A groundbreaking medical breakthrough has pushed the limits of human survival, allowing a man without lungs to live for 48 hours thanks to a custom-engineered artificial device. The innovative technology, developed by surgeon and researcher Ankit Bharat at Northwestern University, has provided a glimmer of hope for patients with severe lung infections who are deemed too unstable for surgery.
The device, dubbed the "flow-adaptive extracorporeal total artificial lung system" (TAL), is a complex circuit that mimics the function of the human lungs. It uses a pump and oxygenator borrowed from the standard Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) setup, but also incorporates four new components to replace biological functions.
The TAL was tested on a 33-year-old patient who had contracted a severe infection, resulting in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The patient's condition had become so dire that surgeons were faced with the daunting task of removing both lungs, as conventional treatments had failed. In this desperate scenario, the custom-made device proved to be a last line of defense.
The TAL successfully kept the patient alive for 48 hours, during which time his septic shock subsided, and his lactate levels dropped from a critical level. The device also helped maintain the heart's function by preventing pressure spikes and ensuring blood flow.
In a remarkable recovery, the patient underwent a double lung transplant two days after being hooked up to the TAL, and has since returned to normal life with excellent lung function. This breakthrough highlights the potential for medical innovation to extend human survival in extreme circumstances.
The development of such technologies underscores the limitations of traditional treatments for severe ARDS, emphasizing the need for more accessible expertise and resources in hospitals worldwide. Further research is necessary to refine these devices and diagnose irreversible damage caused by the disease. The implications of this study are significant, offering a beacon of hope for patients who have previously been considered beyond medical help.
The device, dubbed the "flow-adaptive extracorporeal total artificial lung system" (TAL), is a complex circuit that mimics the function of the human lungs. It uses a pump and oxygenator borrowed from the standard Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) setup, but also incorporates four new components to replace biological functions.
The TAL was tested on a 33-year-old patient who had contracted a severe infection, resulting in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The patient's condition had become so dire that surgeons were faced with the daunting task of removing both lungs, as conventional treatments had failed. In this desperate scenario, the custom-made device proved to be a last line of defense.
The TAL successfully kept the patient alive for 48 hours, during which time his septic shock subsided, and his lactate levels dropped from a critical level. The device also helped maintain the heart's function by preventing pressure spikes and ensuring blood flow.
In a remarkable recovery, the patient underwent a double lung transplant two days after being hooked up to the TAL, and has since returned to normal life with excellent lung function. This breakthrough highlights the potential for medical innovation to extend human survival in extreme circumstances.
The development of such technologies underscores the limitations of traditional treatments for severe ARDS, emphasizing the need for more accessible expertise and resources in hospitals worldwide. Further research is necessary to refine these devices and diagnose irreversible damage caused by the disease. The implications of this study are significant, offering a beacon of hope for patients who have previously been considered beyond medical help.
48 hours with no lungs is insane but at least he's alive and got to live his life again!! 
the tech is so advanced and I'm literally shaking thinking about all the people who could be saved with this... we need to see more of this kind of innovation in hospitals worldwide ASAP! 
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the tal device is like something out of a sci-fi movie 
it's so cool to see medical innovation at its best! can't wait for more breakthroughs like this one 
! i mean can u even imagine not having lungs but still being able to live? its like science fiction but its real 
. and its amazing that it worked for that patient in such desperate situations. now we just need to make these devices more accessible and affordable so everyone can get one 
). We need to think about how we're going to make these devices available to everyone who needs them. 
. They're talking about some fancy-schmancy device that can keep people alive without lungs for 48 hours... but when's it gonna be available for the average Joe? Like, what's the price tag on that thing? 
. The patient had such bad luck with infections before this, but it seems like the TAL device really saved his life 
. One thing that concerns me is what kind of long-term effects there might be from using a machine that's basically taking over some of your body's functions... 
i mean, think about it...no more suffocating from pneumonia or asthma. no more constant oxygen tanks strapped to ur body like some kinda sci-fi movie prop. and the fact that this technology was developed by just one surgeon is mind-blowing...like, how did he even come up with it?!? 
. Can you even imagine having an artificial lung that can mimic the human one? Mind blown! 
. More research, please? We need more of this innovation in hospitals worldwide ASAP 
The technology is so advanced, it's like a mini-me of human lungs, pumping and oxygenating like crazy. This is a total game-changer for people with severe lung infections. I'm not surprised they had to do a double lung transplant two days later, though - the patient was basically on death's door, but this device saved his life.
and I can imagine the tech behind it must be super complex 
i mean a custom-made device that can mimic human lungs ? it's mind-blowing .
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. I need to see more data on the long-term effects of using a TAL system. What happens when the device wears out or gets clogged up? 
! This is like something straight outta a sci-fi movie 
, and I'm so hyped that it's real life now 