Antifouling blood-repellent surface enhanced gas exchange via gas-liquid direct diffusion in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Gas exchange membranes, as the crucial components of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) systems, enable efficient O 2 /CO 2 exchange in blood while maintaining adequate oxygen saturation in patients. However, clinical gas exchange membranes remain prone to thrombosis complications, which severely compromise their gas exchange effectiveness. To address this, we propose a blood-repellent gas exchange membrane (BRGEM) that helps in preventing thrombosis due to its minimal solid-liquid contact areas, while significantly enhancing gas exchange through a gas-liquid direct contact diffusion strategy. Notably, the BRGEM exhibits a 22.09-fold reduction in thrombus formation without anticoagulants compared to commercial ECMO membranes, demonstrating its exceptional anti-fouling properties. Furthermore, the membrane enables rapid oxygen recovery in the acute respiratory distress syndrome rabbit model, achieving approximately 12.97-fold improvement. We anticipate this strategy will significantly advance the development of next-generation blood oxygenation membranes and artificial lung technologies, offering transformative potential for future clinical applications.