A New and Innovative Method for CO2 Removal in Anesthetic Circuits

The drawbacks of chemical CO2 absorbers include the production of compounds harmful to patients that also lead into increased cost and environmental impact, as well as the daily disposal of compound special waste. Sustainable management of general anesthesia is a growing concern. Continually diluting anesthetic circuits, and the disposal of chemical granulate are serious environmental problems.

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Key information

Conditions

Anesthesia

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Queen Elizabeth II HSC, Halifax Infirmary Site, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

About this study

DMF Medical has developed a next-generation CO2 filter in order to address the safety issues with current chemical CO2 absorbers in anesthesia.

memsorb uses patented advanced medical membrane technology to filter CO2 from anesthetic circuits rather than absorbing via a chemical reaction.

This game changing technology relies on a polymeric membrane core (similar to the ones used in oxygenators for cardiac surgery) that selectively allows CO2 to leave the rebreathing system, while maintaining the anesthetic vapor in the circuit.

memsorb is a cartridge similar in size and shape to current solutions that simply clicks in place.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Class I, II, III (low-medium risk patient)
English-speaking patients

Exclusion criteria

Self-reported as pregnant
American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Class IV (high risk patient)
Patients scheduled for emergency surgery
Documented respiratory disease, including COPD and severe asthma
Documented elevated pressure in the brain (intra cranial pressure, ICP)

Treatment and study plan

memsorb

Device

memsorb is a CO2 filter replacing current chemical CO2 absorbers

Primary outcomes

End-tidal CO2 Concentration (%)

Time frame: From the start to the end of the intra-operative period for each participant

The mean concentration of carbon dioxide during the expiratory cycle, measured as a percentage (%), measured over the course of the surgical procedure.

Other outcomes

Fraction of Anaesthetic Agent (%)

Time frame: From the start to the end of the intra-operative period for each participant

Inhaled and exhaled fraction of anaesthetic agent as collected from the anaesthetic patient record database. Mean % inhalational anesthetic was calculated per surgical procedure. Those means were used to calculate the overall mean

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

DMF Medical Incorporated

Industry

Registry information

Official study title

A New and Innovative Method for CO2 Removal in Anesthetic Circuits: Replacing Chemical Granulate

Acronym: memsorb

Important dates

Study start: 2017
Primary completion: 2022
Study completion: 2024
First posted: Jan 9, 2017
Registry last updated: Feb 23, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed