Gas Permeation and Hemocompatibility of Novel Perfluorinated Polymers for Blood Oxygenation

Gas permeation properties of three highly permeable perfluorinated polymers (polyhexafluoropropylene (PHFP), amorphous Teflon AF2400, and polyperfluoro(2-methyl-2-ethyl-dioxole-1,3) (PPFMED)), which are promising materials for the dense thin layer of hollow fiber membranes for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation have been studied using nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. Hemocompatibility of the polymeric films has also been investigated on whole blood from healthy donors. Gas permeation of the polymers increases in the order PHFP PPFMED > AF2400, with the most permeable polymer AF2400 exhibiting the worst hemocompatibility among the other polymers studied. Polyperfluoro(2-methyl-2-ethyl-dioxole-1,3) is shown to be the most appropriate polymer to fabricate hollow fiber membranes for blood oxygenation.