Elucidation of the optimal shape of the cannula for improving blood oxygenation in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K16578
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 55060:Emergency medicine-related
• Research Institution: Teikyo Heisei University
• Principal Investigator: Togo Konomi 帝京平成大学, 健康メディカル学部, 准教授 (40648622)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 体外式膜型人工肺 / ECMO / カニューレ / カテーテル / 酸素化 / 再循環

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A wide variety of cannulas are available for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), making it challenging to select the most appropriate one. To address this issue, I fabricated cannulas with varying side hole configurations and evaluated their blood oxygenation performance. As a result, the cannula with side holes at 1 cm intervals from the tip to 15 cm exhibited the most favorable blood oxygenation performance. On the other hand, the cannula with side holes at 1 cm intervals from the tip to 10 cm exhibited lower blood oxygenation performance despite having a higher number of side holes compared to the cannula with side holes at 3 cm intervals from the tip to 15 cm. These results suggest that using a cannula with a longer side-holed section can achieve more efficient blood oxygenation in V-V ECMO.

Free Research Field

救急分野、人工臓器分野

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

静脈脱血－動脈送血方式ECMOと共通の脱血カニューレを静脈脱血－静脈送血（V-V）方式ECMOでも使用している現状において、本研究の成果が「V-V ECMOの良好な酸素化のために、どのようなカニューレを選択すればよいか」という、最適なカニューレを選択する指標の基盤となることが予想される。さらに、本研究の結果は、V-V ECMO専用カニューレを製作する際の基礎データとなる将来性が見込める。最適なカニューレを選択することにより、ECMOにおける効率的な酸素化につながり、COVID-19をはじめとする重症呼吸不全患者におけるECMO離脱率が向上することが期待できる。