Membrane bioreactors for (bio-)artificial lung

Abstract Membrane oxygenation devices, also referred to as artificial lungs, have been developed to provide sufficient blood gas exchange during cardiopulmonary bypass, and enable respiratory support for patients suffering from severe end-stage lung diseases. However, malfunctions originating from various causes can reduce the lifetime of contemporary devices, which excludes their use in destination therapies. This chapter reports on current research and development focused on the advancement of hollow fiber membrane technology to achieve extended durability, safer application, and higher efficiency of contemporary oxygenators. In addition, alternative approaches for the development of an artificial lung are described.