An in vitro comparison of the ability of three commonly used pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass circuits to filter gaseous microemboli

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the ability of three commonly used pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) circuits to filter gaseous microemboli (GME) in an in vitro model. Methods: Devices were tested at different levels of two specific independent variables: volume of air injected (1, 3, 5ml) and percentage of each oxygenators rated flow (50%, 75%, 100%, 125%). The air-handling ability of each CPB circuit was determined by the Emboli Detection and Classification Quantifier (Luna Innovations Inc., Roanoke,VA). Results: At all tested conditions, the FX-05 allowed a higher percentage of GME when compared to either one or both of the other two CPB circuits. When comparing oxygenators at similar absolute flow rates, the KIDS D100/D130 CPB circuit performed worse compared to the other two CPB circuits. C onclusions: The combination of the Baby RX-05 oxygenator and Capiox AF02 arterial line filter provides the highest level of protection from air emboli in an in vitro investigation.