An artificial lung is a prosthetic device

Prosthesis

In medicine, a prosthesis, prosthetic, or prosthetic limb is an artificial device extension that replaces a missing body part. It is part of the field of biomechatronics, the science of using mechanical devices with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems to assist or enhance motor control...

 that is implanted into the body to replace the biological lung

Lung

The lung is the essential respiration organ in many air-breathing animals, including most tetrapods, a few fish and a few snails. In mammals and the more complex life forms, the two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart...

(s). It is different from a heart-lung machine

Heart-lung machine

Cardiopulmonary bypass is a technique that temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs during surgery, maintaining the circulation of blood and the oxygen content of the body. The CPB pump itself is often referred to as a heart–lung machine or "the pump"...

 in that it is internal and designed to take over the functions of the lungs for long periods of time rather than on a temporary basis.
Recent developments include a device that uses small hollow fibers and the heart's own pumping power to oxygenate blood. It may be necessary for a person to receive artificial lungs if theirs become diseased or damaged beyond repair.

See also

• Heart-lung machine
  Heart-lung machine
  Cardiopulmonary bypass is a technique that temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs during surgery, maintaining the circulation of blood and the oxygen content of the body. The CPB pump itself is often referred to as a heart–lung machine or "the pump"...
  
  
• Lung transplantation
  Lung transplantation
  Lung transplantation, or pulmonary transplantation is a surgical procedure in which a patient's diseased lungs are partially or totally replaced by lungs which come from a donor...
  
  
• Medical ventilator
  Medical ventilator
  A medical ventilator can be defined as any machine designed to mechanically move breatheable air into and out of the lungs, to provide the mechanism of breathing for a patient who is physically unable to breathe, or breathing insufficiently....