Chronic evaluation of the Cleveland Clinic CorAide left ventricular assist system in calves

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Devices

Background:

• The Cleveland Clinic CorAide left ventricular assist system utilizes a third-generation, fully suspended centrifugal pump.
• Evaluating chronic in vivo performance and biocompatibility is crucial for implantable blood pumps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the chronic in vivo system performance and biocompatibility of the CorAide blood pump.
• To determine the safety and efficacy of the CorAide left ventricular assist system in a preclinical model.

Main Methods:

• Implantation of the CorAide blood pump in 18 calves for 1-month or 3-month durations.
• Monitoring of hemodynamic parameters including pump flow and systemic arterial pressure.
• Post-implantation analysis for bleeding, organ dysfunction, mechanical failure, hemolysis, and thrombus formation.

Main Results:

• Stable hemodynamics were observed with a mean pump flow of 5.9 ± 1.2 L/min and mean systemic arterial pressure of 98 ± 5 mm Hg.
• No instances of bleeding, organ dysfunction, or mechanical failure occurred in any of the 18 calves.
• Thrombus formation was eliminated in later implants following a pump redesign, even without anticoagulation.

Conclusions:

• The CorAide blood pump demonstrated reliable and effective system performance in a chronic in vivo setting.
• The redesigned CorAide blood pump exhibited good biocompatibility, with minimal hemolysis and no thrombus in later implants.
• This study supports the potential of the CorAide system as a viable left ventricular assist device.