Breaking the Cross Compatibility Barriers of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation by Streamlining the Design

Abstract

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is a Class C medical device under CDSCO, which suggests that the medical device is classified as moderate to high risk. It acts as an extended life support device for patients with severe heart and lung issues for a prolonged period of time, compared to heart-lung machines. There is a cross-compatibility barrier in the medical device market, wherein each manufacturer will make modifications to the design in order to make them exclusively compatible with the solutions and repair kits provided by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). The proposed solution in this paper helps counter the cross-compatibility barrier of ECMO machines, especially when it comes to the centrifugal pump, which must be changed multiple times over the lifetime of the device. We are introducing a novel design for the ECMO machine, wherein the existing centrifugal pumps in the market are compatible without interrupting the functionality of the device in case of emergency situations and cases of logistical delays. Our solution makes it possible to use any of the popular centrifugal pumps available in the market, making it cross compatible and more practical compared to the OEM solutions provided by the popular manufacturing companies.