Establishment of an extracorporeal lung assist controlled by electronics

体外气体交换与人工膜肺辅助残疾肺功能，我们称之为ECLA，已经在世界范围内研究作为一种生命支持手段，以克服呼吸机治疗的局限性。然而，在日本，通常的心肺机用于心脏直视手术，甚至在呼吸护理的长时间旁路循环中也经常使用。这可能是日本临床研究结果不佳的原因之一。此外，对于持续数天至数周的长时间旁路手术的成功，人力也是至关重要的。在这次科研资助中，我们试图通过应用电子技术使系统自动化来制作一个特定的旁路系统，以节省人力。通过使用激光束来检测血液储存库的膨胀，自动控制患者的血液提取。各种生命和物理参数的监测器，如血流量、气体流量、气体温度、体温、血气张力等都装配在机器上。这台机器在动物身上反复试验后证明是安全的，然后它被用于患有严重心肺衰竭的患者。1989年，我们有8个病人，救了其中4个。然而，这台机器仍有一些问题需要解决。我们正在设计一种新型的阀门来开发一种简单的脉动泵，但在这个项目期限内还没有完成。

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.