McMaster Team 3D Prints Artificial Lung Prototype for Premature Babies

A team at McMaster University has developed a manufacturing method that could bring artificial lungs for premature babies closer to reality. The approach uses 3D printing to create temporary sugar scaffolds, which are then coated with silicone membranes and dissolved in hot water to leave behind a network of tiny air channels.

Current blood oxygenators are designed for adults. A one-kilogram premature infant has less blood in their entire body than the volume these devices require. That mismatch makes existing technology dangerous for the smallest patients.

Anand Sojan, a PhD student in Ravi Selvaganapathy's lab, tackled the problem by replacing the standard plastic sacrificial templates with 3D-printed isomalt sugar structures. Isomalt is a sugar alcohol used in food manufacturing. It dissolves cleanly in hot water, leaving no toxic residues behind.

The team built a prototype oxygenator with eleven alternating blood and gas layers separated by 121-micron membranes. In tests with porcine blood, the device achieved an oxygen transfer efficiency of 184 mL O2 per minute per square meter. The prototype met the clinical requirements for a one-kilogram neonate with respiratory distress syndrome, delivering 1.73 mL O2 per minute at a blood flow rate of 30 mL per minute with a priming volume of just 8.6 mL.

The manufacturing process eliminates the harsh chemical solvents, like acetone, that conventional methods require. That removes the risk of toxic residues leaching into the bloodstream. The sugar templates also produce fully open microchannels, which reduces the risk of clotting.

The research, published in Microsystems & Nanoengineering, is still at the proof-of-concept stage. The next steps involve testing the device in animals and developing a coating to prevent blood clots from forming on the membrane surfaces. If those trials succeed, the technology could eventually provide respiratory support for premature babies while reducing the complications associated with current life-support systems.