Mathematical modeling of extracorporeal CO2 removal therapy

The extracorporeal CO₂ removal device (ECCO₂RD) is used in clinics to treat patients suffering from respiratory failures like acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this device is to decarboxylate blood externally with low blood flow. A mathematical model is proposed to describe protective ventilation, ARDS, and an extracorporeal CO₂ removal therapy (ECCO₂RT). The simulations are compared with experimental data carried out on ten pigs. The results show a good agreement between the mathematical simulations and the experimental data, which provides a nice validation of the model. This model is thus able to predict the decrease of PCO₂ during ECCO₂RT for different blood flows across the extracorporeal lung support.