Fabrication of Medical Cannula for advanced extracorporeal life support devices.

体外膜氧合(ECMO)，也称为体外生命支持(ECLS)，是一种为心脏和肺无法维持生命的人提供长期心脏和呼吸支持的技术。ECMO系统给血液充氧，接管肺和心脏的运作，允许器官休息和休养，或者在等待器官移植时。目前的ECMO系统体积庞大，现场使用复杂，位于医院、重症监护室(ICU)。由于它们被证明具有救生能力，因此在救护车上安装ECMO单元是一个强有力的举措。加拿大公司Elsius Biomedical Corp.正在开发一种便携式ECMO系统来满足这一需求。ECMO系统的一个关键组件是连接系统和患者的插管，使血液能够被移除，并在复氧后重新注入患者体内。这些套管对ECMO过程的工作有特定的要求，例如插入后的柔韧性、抗扭结、长期生物兼容性、放置标记、双管腔和流量控制等，并且很难制造。Elsius正在继续与道尔顿集团合作，调查、设计、评估和开发一种可靠的、自动化的套管微制造工艺，使Elsius能够完成其ECMO生产周期。该项目将通过识别和控制关键工艺变量，如套管几何形状、涂层温度和浸渍时间，解决制造套管的复杂微制造工艺中的技术挑战，以确保均匀分层。一旦优化，该过程将被自动化，以创建可重复和可靠的制造过程。目前，加拿大还没有套管制造商。由于插管可以用于其他医疗情况，如心脏手术和神经外科，这一工程解决方案将为加拿大医疗系统带来许多好处。

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), also known as extracorporeal life support (ECLS), is a technique of providing prolonged cardiac and respiratory support to persons whose heart and lungs are unable to sustain life. ECMO systems oxygenate the blood, taking over operation of the lungs and heart, allowing the organs to rest and recuperate, or while waiting for organ transplant. Current ECMO systems are bulky and complex for use in the field and are situated in hospitals ICUs (Intensive Care Units). Due to their proven lifesaving abilities, there is a strong move toward having ECMO units in ambulances. Canadian company Elsius Biomedical Corp. is developing a portable ECMO system to address this need. A crucial component of ECMO systems are the cannula, or tubes, that connect the system to the patient, enabling removal of the blood and reintroducing it back into the patient after reoxygenation. These cannulae have specific requirements to enable the ECMO process to work, such as pliability after insertion, kink resistance, long term biocompatibility, placement markers, dual lumen and flow control, to name a few, and are difficult to manufacture. Elsius is continuing a partnership with the Dalton Group to investigate, design, evaluate and develop a reliable and automated process for cannulae microfabrication which will allow Elsius to finalize their ECMO production cycle. This project will address technical challenges in the complex microfabrication process to create cannulae, by identifying and controlling key process variables such as cannulae geometry, coating temperature and dipping time, to ensure uniform layering. Once optimized, the process will be automated to create a repeatable and reliable manufacturing process. There are currently no cannulae manufacturers in Canada. As cannulae can be used in other medical situations, like cardiac surgery and neurosurgery, this engineering solution will result in many benefits to the Canadian Healthcare system.