Rochester Institute of Technology Researcher Broadens Understanding of Hemolysis (Empirical and Computational Evaluation of Hemolysis in a Microfluidic Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenator Prototype).

A recent study conducted by researchers at the Rochester Institute of Technology focused on understanding hemolysis, the breakdown of red blood cells, in microfluidic devices. These devices have the potential to improve hemodialysis and oxygenation technologies by incorporating high-permeability membranes into portable devices with low blood volume. The researchers used computational models to predict hemolysis in four variants of a microfluidic membrane-based oxygenator and found that certain parameter sets accurately predicted hemolysis values under different shear conditions. Empirical testing of the devices revealed significantly lower levels of hemolysis compared to conventional oxygenators. The study suggests that computational modeling can complement empirical testing in the development of high-flow microfluidic devices and holds promise for the future development of microfluidic oxygenators and dialyzers. [Extracted from the article]