Artificial Lung

This piece is mind-boggling.  Researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland have developed an artificial lung from thin polymer tubes and channels in a gas exchange membrane that is roughly the size of a natural human lung.  It is driven by heartbeat, without requiring a mechanical pump, and functions with plain air instead of pure oxygen.  Their strategy still requires a solution for possible blood clotting problems, but clearly this is a landmark in materials and electrical engineering for medical applications.  MORE

Image Credit:  Case Western Reserve and Zdnet.com