Richard Jefferies

Faculty Mentor: William Federspiel

Research:  The current standard in treatment for patients suffering from acute or acute-on-chronic lung failure is mechanical ventilation, an invasive therapy that requires patients to be intubated and sedated and can actually further injure the lungs if full respiratory assistance is provided. Supplemental respiratory support focusing only on removal of carbon dioxide allows sufficient oxygenation to be achieved by less invasive means, improving patient outcomes and quality of life. Mr. Jeffries' research focuses on further development of a highly efficient intravenous carbon dioxide removal device that is inserted percutaneously to provide partial respiratory assistance. The impeller percutaneous respiratory assist catheter (IPRAC) utilizes an array of high-speed rotating impellers to increase blood velocity past the surrounding gas exchange surfaces, dramatically enhancing gas transfer efficiency. By maximizing efficiency, the catheter insertion size and blood contact surface area can be minimized, improving clinical relevance. Recent and current research objectives include: 1) design and evaluation of new impeller geometries and arrangements that enhance carbon dioxide removal by increasing fluid motion into and within the fiber bundle, 2) establishment of in vitro device hemocompatibility by demonstrating that acceptable levels of blood trauma are maintained during operation, and 3) further reduction of the IPRAC insertion diameter from 25 Fr (8.3 mm) to ≤ 20 Fr (6.7 mm) by incorporation of carbonic anhydrase enzyme biocatalytic gas exchange surfaces and blood acidification approaches to further improve carbon dioxide removal.

Publications:    

• Willbold E, Reebmann M, Jeffries R, Witte F. "Electrochemical removal of metallic implants from Technovit 9100 New embedded hard and soft tissues prior to histological sectioning."  Histochemistry and Cell Biology: pp 1-9. 2013. 

Conferences:    

• Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, Las Vegas, NV. United States. 2/22/2009
• BMES, Pittsburgh, PA. United States. 10/17/2009
• MIRM Retreat, Nemacolin, PA. United States. 3/6/2011
• MIRM Retreat, Nemacolin, PA. United States. 3/4/2012
• MIRM Retreat, Nemacolin, PA. United States. 3/7/2013
• American Society for Artificial and Internal Organs (ASAIO), Washington D.C, United States. 6/16/2011
• American Society for Artificial and Internal Organs (ASAIO), Chicago, IL, United States, 6/13/2013