Heart-lung machine, Europe, 1950-1979
Operated by a specially trained technician, a heart-lung machine replaces the function of the heart and lungs during open heart surgery. A mechanical pump takes over from the heart, with blood taken from the body and pumped over a membrane to gain oxygen and rid it of carbon dioxide. Flow meters record the levels of the gases. Heart-lung machines were first developed in the 1950s. Today, some surgeries are carried out while the heart is still beating. Here, the heart-lung machine is shown in a scene depicting an operating theatre from the 1980s.
Object number:
1979-685
Related Themes and Topics
Glossary:
Glossary: open heart surgery
No description.
Glossary: heart-lung machine
A machine used to take over the functions of the heart and lungs during surgery. It allows a surgeon to carefully stop the heart while the vital organs continue to receive blood and oxygen.