In a remarkable act of life preservation, surgeons were able to keep a critically ill man alive for 48 hours without a pair of lungs, while he waited for a double lung transplant – a radical approach that could be used again for selected patients. A team from Northwestern University in the US built a total artificial lung (TAL) system that oxygenates blood like our lungs usually do, while managing blood flow and protecting the heart. The TAL was crucial in stabilizing the patient and preparing