popsci.com
Clay Dillow

The Iron Lung of Yesteryear Cleveland researchers have devised a way to pack all the function of existing artificial lung technology into a more efficient package that is the size of an actual human lung. CDC

Researchers in Cleveland have built an artificial lung that is so efficient it can breathe regular air rather than the pure oxygen required by current artificial lungs. The technology makes possible the idea of a man-made lung that is far more portable–and possibly implantable–for the nearly 200 million people suffering from some degree of lung disease.

Current artificial lungs are inefficient and cumbersome, requiring large tanks of oxygen–their oxygen exchange efficiency is so poor that they can only breathe the pure stuff–that render them more or less stationary. The reliance on pure oxygen also limits their lifespans, as they need a fresh supply every few days.

Read more.