Artificial lungs can replace our regular lungs in the future

It’s amazing how far technology has come, back in the day who would’ve thought that we’d be able to replace our malfunctioning lungs with an artificial lung? Some researchers at the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) have come up with an easily portable and implantable artificial lung and here’s the best part: it is said to work with regular air.

Currently, artificial lungs required pure oxygen in order to function – patients can’t use the lungs with regular air. Having to breathe pure oxygen meant that they need large tanks of oxygen in order to function – limiting their mobility. These new lungs don’t have that problem.

The artificial lung was built according to the natural lung’s design and dimensions, and is filled with breathable silicone rubber versions of blood vessels. Current testing with the prototypes seem to be going well, and they expect to have these lungs ready to use in clinical trials within a decade.

If these artificial lungs work as advertised, I guess smokers will have a second chance at life in the future. I bet they’re gonna cost a pretty penny though.

[Image Credit]

George Wong
Categories: Medical
Tags: Health, surgery