Extracorporeal respiratory support: on the road to an artificial lung.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) technology has undergone significant advancement in the last several years. These changes have led to more compact circuits that are increasingly efficient at gas exchange while decreasing the complication rates often associated with its use. The ability to remove carbon dioxide at relatively low flows has broadened the application of ECMO in the management of respiratory failure. As this technology continues to evolve, there is great promise of a portable lung replacement therapy, an artificial lung, which would have far-reaching implications in the approach to both acute and chronic respiratory failure.