ECMO pumps blood out of the body, oxygenates it and returns it to the body

Re:ECMO pumps blood out of the body, oxygenates it and retur... by rscho on Thursday June 20, 2019 @06:55PM (#20238231)

Actually, reducing it much while keeping the current functioning principle would be difficult.

ECMO not only oxygenates, but pumps to assist the heart. Red blood cells would not resist infusion through small cannulas at high speed. Hemolysis already is a problem with the current size femoral cannulas.

So if what you're after is flow, size is a severe limitation.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:ECMO pumps blood out of the body, oxygenates it and retur... by mikecsh on Friday June 21, 2019 @03:37AM (#20240658)

Indeed - see Poiseuilles equation [https://www.openanesthesia.org/poiseuilles_law_iv_fluids/]

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:ECMO pumps blood out of the body, oxygenates it and retur... by rscho on Friday June 21, 2019 @04:57AM (#20240960)

Blood is non Newtonian. Poiseuilles doesn't really apply.

I'm aware that's what's taught in med school, though. At the maroscopic level, it works ok.

[ Parent | on HN ]