27 December 2016
In the 1960's, (click here) researchers discovered that there could be an alternative method for supporting injured lungs. They found that mice whose lungs were filled with an oxygenated saline solution could survive for several hours. Further uses with oxygenated silicone oils had some success, but were later found to be toxic.
Liquid ventilation is accomplished through a liquid called perfluorocarbon (PFC). Leland C. Clark, Jr. and Frank Gollan published an article in 1966 about their experiment with fluorocarbon. They discovered that oxygen and carbon dioxide are very soluble in certain silicone oils and fluorocarbon liquids. Experimenting with mice and cats, it was found that these liquids would support the animals' respirations. What was strange was that the mice and cats that breathed the silicone oil died shortly after returning to breathing normal air, while those that remained in the fluorocarbon survive for weeks. The cats proved to have excellent arterial oxygenation, but there was a problem with carbon dioxide elimination. The most significant discovery that resulted from this period of time was the potential for the use of these perfluorochemical liquids.
Studies of total (tidal) liquid ventilation were first performed in treatments of several premature babies in 1989. These studies showed improvement in patients' lung compliance and gas exchange, but could not be pursued further due to the lack of technology to provide an applicable liquid ventilator system. Also at that time there was not a pharmaceutical-grade PFC available....
In the 1960's, (click here) researchers discovered that there could be an alternative method for supporting injured lungs. They found that mice whose lungs were filled with an oxygenated saline solution could survive for several hours. Further uses with oxygenated silicone oils had some success, but were later found to be toxic.
Liquid ventilation is accomplished through a liquid called perfluorocarbon (PFC). Leland C. Clark, Jr. and Frank Gollan published an article in 1966 about their experiment with fluorocarbon. They discovered that oxygen and carbon dioxide are very soluble in certain silicone oils and fluorocarbon liquids. Experimenting with mice and cats, it was found that these liquids would support the animals' respirations. What was strange was that the mice and cats that breathed the silicone oil died shortly after returning to breathing normal air, while those that remained in the fluorocarbon survive for weeks. The cats proved to have excellent arterial oxygenation, but there was a problem with carbon dioxide elimination. The most significant discovery that resulted from this period of time was the potential for the use of these perfluorochemical liquids.
Studies of total (tidal) liquid ventilation were first performed in treatments of several premature babies in 1989. These studies showed improvement in patients' lung compliance and gas exchange, but could not be pursued further due to the lack of technology to provide an applicable liquid ventilator system. Also at that time there was not a pharmaceutical-grade PFC available....
