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heart-lung machine a mechanical device that temporarily takes over the functions of the heart and lungs; it is used as an aid in some surgeries, especially cardiovascular surgery. The “heart” of the machine is a pump that draws blood from the patient's vessels before it reaches the heart. The blood is routed through a “lung” chamber (usually made of plastic), where it receives oxygen. The oxygenated blood is then returned to the patient's vessels and pumped through the circulatory system. (This method of circulating the blood outside the patient's body is known as extracorporeal circulation.) Called also pump oxygenator.
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