Portable Heater-Cooler Unit for Normothermia Management in Mechanical Circulatory Support

Stanford researchers have developed a highly efficient, portable heater-cooler unit (HCU) designed for normothermia management in patients on mechanical circulatory support (MCS), addressing critical limitations of current systems.

Effective temperature management is essential in patients on MCS, as extracorporeal circulation poses significant risk of hypothermia. Current HCUs are bulky, lack portability, require extensive cleaning protocols, and cannot operate on battery power. These limitations prevent their use in intensive care units, patient/organ transport, and other critical scenarios where mobility is essential.

To address these challenges, the inventors developed a portable HCU featuring a system utilizes a closed-loop feedback mechanism that continuously monitors blood temperature and adjusts the water chamber temperature to maintain normothermia. The device integrates heating and cooling elements controlled by a microcontroller-based system with real-time temperature monitoring via a display interface. In vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo testing demonstrated the ability to achieve and maintain target temperatures efficiently.

This portable HCU establishes a new standard for temperature management in MCS applications, offering battery operation and eliminating complex cleaning requirements through its disposable chamber design.

Stage of Development
Prototype developed and tested in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo

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