Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026
05:18
Implantation of Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) in Juvenile Landrace Swine: A LVAD Implantation Model of Pediatric Heart Failure
Published on: January 16, 2026
Animal model development for the Penn State pediatric ventricular assist device
Elizabeth L Carney1, J Brian Clark, John L Myers
1Department of Comparative Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Children's Hospital, Hershey, PA 17033, USA. ecarney@hmc.psu.edu
Artificial Organs
|October 24, 2009
Summary
Researchers developed a pediatric ventricular assist device (VAD) for children with heart disease. An animal study demonstrated its successful use, showing promise for future clinical applications in pediatric cardiac support.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Medical Device Development
Background:
- Congenital and acquired cardiac diseases significantly impact infants and small children.
- The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute initiated a program in 2004 to develop circulatory support devices for pediatric patients.
- Existing VAD technologies require adaptation for safe and effective use in pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the development and in vivo evaluation of a novel pediatric ventricular assist device (VAD).
- To assess the feasibility and safety of a pneumatically actuated VAD in an animal model.
- To establish a reliable preclinical model for testing pediatric cardiac support technologies.
Main Methods:
- Development of a pneumatically actuated VAD with mechanical tilting disk valves.
- Chronic hemodynamic performance, thrombogenesis, and hemolysis evaluation in 16 animals (4 pygmy goats, 12 sheep).
- Implementation of multi-modal analgesia, antibiotic therapy, and attentive animal care to manage complications.
Main Results:
- The pediatric VAD was successfully implanted and evaluated in a chronic animal model for up to 40 days.
- Major complications, primarily respiratory failure, were encountered and managed by a multidisciplinary team.
- A sheep implanted with Version 3 Infant VAD achieved 35 days post-implant without major adverse events.
Conclusions:
- The developed pediatric VAD shows promising results in a chronic animal model.
- The study successfully established a viable in vivo model for evaluating pediatric VADs.
- This research contributes to the advancement of circulatory support devices for critically ill children with cardiac conditions.
