An abdominally placed, implantable left ventricular assist system for long-term use

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Devices
• Implantable Systems

Background:

• Heart failure necessitates advanced circulatory support.
• Existing left ventricular assist systems (LVAS) face challenges in long-term reliability and monitoring.
• Development of robust, implantable LVAS is crucial for managing end-stage heart failure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel implantable left ventricular assist system (LVAS) for long-term use.
• To assess the efficacy of electrical impedance monitoring for continuous pump performance assessment.
• To validate the system's hemodynamic stability and safety in an animal model.

Main Methods:

• An implantable blood pump made of segmented polyether polyurethane was designed and positioned in the abdominal wall.
• A percutaneous drive line connected the pump to a portable control drive unit (CDU) with integrated impedance monitoring.
• The LVAS was implanted in six adult goats, connecting the left ventricular apex to the descending aorta, without antithrombogenic agents.

Main Results:

• The LVAS provided stable hemodynamic conditions for over 8 weeks in goats.
• Pump output (Op) estimated by electrical impedance showed a linear correlation with electromagnetic flowmeter measurements.
• No significant hematologic abnormalities, infections, or thromboembolic events were observed, indicating good biocompatibility and safety.

Conclusions:

• The developed implantable left ventricular assist system (LVAS) is effective for long-term hemodynamic support.
• Electrical impedance monitoring provides reliable estimation of pump performance and control.
• This LVAS demonstrates significant potential for future clinical application in heart failure patients.