The bubble oxygenator as a source of gaseous microemboli

The role of the bubble oxygenator in the production of gaseous microemboli (GME) in the extracorporeal circuit is a consequence of both the mechanism by which the oxygenator functions and the designs employed to implement that mechanism. In the past ultrasonic devices were used to evaluate the production of GME by bubble oxygenators. This report describes the application of dilatometry to provide a more quantitative determination of GME production. This technique uses the compressibility of gases to measure their volume in a gas-liquid mixture. The results obtained provide a new perspective for the study of GME in the extracorporeal circuit.