Artificial Circulation

Artificial Blood Circulation: How it works and where it is used

Artificial circulation (I.C.) is a technique in which blood flow is created in the body by connecting a special apparatus. I. to. can be carried out both in the whole organism and in individual organs, for example, in the limbs. This method is used in medicine to treat certain diseases, as well as to perform complex operations on the heart and large vessels.

The first machine for artificial blood circulation was created by the Soviet scientist S. S. Bryukhonenko in 1925. With the help of this apparatus, in the experiment, blood flow was maintained in the dog’s head, separated from the body, while maintaining vital processes in it. However, the level of surgery and medical technology of that time did not allow the introduction of I.C. into practice.

In the 50-60s of the last century, advances in thoracic surgery and the appearance of materials with which blood did not clot in contact made it possible to create fundamentally new devices for I.C. Modern I.C. devices are equipped with a pump that acts as the patient’s heart, and a special device - an oxygenator, replacing the lungs. Thanks to these devices, it is possible to perform operations to eliminate congenital and acquired defects of the heart and large vessels, replace heart valves with artificial ones, and perform other reconstructive interventions on the heart.

During these operations, the patient's heart is temporarily cut off from blood flow. Blood from the patient’s veins is sucked into the I.K. apparatus through cannula tubes by a pump, passing through an oxygenator, enriched with oxygen, and then returned to the patient’s body. The I.K. device allows you to maintain blood circulation in the patient’s body for a sufficiently long time necessary for performing operations. After the operation is completed, the device is turned off, and natural blood flow is restored due to the work of the heart.

In addition, I. to. can also be used in a therapeutic clinic in the treatment of heart disease for temporary partial unloading of a diseased heart. In this case, an I.K. apparatus is connected to the patient’s blood vessels, through which part of the blood is drained. Thus, the device works in parallel with the patient’s heart, reducing its load and providing him with additional rest.

In addition, I. to. can be used in individual organs, for example, in the limbs, in the treatment of diseases when it is necessary to administer drugs that have a toxic effect on the entire body. In this case, the blood flow of the patient’s limb is isolated from the general blood circulation and connected to an I.K. apparatus, and the necessary medicine is injected into the bloodstream of the limb. Thanks to I.K., the drug does not enter the general bloodstream, which reduces the risk of side effects.

A further development of I.K. is the creation of an artificial heart. Scientists from many countries are studying this problem, and joint work of Soviet and American researchers is devoted to it. The creation of a long-lasting, reliable artificial heart, which can be implanted into the body to replace a diseased heart or to work in parallel with it, will make it possible to prolong the life of seriously ill people for many years and return them to useful activities. Prototypes of artificial hearts for experimental animals have already been created.

In conclusion, it should be noted that I.K. is an important method in medicine, which makes it possible to perform complex operations on the heart and large vessels, as well as temporarily relieve a diseased heart and treat diseases in the extremities. The development of this technology could lead to the creation of an artificial heart, which would be a real breakthrough in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.