SBIR Phase I: Respiratory dialysis for extracorporeal carbon dioxide treatment of COPD

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the development of a novel extracorporeal approach removing excess CO2 from the blood of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. COPD is a leading cause of death globally and is responsible for over 550,000 hospitalizations in the US annually at a total yearly cost of $50 Billion. COPD leads to impaired quality of life, increased hospitalizations, and costs with poor overall prognosis despite modern interventions. Current end-stage treatments rely on mechanical ventilation, often resulting in further lung damage and high mortality rates. This project aims to develop an ultra-low-flow carbon dioxide removal system to support extubation, or avoid intubation, for providing respiration augmentation. The implementation of the therapy has the potential to reduce mechanical lung based interventions thereby improving patient outcomes, reducing adverse events associated with lung damage and diaphragmatic atrophy, and reducing overall hospitalization costs up to $17,000 per patient. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to optimize a prototype system providing respiratory dialysis to treat patients suffering from hypercapnic respiratory failure for extended durations. If successful, the project will address existing limitations of extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal techniques that requires high blood flow rates and specialized equipment. Results to date indicate significant increases in carbon dioxide capture efficiency versus existing methods, however risks and challenges remain in managing the removal of non-target ions and reducing dialysate waste generation. The specific objectives of this project are to develop a dialysate capable of capturing bicarbonate from the blood as a means of addressing hypercapnia while minimizing non-target and essential ions (K+, Mg2+, Ca2+). Additionally, this project aims to reduce the total dialysate usage requirement through a novel recirculation loop for dialysate recycling and reuse. If successful, the initiative will optimize dialysate composition and enable prolonged therapy while minimizing waste generation. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.