Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal dedicated to advancing the science, engineering, and clinical practice of extracorporeal and organ-support therapies. The journal serves a multidisciplinary community of clinicians, scientists, engineers, ethicists, and allied health professionals across critical care, surgery, cardiology, pulmonology, nephrology, neurology, transplantation medicine, and biomedical engineering.

Aims

ECLS aims to publish rigorous, clinically relevant, and methodologically sound research that advances the science, engineering, ethics, and implementation of extracorporeal and organ‑support systems. The mission is to connect disciplines, standardize evidence, and promote equitable access to life‑support technologies worldwide.

Scope

The scope encompasses, but is not limited to:

Cardiopulmonary & Respiratory Support: extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO; VA/VV), cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO₂R), temporary mechanical circulatory support, permanent mechnical circulatory support， ventricular assist devices (VADs), and total artificial hearts.

Renal & Hepatic Support: renal replacement therapies, hemoperfusion, molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS), and bioartificial or hybrid liver support.

Neurological Support & Interfaces: multimodal neuromonitoring, cerebral perfusion strategies, extracorporeal neuroprotective approaches, and brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) relevant to life support and rehabilitation.

Extracorporeal Blood & Immune Modulation: apheresis, plasma exchange, hemoadsorption, extracorporeal photopheresis, and targe ted extracorporeal immunotherapies.

Transplantation & Organ Replacement: ex‑vivo organ perfusion and machine preservation, peri‑/post‑transplant ECLS, bioengineered/artificial organs, and regenerative interfaces.

Integrated & Multi‑Organ Platforms: combined organ‑support systems and closed‑loop monitoring and control.

Engineering, Data Science & Innovation: device design, biomaterials and biocompatibility, sensors and miniaturization, artificial intelligence and computational modeling, and translational research bridging laboratory discoveries with clinical application.

Systems, Ethics, Policy & Education: clinical guidelines, patient blood management, medical ethics (indications, futility, equity, consent), training and simulation, implementation science, and health policy related to life‑support technologies.