制从患者体内抽取血液。在该机器上组装了用于各种生命和物理参数（诸如血流量、气体流量、气体温度、体温、血气张力等）的传感器。这台机器在动物身上反复试验后证明是安全的，然后它被用于严重心肺衰竭的患者。1989年，我们有8个病人，可以挽救其中的4个。但是，机器仍然有一些问题需要解决。我们正在设计一种新型的瓣膜，以开发一种简单的脉动泵，但在本项目期限内尚未完成。

Extracorporeal gas exchange with an artificial membrane lung to assist the disabled lung function, which we call ECLA, has been studied worldwide as a means of life support to overcome the limit of ventilator therapy. However, in Japan, usual heart-lung machines for open heart surgery are often used, even in prolonged bypass circulation for respiratory care. This would have been one of the reasons for poor results of clinical study in Japan. Also man-power is very crucial for the success of a prolonged bypass operation lasting several days to several weeks.With this Grant-In-Aid for Scientific Research, we tried to make a specific bypass system by applying electronics to make the system automatic in order to save the man-power. Withdrawal of blood from the patient is automatically controlled by using the laser beam to detect the inflation of blood reservoir. Monitors for various vital and physical parameters, such as blood flow, gas flow, gas temperature, body temperature, blood gas tensions, etc. were assembled on the machine. This machine proved safe after repeated trials on animals, and then it was used on patients with severe cardiopulmonary failure. In 1989, we had 8 patients, and could save 4 of them. However, the machine still has some problems to be solved. We are devising a new type of valve to develop a simple pulsatile pump, but it has not been completed within this project term.