ECMO systems for The Prince Charles Hospital Brisbane | ECLS procurement and support for Queensland’s cardiac and ECMO centre

The Prince Charles Hospital (TPCH) in Chermside, Brisbane, is Queensland's leading cardiothoracic and respiratory medicine centre and the state's principal high-volume ECMO service. As a quaternary referral hospital with cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery, cardiac transplantation, and an established lung transplant programme, TPCH manages a diverse ECMO caseload spanning post-cardiotomy cardiac failure, bridge-to-transplant support, severe respiratory failure, and ECPR for refractory cardiac arrest. TPCH is also an active contributor to Australian ECMO research, with involvement in national registries, multicentre clinical trials, and clinical education for ECMO practitioners across Queensland and beyond.

TPCH's role in Queensland's ECMO service

Queensland's ECMO network operates with The Prince Charles Hospital as the state's primary tertiary ECMO hub, providing specialist ECMO services for patients transferred from regional Queensland hospitals and coordinating retrieval for cases requiring mobile ECMO cannulation. Queensland Health's critical care retrieval service (QLD ISTAR) works in conjunction with TPCH's ECMO team to manage inter-hospital transport of ECMO-dependent patients — a demanding logistical task across Queensland's vast geographic footprint. ECMO equipment at TPCH must be both capable of intensive in-hospital use and configured for the physical demands of aeromedical ECMO retrieval.

ECMO at a cardiac surgery and transplant centre: what the equipment must deliver

At a centre with TPCH's clinical breadth, ECMO equipment requirements span the full complexity of extracorporeal life support:

• VA ECMO for post-cardiotomy failure: Immediate deployment capability and high-flow support for patients failing to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass — requiring a system with rapid setup and robust high-flow performance
• Bridge to transplant: Extended-duration VV or VA ECMO to support patients awaiting cardiac or lung transplantation — requiring haemocompatible circuits capable of safe, prolonged runs
• ECPR: Rapid-sequence deployment for cardiac arrest with ECMO cannulation — requiring a system that enables swift circuit priming and initiation under resuscitation conditions
• Retrieval ECMO: Transport-compatible equipment for QLD ISTAR retrieval missions — battery operation, compact form factor, and aircraft compatibility are non-negotiable for Queensland's distances
• Research compatibility: ARTG-listed, documented, and compliant equipment suitable for inclusion in research protocols and multicentre registries

Lifemotion ECMO: designed for Queensland's ECMO demands

The Lifemotion ECMO system addresses each of these clinical and operational requirements:

• Rapid priming: The five-step console-guided priming sequence enables efficient circuit preparation under time-critical conditions, with step-by-step on-screen checklists minimising the cognitive burden during emergency deployments
• Extended run haemocompatibility: Phosphorylcholine (PC) surface coating on oxygenator fibres and circuit tubing reduces protein adsorption and platelet activation — supporting safe prolonged ECMO runs typical of bridge-to-transplant cases at a cardiac transplant centre
• Three-layer pump redundancy: Primary centrifugal pump, integrated backup drive, and manual hand crank — providing uninterrupted support through any single component failure during long bridge-to-transplant runs
• Transport configuration: Dual internal battery packs (~120 min each), compact console design, and compatibility with the Starmed medical transport system — enabling QLD ISTAR ECMO retrieval missions to and from regional Queensland hospitals
• All ARTG components listed: Console (528964), oxygenator (528771), pump head (528772), and circuit set (528773) — all registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods for Queensland Health procurement compliance

OHM Healthcare: Queensland presence and clinical engineering support

OHM Healthcare is an ISO 9001:2015 certified biomedical engineering services company with its principal operations based in Queensland, making it the natural local Clinical Engineering partner for TPCH and Queensland ECMO programmes. OHM Healthcare provides equipment procurement coordination, ARTG documentation for Queensland Health tender processes, installation and commissioning, preventive maintenance, and emergency field support for Lifemotion ECMO system customers in Queensland and across Australia.

ECMO training support for Queensland

At TPCH and across Queensland's ECMO network, training and competency maintenance are ongoing requirements. OHM Healthcare coordinates structured clinical education and wet-lab simulation support for Lifemotion ECMO system users, supporting initial programme onboarding and ongoing staff training at Queensland ECMO centres.

To discuss the Lifemotion ECMO system for The Prince Charles Hospital or any Queensland ECMO programme — contact OHM Healthcare, exclusive ANZ distributor.

lifemotionecmo.com.au  |  ohmhealthcare.com.au

For ECMO programme directors, cardiac surgery and intensive care teams, procurement officers 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 The Prince Charles Hospital is implied or stated.