Application of Three-dimensional Membranes for Artificial Lung Technology

Contemporary membrane lungs consist of multiple hollow fiber membrane enabling sufficient gas exchange by diffusion. Still, lack of control over the flow path is the primary limiting factor for the development of more compact and hemocompatible membrane lungs. Three-dimensional membranes based on triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) present an opportunity to overcome this limitation.

Three-dimensional membranes in different TPMS-shapes were investigated in direct comparison to state-of-the-art hollow fiber membranes. A membrane lung design was also developed with an optimized blood flow path, based on the unique design opportunities presented by three-dimensional membranes.

The tests results revealed improved oxygen transfer performance of at least 26% and up to 69.8% compared to the state-of-the-art hollow fiber design. Subsequent hemolysis tests showed that TPMS membranes offer a safe method to enhance gas transfer. A design containing a TPMS membrane allowed for homogenous flow distribution, promising more efficient performance and increased resistance to thrombosis. Results from design optimization indicate that TPMS represent an excellent compromise on major requirements on artificial lungs.

TPMS-based design of membranes satisfies all the basic requirements of safe application in artificial lungs. Moreover, the TPMS-based membrane design has significant advantages in terms of improved gas transfer and the potential for homogenous distributed flow in artificial lungs.