Enhancement of oxygen transfer in hollow fiber membrane by the vibration method.

The purpose of this study was to assess and quantify the beneficial effects of gas exchange according to the various frequencies of the sinusoidal wave that are excited by a PZT actuator, on patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In this study, an experimental method for the flow hydrodynamics was developed through a bundle of sinusoidally vibrated hollow fibers to observe how well vibrations might enhance the performance of the VIVLAD. We measured the effect of the various excitation frequencies of the PZT actuator on the gas transfer rates and hemolysis from the maximum gas transfer rate. As a result, the maximum oxygen transfer rate was reached at the maximum amplitude and through the transfer of vibrations to the hollow fiber membranes. The device was maximum excited by a frequency band of 7 Hz at various water flow rates, as this frequency was the 2nd mode resonance frequency of the flexible beam. 675 hollow fiber membranes were also bundled, within the blood flow, into the device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]