Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a life-saving intervention for severe cardiac or respiratory failure when conventional treatment is insufficient. Blood is drained via a large vessel, propelled by a pump through an oxygenator for gas exchange, and then returned to the patient. By temporarily supporting heart and lung function, ECMO provides critical time for organ recovery. Centrifugal pumps are predominantly used in ECMO systems. However, the high shear stress they cause is associated with increased red blood cell damage (hemolysis) and therefore poor patient outcomes. While there has been developments such as magnetically levitated impellers, the fundamental mechanism, and therefore the problem remains the same – blood is pumped by a high speed rotating impellers.