A professional who sets up and operates heart-lung machine in hospital to take over functions of patient's heart and lungs during surgery or respiratory failure. Responsibilities include:

• Reviews patient medical history and chart, and consults with surgeon or physician to obtain patient information needed to set up heart-lung machine and associated equipment.
• Selects, assembles, sets up, and tests heart-lung machine to ensure that machine and associated equipment function according to specifications.
• Operates heart-lung machine to regulate blood circulation and composition, to administer drugs and anesthetic agents, and to control body temperature during surgery or respiratory failure of patient.
• Monitors and observes operation of heart-lung machine and patient's physiologic variables such as blood temperature, blood composition, and flow rate, and adjusts equipment to maintain normal body functions.
• Cleans and adjusts parts of heart-lung machine.