A bubble oxygenator is an early implementation of the

oxygenator An oxygenator is a medical device that is capable of exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood of human patient during surgical procedures that may necessitate the interruption or cessation of blood flow in the body, a critical organ or ...

used for

cardiopulmonary bypass Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is a technique in which a machine temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs during surgery, maintaining the circulation of blood and oxygen to the body. The CPB pump itself is often referred to as a he ...

. It has since been supplanted by the

membrane oxygenator A membrane oxygenator is a device used to add oxygen to, and remove carbon dioxide from the blood. It can be used in two principal modes: to imitate the function of the lungs in cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), and to oxygenate blood in longer term ...

as a result of advances in material science. Some continue to promote it as a low-cost alternative allowing greater self-sufficiency.

History

Open-heart surgery developed rapidly beginning in the 1950s, and many methods were developed for oxygenating blood outside the body. A bubble oxygenator was introduced in 1950 by Clark, Gollan, and Gupta. The method faced initial skepticism but in 1956 the University of Minnesota's De-Wall- Lillehei bubble oxygenator was demonstrated to be relatively simple, inexpensive, and easy to operate. The device faced competition from membrane oxygenators, which arrived within the same decade and were found to provide better oxygenation for periods over eight hours, and other advantages beyond six hours. However, most open-heart operations were substantially shorter, and by 1976 the bubble oxygenator was predominant. In the 1980s,

microporous A microporous material is a material containing pores with diameters less than 2 nm. Examples of microporous materials include zeolites and metal-organic frameworks. Porous materials are classified into several kinds by their size. The recom ...

membrane oxygenators were developed, and replaced bubble oxygenators in most applications.

References

{{reflist Medical equipment