About the project
Hypothermia devices (HCU) are used both in cardiac surgery and in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy to regulate the patient's blood temperature. It is known from cardiac surgery that the water circuits of HCUs can be bacterially contaminated and, under unfavorable conditions, can lead to a nosocomial infection of the patient with Mycobacterium chimaera, among others. The addition of chemical disinfectants to the water is problematic. In addition, it represents an increasing cost factor due to the necessary use of materials and personnel.
The project partners Innovatec Gerätetechnik GmbH, Fachhochschule Dortmund and HS Bonn Rhein Sieg have set themselves the goal of this research project to develop an automated device for verifiable water disinfection in HCUs. The requirements of the users are taken into account through the participation of the cardiotechnology department of the University Hospital Bergmannsheil Bochum.
