Gas Trap

Gas trap

A gas trap is a part of a heart-lung machine that traps and removes gas bubbles, particularly oxygen, from the blood before pumping it back into the patient's bloodstream.

Gas bubbles can enter the blood as it is oxygenated in the oxygenator of the heart-lung machine. The presence of gas bubbles in the blood is extremely undesirable, as this can lead to gas embolism - the entry of bubbles into the vessels of the brain or other vital organs with the development of ischemia and tissue necrosis.

The gas trap is structurally a container through which the blood leaving the oxygenator is pumped. Due to the slowing down of blood flow, gas bubbles float up and become trapped. Then the degassed blood goes further into the patient’s body. Effective operation of the gas trap is critical to the safety of the CPB procedure.

Today we'll talk about the gas trap. This is a part of a heart-lung machine. Its main task is to capture and remove oxygen bubbles from the blood so that the patient receives the required amount of oxygen. Bubbles are caused by movement inside the machine as blood passes through the tubes and filters. Thus, gas traps are an important element of any heart-lung machine and ensure stable operation of the machine.