Ultimate test bench for pediatric biventricular assist device based on artificial muscles

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Research
• Medical Device Development

Background:

• Terminal heart failure necessitates advanced treatment options like ventricular assist devices (VADs).
• Existing VADs often focus on single ventricle support, creating a need for biventricular solutions.
• Artificial muscles (AMs) offer a potential new modality for VAD technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel biventricular assist device (biVAD) utilizing artificial muscles.
• To create and validate an in vitro test bench (TB) for assessing biVAD performance.
• To demonstrate the physiological pressure differences between ventricles achievable with the AM biVAD.

Main Methods:

• Construction of a silicone pediatric heart model to simulate human cardiac anatomy.
• Integration of the artificial muscle biventricular assist device (AM biVAD) into the heart model.
• Development of a test bench with ultrasonic sensors and pipettes to replicate ventricular preload and afterload, measuring fluid height variations.
• Utilization of LabVIEW software for real-time data acquisition and analysis of pressure and displaced volume.

Main Results:

• The AM biVAD successfully supported both ventricles, mimicking physiological pressure differentials.
• The developed test bench provided reliable in vitro evaluation of the biVAD's performance.
• A standardized protocol ensured the validation and reproducibility of the experimental data.

Conclusions:

• The artificial muscle biventricular assist device (AM biVAD) represents a viable technology for simultaneous biventricular support.
• The validated in vitro test bench is a crucial tool for evaluating next-generation VADs.
• This study establishes a foundation for further development and clinical application of AM biVADs.