PI’s: Shriprasad Deshpande
Funded by: Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
ECMO connectors are known potentiators of thrombosis [1]. The current connectors create a discontinuity on both the upstream and downstream sides. Thrombus growth directly co-locates with these discontinuities. In order to prevent thrombosis, we sought to eliminate these discontinuities.
Here we tested two versions of a prototype that both provide a continuous, smooth surface throughout the entirety of the connector. The first prototype connector serves as a proof of concept and demonstrated the feasibility of the approach. The second prototype allows for access to blood, addressing a clinical design constraint, and eliminates the discontinuities.
