• LIFEBRIDGEŽ

The LIFEBRIDGEŽ

Every year, more than 360,000 people die of cardiac infarction.
Every year, more than 360,000 people lose their lives due to acute cardiopulmonary failure*. In many cases, this cardiopulmonary failure starts with a myocardial infarction (heart attack). If left untreated, this can develop to a cardiogenic shock and finally ends with an irreversible cardiovascular failure from which no recovery is possible any more. Cardiogenic shock is a life-threatening situation where blood circulation is reduced in most organs because the heart can no longer pump enough blood into the blood circuit. If then a general oxygen shortage occurs, the kidneys, lung, and liver fail one after the other until finally all the patient’s bodily functions collapse. When in such a state, the patient can only be rescued in rare cases. And even then, late and permanent health injuries cannot be excluded.
*(In 2004; dpa/GesundheitPro; 02.11.2005)

Early heart-lung machine use saves lives
If applied early enough, a heart-lung machine that assumes the functions of the heart and the lung externally and so ensures sufficient blood circulation and oxygen supply in all of the body can help rescue patients suffering cardiopulmonary failure. However, conventional heart-lung machines are confined to be used at fixed locations due to their size and weight, and perfusionists are needed to handle them. Conventional hart-lung machines cannot be brought to where they are needed – to the patient.

An idea is born
In 1998, a physician died of an acute myocardial infarction at an age of only 38 years. Once an emergency doctor found him, all reanimation attempts were in vain. Talking to an acquaintance afterwards, the said emergency doctor told the tragic story and concluded the conversation with the words, “If I had had a portable heart-lung machine available I would have been able to get this patient to a clinic under stable circulatory conditions.” There, a variety of options would have existed to at least try and help this young person. Unfortunately, there is no such system available.” This experience led to the birth of the idea of a portable heart-lung machine. At that time, the above-mentioned physician and his acquaintance established LIFEBRIDGE Medizintechnik. This organisation had the sole objective of developing a system fulfilling these benchmarks:

Our vision:
A fully integrated heart-lung machine that

• costs only 20% of a conventional heart-lung machine at most
• has only 15% of its weight and can be carried by one person
• is ready for operation in 10% of the usual time
• is available in every operating theatre,
• in every cardiac catheter laboratory,
• in every emergency/intensive care ward,
• in every mobile intensive care unit,
• and in every rescue helicopter
• can also be operated by appropriately trained “non-perfusionists” due to its intuitive handling.

LIFEBRIDGE^® – the product
The LIFEBRIDGE^® is a miniaturised, compact cardiopulmonary life support system. It convinces through its simple and intuitive manner of operation enabling it to be handled and monitored by unspecialised medical staff as well. The LIFEBRIDGE^® is ready for use in no more than 7 to 10 minutes so to stabilise acutely affected patients as quickly as possible and thus preclude further organ function impairment. If a suitable therapy in only available elsewhere, the LIFEBRIDGE^® can become to be a vital companion. Due to its compact dimensions and low weight, LIFEBRIDGE^® can be carried by one person and it is ideally suited for transporting in ambulances and helicopters. For mobile operation, the system can be switched from mains to battery power. Owing to its mobile nature, the LIFEBRIDGE^® opens up completely new perspectives for transport under safe intensive medical care.

The modular design of the LIFEBRIDGE^®
The LIFEBRIDGE^® is a fully integrated heart-lung machine and consists of only two or rather three modules. These are:

The LIFEBRIDGE^® base station
The LIFEBRIDGE^® control unit
The LIFEBRIDGE^® patient module
The LIFEBRIDGE^® control unit does not come into contact with body fluids and is therefore intended for multiple use; the LIFEBRIDGE^® patient module is discarded after use.

Approvals and certificates
The LIFEBRIDGE^® is the world’s first system of its kind that has attained CE certification and clearance by the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). This is a top level official confirmation of the high degree of safety-related and patient-relevant requirements that the LIFEBRIDGE^® system conforms to.