Using Ultrasound Can Radically educe Embolic Load to Brain After Cardiac urgery

t a t t Background. Microembolism during cardiopulmonary ypass has been suggested as being the predominant ause of neurocognitive disorders after cardiac surgery. hed blood, normally retransfused into the patient durng cardiopulmonary bypass, is a major source of lipid icroemboli in the brain capillaries. A newly developed echnique based on acoustic standing-wave separation of articles in fluid in microchannels, with the capacity to emove lipid particles in blood, is presented. Methods. A separator consisting of eight parallel, highdelity microfabricated channels was actuated with an ltrasound field to create a standing wave. Three differnt concentrations of lipid particles (diameter, 0.3 m) ere added to blood samples with increasing hemat-