Science Corp. — better known for its brain-computer interface work — is in the early stages of reimagining the way ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) works.
Through its Vessel research program, the Alameda, California–based company is aiming to build products that provide long-term life support.
ECMO is a type of life support that pumps blood out of the body, oxygenates it, removes carbon dioxide, and returns it to the body. The technology keeps patients alive when their hearts and lungs cannot function properly, but it has its limits. Patients cannot remain on ECMO indefinitely due to cost and other constraints. When they are being supported by ECMO, they must be in an ICU. Science Corp. wants to take the technology outside of the hospital and extend its ability to support life.
“Our goal is to miniaturize and ruggedize ECMO such that you could check a kidney as luggage on a commercial flight across the country or have a patient take home a reasonably-priced backpack rather than being tethered to a scarce ICU suite,” the company’s Founder and CEO Max Hodak wrote on the Science website.
So far, Science has built a prototype perfusion unit. The company envisions a modular system that could provide support for the heart, lungs, and kidneys, extending organ life “from hours to days, and eventually, months, years, or indefinitely,” according to the company website. Hodak acknowledged in his post that achieving Science’s goal would require innovation of the entire ECMO system.
The company has achieved 48-hour perfusion times and raised money to support its plans to continue developing the concept, according to Hodak’s post.
Hodak cofounded Neuralink, an Elon Musk–backed neurotechonolgoy company developing brain-computer interfaces, and served as its president from 2017 to 2021. He then moved on to Science.
Science has three primary programs: one focused on its machine perfusion, one focused on retinal implants to restore vision, and one dedicated to developing biohybrid neural interfaces. The company has raised $290 million thus far, according to PitchBook.
