Tiny oxygen-filled bubbles given into a vein to supply oxygen during cardiac arrest and severe organ oxygen loss
Official title: Nanobubble oxygenation in cardiac arrest and acute vital organ ischemia
Funded at University of Minnesota · NIH-11310105 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores giving oxygen-rich saline containing microscopic bubbles into the bloodstream to help children and adults during cardiac arrest or when organs are not getting enough blood and oxygen.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project start | April 17, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $742,538 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL169329-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11310105 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be children or adults experiencing cardiac arrest or acute vital-organ ischemia treated in emergency or hospital resuscitation settings.
✕Less likely to help
People without acute oxygen loss, those with conditions that make intravenous gas delivery unsafe, or patients whose circulation cannot be restored are unlikely to benefit.
What this research studies
If I'm having cardiac arrest or a severe loss of blood flow to an organ, researchers would give a specially prepared IV fluid that holds a lot more dissolved oxygen than normal. They make this fluid by dissolving oxygen into saline under very high pressure to create microscopic oxygen bubbles and then infuse it into a vein to raise blood oxygen when the lungs or circulation are impaired. Much of the work starts in the lab and in animal models to measure how much oxygen reaches vital organs and how long the effect lasts. The goal is to provide a short window of extra oxygen (on the order of minutes per liter infused) to buy time for definitive emergency treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If it works, this approach could quickly increase oxygen delivery during resuscitation and reduce organ damage while doctors restore circulation.
How similar studies have gone: This is largely experimental: there are promising laboratory and animal data for intravenous oxygen carriers, but no established proven benefit in humans yet.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yannopoulos, Demetris — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Yannopoulos, Demetris
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.