METABOLISM AND DETOXIFICATION— GRAY, RUECKERT and RINK 



227 



RESERVOIR 

 FLASK 



Fig. 1. — Schematic diagram of liver perfusion apparatus. 



entering the portal vein, perfuses the Hver. Hepatic vein outflow enters a ther- 

 mometer well, thus affording an opportunity to observe the temperature of blood 

 leaving the liver. Flow continues from the well through a flowmeter^ and into the 

 reservoir flask. 



The ventilating mechanism is a closed circle absorption circuit system. Uni- 

 directional gas flow is provided by a non-breathing type valve, the center chamber 

 of which is attached to an activating pump, the "respiratory muscle" of the system. 

 The pump* is simply a 50 ml. syringe attached to a 60 r.p.m. motor by an eccentric 

 wheel. From the respirator valve, gas flows through the reservoir flask carrying 

 away any CO2 that may have accumulated. Next, the gas enters the base of the 

 condenser column (lung) just above the blood overflow opening. The oxygen-rich 

 mixture passes up the column, oxygenating the thin film of perfusate falling down 

 the internal surface of the "lung" and sweeping it free of its CO2. The gas now 



t A T-tube is inserted in tlie line and a 100 ml. syringe attached to the side arm. Flow rate is 

 checked by drawing the venous outflow into the syringe while maintaining a constant blood level 

 in thermometer well. 



i Fabricated by the Instrumentation Division, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, 

 Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington 12, D.C. 



