Use of hyperbaric oxygen as oxygen source in extracorporeal oxygenation of blood

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the use of hyperbaric oxygen as oxygen source in extracorporeal oxygenation of blood. The pressure cell used for the experiments was built to withstand pressures of 100 atm. The lid of the pressure chamber consists of a steel frame enclosing an acrylic block through which the blood film can be studied during the oxygenation cycle. The oxygen gas is led into the chamber through a circumferential slit nozzle to avoid disturbance. To determine the factor introduced by moving the blood film, another pressure unit was designed. The chapter presents the results of the experiment that show that by using high pressures it is possible to increase the oxygen transfer in a controlled manner. The high pressure oxygenation does not per se have any harmful effect on the blood if the final tension after equilibrium within the blood does not exceed tensions that cause foaming and microemboli. A rapid degassing of the blood might burst the erythrocytes and cause hemolysis. It is found that by introducing batch operation, damage of the blood caused by throttling can be avoided. The necessary valve functions can be made with negligible hemolysis if opening and closing occurs during low pressure gradients across the valve and low velocities through the valve, as it occurs in heart valves.