The PediPump: a versatile, implantable pediatric ventricular assist device-update III

The PediPump is a passive magnetic bearing, mixed flow, rotary ventricular assist device designed to provide support for the entire range of patient sizes encountered in pediatrics. Blood enters axially at the inlet and is accelerated and turned in the impeller to exit the pump at an intermediate angle. The size of the PediPump facilitates standard cannulation strategies with substantially downsized components. The program pursues three specific objectives: 1) System engineering: Progress within the last year has focused on the assembly and testing of PediPump prototypes. Initial in vitro hydraulic performance and hemolysis testing were judged satisfactory. 2) Anatomic fitting studies: As part of the PediPump program, three-dimensional modeling techniques based on routine, clinically obtained computerized tomography (CT) scans have been developed. During 2006, the same techniques developed for clinical scans were applied to CT scans obtained from sheep to guide the presurgical planning. 3) Animal studies: Animal implantation of PediPump prototypes commenced in July 2006. A total of four 6 hour acute studies were performed throughout the remainder of the year. In vivo performance was satisfactory and compared well with the in vitro results. Hemolysis levels were low.