6 – Cardiopulmonary bypass technologies

: Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) has revolutionized our ability to operate on the heart, great vessels, and aorta in addition to providing means of short-term support for reversible causes of cardiac and/or respiratory failure. This chapter summarizes current concepts of CPB with particular emphasis on the biomaterial developments currently taking place. Although routine application of CPB is shrinking under pressure from less invasive techniques, this may represent an opportunity to deliver a more highly evolved perfusion to the core of very sick and complex patients who may not be suitable candidates for alternative therapy. These patients will benefit from the application of new technologies currently under development, such as smaller perfusion circuits, filtration techniques, improved biomaterial surfaces, smart membranes, and biosensor technology, all aimed at making clinical perfusion a safer and more predictable procedure for the patient.