The global incidence of acute respiratory failure exceeds one million cases per year. Many patients with respiratory failure require the assistance of a ventilator to provide life sustaining oxygenation and carbon dioxide removal. Unfortunately, the injured lung is susceptible to additional damage by the positive pressure exerted by the ventilator leading to additional injury, complications, and increased mortality.
To remedy the medical problem, one of the largest clinical trials in the world involving patients with respiratory failure has been funded by the UK’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) www.nihr.ac.uk for $2,113,673. The trial will evaluate a new technology manufactured by the U.S-based company ALung Technologies www.alung.com, a privately held developer and manufacturer of lung assist devices and a spin out of the University of Pittsburgh.
The study titled “pRotective vEntilation with veno-venouS lung assisT” in respiratory failure referred to as the “REST Trial” includes 1120 patients. ALung will provide the ECCO2R technology.
The “Hemolung Respiratory Assist System” (Hemolung RAS) a minimally invasive artificial lung device removes CO2 independently of the lungs through a process called “Respiratory Dialysis®. This technology has been selected as the exclusive technology for the upcoming UK-based study. ALung will provide Hemolung systems and treatment kits to 40 hospitals participating in the study.
“The removal of extracorporeal CO2 removal in this study is possible because unlike other technologies, the Hemolung RAS has been specifically designed to provide support in a minimally invasive manner enabling the technology to be used in a general medical ICU, said Peter DeComo, Chairman and CEO of ALung.
The Hemolung RAS received European marketing clearance (CE Mark) in 2013 as the world’s first fully integrated respiratory dialysis system. The simplicity, safety, and effectiveness of the system has been demonstrated at more than 100 hospitals worldwide. The device has been approved in 34 countries outside of the U.S. including Europe, Canada, and Australia.