# Pediatric Implantable Artificial Lung

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2021 · $552,860

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
End stage lung disease (ESLD) is associated with a high mortality in infants and children. We are currently
funded by NIH grant 2R01 HD015434-29 to develop a pediatric artificial lung (PAL) which would provide a
successful path toward recovery or transplantation in pediatric patients with ESLD. Over the past 4 years we
have accomplished the following as a result of this grant: 1) designed a low resistance, high efficiency artificial
gas exchange device (MLung) which can be configured in any size for infants and children; 2) characterized
optimal pulmonary artery-to-left atrial cannulation for lung implantation in small (~20-30 kg) sheep; 3) evaluated
the effects of the PAL on cardiopulmonary physiology in normal sheep; 4) developed a reproducible model of
ESLD in small sheep and by the end of year 5 will have a similar model in infant sheep; 5) provided initial data
demonstrating remediation of adverse physiology in our lung disease sheep model using the Novalung® and
heparin anticoagulation; and 6) created the software and processes to automate CO2 removal. Our laboratory
has also demonstrated the ability of circuit nitric oxide (NO) and argatroban coating to prevent extracorporeal
device associated thrombosis and to decrease the risk of transcutaneous infection. Based on all of this work,
we now have the disease model, the artificial lung, the cannulation strategy, the gas exchange automation
processes, and the means for local anticoagulation to ready the PAL for clinical trial by achieving the following
specific aims:
Specific Aim 1: To evaluate MLung gas exchange, resistance, thrombogenicity, and durability.
Specific Aim 2: To provide a successful approach for local anticoagulation for the PAL using NO/argatroban
 coating and NO in the PAL sweep flow.
Specific Aim 3: To prepare for clinical application by automating CO2 control; using oxygen enrichment devices
 to provide MLung sweep flow; and testing long-term reliability and effectiveness of the PAL
 system in our model of pediatric ESLD.
Specific Aim 4: To bring together a team to plan the PAL clinical trial.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10169478
- **Project number:** 5R01HD015434-38
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** RONALD BRUCE HIRSCHL
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $552,860
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1980-08-01 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10169478

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10169478, Pediatric Implantable Artificial Lung (5R01HD015434-38). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10169478. Licensed CC0.

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