Engineering Commons^™

Evaluation Of Novel Hemocompatible Surface Coatings For Extracorporeal Life Support: A Biocompatible Alternative To Systemic Anticoagulation, Teryn Rose Roberts

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) is a class of technologies used to support or replace the function of failing organs. During ECLS, blood is withdrawn from systemic circulation and circulated through an artificial organ or “treatment membrane” that performs the function of the failing organ, prior to return to systemic circulation. While ECLS provides life-saving therapy to wide patient populations from pre-term infants to combat-wounded soldiers, this therapy is limited due to secondary thrombotic and bleeding complications that result from: 1) exposure of blood to the foreign surfaces in the device circuit and 2) administration of anticoagulant drugs to prevent clot …