Evaluation of fluorochemicals for liquid membrane oxygenation

An attempt is being made to develop an oxygenator utilizing gaseous oxygen bubbles completely encapsulated with fluorochemical, thereby avoiding the detrimental changes induced by a blood gas interface. After the feasibility of this method of oxygenation has been proved, the biocompatilibity of the fluorochemicals was investigated. No significant change in human red blood cells, fibrinogen or platelets was induced by chronic in vitro contact with fluorochemical over a 24 hr period. There is no evidence that the fluorochemicals tested extract lipids from plasma. A device which allowed continuous formation of a blood fluorochemical interface was utilized in vitro with human blood and in vivo with dogs. No significant alterations were induced by fluorochemicals in the human or animal blood or in the canine organs at autopsy. A prototype in blood and other protein solutions is presented.