Preliminary study of physiological control for the undulation pump ventricular assist device

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Devices
• Medical Device Control Systems

Background:

• The undulation pump ventricular assist device (UPVAD) is an implantable device designed to assist heart function.
• UPVADs utilize an undulation pump mechanism capable of producing pulsatile flow by adjusting motor speed.
• A key challenge with UPVADs is the tendency for inflow sucking due to their volume displacement nature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel control method for the UPVAD.
• The goal is to enable the UPVAD to synchronize with the patient's natural heartbeat and optimize assist flow.
• A further objective is to mitigate or eliminate inflow sucking events.

Main Methods:

• An implantable pressure sensor was integrated into the UPVAD inflow cannula within the ventricle.
• Motor rotation speed was dynamically adjusted in response to measured inflow pressure variations.
• A control strategy was implemented to detect and counteract inflow sucking by reducing motor speed.

Main Results:

• The developed control method successfully synchronized UPVAD pulsatile flow with the natural heartbeat, creating co-pulse assist flow.
• Inflow sucking events were effectively reduced by decreasing motor rotation speed when detected.
• The new control method demonstrated improved performance over existing methods, showing high immunity to pressure sensor drift.

Conclusions:

• The novel control method allows the UPVAD to generate suitable assist flow by synchronizing with natural heart rhythms.
• Assist flow delivery was improved by over 15% compared to previous methods.
• The control strategy effectively addresses inflow sucking, enhancing the reliability and efficacy of the UPVAD.