Medical Foam: Innovation means a safer procedure

  • More and more, medical foams play a vital role in modern medicine. Our "de-foaming" technology allows blood oxygenators and other surgical devices to oxygenate blood during heart surgery without creating dangerous air bubbles. Resulting in better practices and longer lives.

    FXI Medical Foam

    • MEDICAL: INNOVATION MEANS A SAFER PROCEDURE

      Medical foam products are used in various industries for a wide variety of purposes. One that is often overlooked is the impact that "foam" is making on the medical world. Whether as an applicator, a swab or a wound care pad, the results are found in the safety and well being of every patient and healthcare provider.

      Surgeons are often required to help solve health concerns of their patients. And companies such as FXI are instrumental in developing products that aide in the process, such as our unique medical foams. A blood oxygenator is an artificial device that functions like a lung to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide with blood during heart surgery. It forms a main element of a heart-lung machine, adding oxygen or oxygen enriched air to the blood and channeling it back to the patient while carbon dioxide diffuses out of the blood and is removed.

      In the past, "bubbles" have been formed in the blood oxygenator during the transfer process, potentially causing life-threatening complications for the patients. FXI scientists helped to identify the concerns and using special medical foam create a defoamer "sock" for the blood oxygenator that help to eliminate the concerns.

      A more hydrophilic, open-celled polyurethane medical foam material has been introduced that is better suited for flowing the oxygenated blood and breaking up of oxygen bubbles before the blood is channeled back to the patient. The blood oxygenator's polyurethane medical foam "sock" effectively disperses oxygen in the blood, controlling the build-up of bubbles and helps to eliminate the blood foaming concerns.