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Venous cannula performance assessment in a realistic caval tree model.
Liang Li1, Saad Abdel-Sayed2, Denis Berdajs1
1Cardiovascular Research, Department of Surgery and Anesthesiology, CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
|November 5, 2014
Summary
A novel wall-less cannula demonstrated superior performance in simulated venous collapse compared to traditional thin-wall cannulas. This innovative design offers improved flow rates and reduced negative pressure during cardiopulmonary bypass.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cardiovascular Technology
- Medical Device Design
Background:
- Realistic in vitro simulation models are crucial for assessing medical device performance under physiological conditions.
- Venous collapse due to negative pressure presents a challenge in cardiopulmonary bypass procedures.
- Evaluating cannula efficacy in such scenarios is vital for patient safety and procedural success.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and evaluate a novel caval tree system for realistic in vitro simulation of venous collapse.
- To compare the performance of a virtually wall-less venous cannula against a standard percutaneous thin-walled cannula under negative pressure conditions.
Main Methods:
- A collapsible caval model was constructed using flexible plastic, replicating vena cava anatomy with nine afferent veins.
- A flow bench setup was utilized, incorporating reservoirs and a centrifugal pump to simulate venous drainage for cardiopulmonary bypass.
- Cannula performance was assessed by measuring flow (Q-values) and inlet pressure (P values) at varying rotational speeds (RPM) for both wall-less and thin-wall cannulas.
Main Results:
- The wall-less cannula achieved significantly higher mean flow rates (3.98–9.81 l/min) compared to the thin-wall cannula (2.74–6.78 l/min) across tested RPMs (P <0.0001).
- Inlet pressure was substantially lower for the wall-less cannula (-8.88 to -70.22 mmHg) versus the thin-wall cannula (-36.69 to -101.83 mmHg) (P <0.0001).
- The thin-wall cannula exhibited 37% less flow and 26% higher negative pressure compared to the wall-less design (P <0.0001).
Conclusions:
- The developed in vitro model effectively simulated negative pressure conditions encountered during venous collapse.
- The virtually wall-less cannula design demonstrated superior performance over the traditional thin-wall cannula in this simulated setting.
- These findings suggest potential benefits of wall-less cannula technology in improving venous drainage during cardiopulmonary bypass.
