ECMO systems for Alfred Hospital Melbourne | ECLS procurement and support for Victoria’s leading cardiac and ECMO centre

Alfred Hospital in Melbourne is one of Australia's most recognised centres for extracorporeal life support. As Victoria's designated trauma centre and a major tertiary cardiac surgery and critical care facility, the Alfred operates one of the highest-volume ECMO services in the southern hemisphere — supporting patients with refractory cardiogenic shock, cardiac arrest, refractory respiratory failure, and bridging to cardiac transplantation. ECMO at the Alfred spans the full spectrum of adult extracorporeal life support: venovenous (VV) ECMO for respiratory failure, venoarterial (VA) ECMO for cardiac failure and ECPR, and awake ECMO for lung transplant bridging.

The Alfred's role in Victoria's ECMO ecosystem

The Alfred is a principal hub in the VECMOS (Victorian ECMO Service) network — the statewide coordination structure that supports ECMO hub-and-spoke delivery and retrieval across Victoria. This means Alfred's ECMO team not only manages complex in-hospital cases but also supports statewide ECMO retrieval: mobile cannulation at regional sites, transport of ECMO-cannulated patients by air and road, and governance of the broader Victorian ECMO programme. A centre with this scope requires ECMO equipment engineered for both high-acuity in-hospital use and the physical demands of retrieval transport.

What high-volume centres like Alfred require from ECMO technology

For centres operating at the Alfred's level of volume and complexity, ECMO equipment procurement decisions are driven by several key criteria:

• Clinical versatility: A single platform capable of VV, VA, and hybrid configurations without changing core equipment simplifies training, maintenance, and consumable stock management across a large clinical team
• Haemocompatibility: Circuit biocompatibility is critical in high-volume centres where any reduction in circuit-related complications — thrombosis, haemolysis, bleeding — translates to meaningful patient outcome improvement at scale
• Retrieval capability: Equipment that transitions seamlessly between bedside and transport use — battery operation, compact form factor, and compatibility with aircraft and ambulance power systems — is non-negotiable for a retrieval hub
• Biomedical and regulatory compliance: ARTG listing, TGA documentation, and in-country biomedical engineering support are essential for hospital procurement and ongoing compliance in a publicly funded health system
• Training infrastructure: A platform supported by structured clinical education, simulation training capability, and accessible troubleshooting resources supports the continuous staff training demands of a high-turnover ECMO team

Lifemotion ECMO: engineered for the demands of leading ECMO centres

The Lifemotion ECMO system — comprising the ECMO console (ARTG 528964), membrane oxygenator (ARTG 528771), centrifugal pump head (ARTG 528772), and circuit set (ARTG 528773) — is designed to meet the performance expectations of Australia's most demanding ECMO programmes. Key features relevant to a high-volume centre include:

• Phosphorylcholine (PC) surface coating on both the oxygenator and circuit tubing — a biomimetic anticoagulant coating that reduces protein adsorption and platelet activation, supporting haemocompatibility in prolonged runs
• Integrated console design combining the centrifugal pump drive, flow measurement, pressure monitoring, bubble detection, and alarm management in a single compact unit suitable for both ICU and transport use
• Full battery capability allowing uninterrupted ECMO operation during aircraft, ambulance, and intra-hospital transport — critical for retrieval-capable centres
• Configurable for VV and VA ECMO without platform change — supporting the clinical versatility required across an ECMO programme managing diverse patient populations
• ARTG-listed product range — all components registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods for use in Australian healthcare settings

OHM Healthcare: local support for ECMO procurement and clinical engineering

OHM Healthcare is the exclusive Australian and New Zealand distributor of the Lifemotion ECMO system, operating as a TGA-compliant, ISO 9001:2015 certified clinical engineering and biomedical services company. For major ECMO centres like Alfred Hospital, OHM Healthcare provides:

• End-to-end equipment procurement support — from trial and evaluation through capital purchase and consumable supply
• ARTG documentation and TGA compliance support for hospital purchasing processes
• In-house biomedical engineering expertise for equipment maintenance, calibration, and safety testing
• Clinical training coordination and simulation support for ECMO team onboarding and competency maintenance
• Ongoing field service and emergency consumable supply for active ECMO programmes

OHM Healthcare maintains offices in Victoria and Queensland, with coverage across all Australian states and territories for field service and clinical support.

ECMO equipment evaluation at Alfred Hospital

ECMO equipment decisions at major Australian centres typically follow a structured procurement pathway: clinical evaluation by the ECMO team, biomedical engineering assessment, procurement review against ARTG and TGA requirements, and formal capital equipment tender. OHM Healthcare is experienced in supporting this process at tertiary centres and is available to facilitate structured product evaluation of the Lifemotion ECMO system for Alfred Hospital's procurement team, clinical leads, and biomedical engineering department.

To discuss the Lifemotion ECMO system for Alfred Hospital or any Victorian ECMO programme — contact OHM Healthcare, exclusive ANZ distributor.

lifemotionecmo.com.au  |  ohmhealthcare.com.au

For ECMO programme directors, clinical leads, procurement teams and biomedical engineers. Educational only — clinical and procurement decisions require specialist input. OHM Healthcare is the exclusive ANZ distributor of the Lifemotion ECMO system; no clinical relationship with Alfred Hospital is implied or stated.