Original Article

A Look at the BOS-10 and H-1500 Oxygenators

Providence Medical Center, Portland, Oregon

^* Address correspondence to: Howard G. Walton, C.C.P., Department of Surgery, Providence Medical Center, 4805 NE Glisan Street, Portland. Oregon 97213.

Received: November 1981
Revised: May 1982
Accepted: June 1982

Abstract

Having experienced difficulty, from time to time, in obtaining certain oxygenators from manufacturers for various reasons, we were prompted to investigate the convenience and possibility of using two oxygenators on a routine basis. An evaluation of the Bentley Spiraflo BOS-10 and Harvey H-1500 oxygenators was undertaken to determine the ease of use and compare the performance of each in the areas of blood gases, flows, and heat transfer. The BOS-10 oxygenator and the H-1500 oxygenator were each used for fifty perfusions on patients requiring cardiopulmonary bypass for the correction of cardiac/coronary disease.

While there was no statistical difference in blood flow between the two oxygenators, there was a significant difference in gas flow employed. The Bentley BOS-10 was able to adequately oxygenate at a lower total gas flow, but unable to adequately remove the CO₂ at these lower gas flows. There was no statistical difference in the arterial blood pO₂. The BOS-10 outperformed the H-1500 oxygenator when warming times were compared. For this reason we have discontinued the use of the H-1500 in favor of the S-100A and BOS-10S. No problems were experienced in the routine use of two different bubble oxygenators. We believe that it is advantageous for an institution performing open-heart surgery to have at least two oxygenators available to the surgical team.