Improved gas exchange performance of the intravascular oxygenator by active blood mixing.

The intravascular oxygenator and carbon dioxide removal device (IVOX; CardioPulmonics, Salt Lake City, UT) has been shown to perform 30% of the gas exchange in animals and patients with acute respiratory failure. Among the factors that limit gas exchange is the mass transfer resistance in the blood phase. To determine if a reduction in mass transfer resistance by mixing venous blood can enhance the O2 transfer and CO2 removal by IVOX, a right atrium-pulmonary artery venovenous bypass circuit was used in sheep to model the adult vena cava.