Growth of High-Quality Oxides on The Inner Surface of ECMO Circuit by ALD to Reduce Thrombus Formation

In this project, the investigators will apply a new technique of atomic layer deposition (ALD) to coat biocompatible and hemocompatible ZrO2/Al2O3 nanolaminate thin films on the inner surface of ECMO tubing to suppress the device-induced coagulopathy. ALD is a thin-film deposition technique for preparing high-quality oxides with atomic-layer accuracy. It offers many benefits including accurate thickness control. These characteristic clear accounts of the high-quality hemocompatible oxide thin films on the whole surface of complex 3-D structures, such as the inner surface The newly-prepared ECMO circuit will then undergo in vitro tests and animal study to carefully examine the safety and effectiveness of improvement of hemocompatibility.