Correspondence, C. Walton Lillehei to the Medical Director of the Dow Corning Corporation regarding the use of Antifoam A substance in the bubble oxygenator

Correspondence, C. Walton Lillehei to the Medical Director of the Dow Corning Corporation regarding the use of Antifoam A substance in the bubble oxygenator

Open Heart Surgery

Antifoam A, a substance made by the Dow Corning Corporation, was used in the operation of the DeWall Bubble Oxygenator. The substance, when coated along the walls of the debubbling chamber of the oxygenator unit, helped to dissipate bubbles introduced into the chamber to oxygenate blood.

Description of the DeWall Bubble Oxygenator: Using a Sigmamotor pump, blood was transported via plastic tubing through the oxygenator unit which consisted of a vertical mixing chamber, a debubbling chamber, and a helix coil. Venous blood taken from a patient's major artery was pumped through the tubing and into the mixing chamber where oxygen was introduced into the blood by the addition of bubbles. The bubbles rose to the top of the chamber and spilled over into a debubbling chamber where any remaining bubbles were dispersed before the freshly oxygenated blood was returned to the patient.

C. Walton Lillehei

"Dow Corning, 1955-1965," Box 92, C. Walton Lillehei papers, uarc2000-7, University of Minnesota Archives

University of Minnesota

14-Sep-55

Dow Corning Corporation

Use of this image is governed by U.S. and international copyright laws. Image is property of the University of Minnesota. Please contact the University of Minnesota Archives for permission to publish this image. https://special.lib.umn.edu/uarch

Document

eng

oh0158

Open Heart Surgery

September 14, 1955

Dow Corning Corporation
Midland, Michigan

Attention: Medical Director

Dear Sir:

We have been using with success a simple means of oxygenating
human blood for direct vision intracardiac surgery. An essential
part of our apparatus is the use of your antifoam substance A to remove
the excess oxygen from the blood before it is returned to the arterial
system of the patient. In animal experiments we have been unable to
detect any toxicity using much larger than needed quantities of the
antifoam substance. The same appears to be true in the 17 human operations
that we have done. However, since we have been recommending this substance
to other surgeons for this use I would appreciate any information that you
might have as to the possible toxicity of the antifoam substance used in
this way. Obviously, small quantities of the substance must be carried
into the arterial blood stream and thus reach various organs in that
manner. Information, if any is available, on the use of this substance
in this manner would be most appreciated. Likewise, for convenience we
have on occasion used the antifoam substance in the spray bomb preparation.
This too has appeared non-toxic to dogs and to humans as far as we have
tested it. I would appreciate knowing what the spray bomb contains in
addition to the antifoam substance A. And if any of these dispersing
agents would have potential toxicity when used in this manner.

Most sincerely yours,

C. Walton Lillehei, M.D.
Associate Professor

CWL:dd

Paper