Effects of high-energy photon beam radiation therapy on Jarvik 2000 LVAD: in vitro evaluation

Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is considered a standard care for patients with advanced heart failure. The aim of this work was to study in vitro the effects of direct exposure of the Jarvik 2000 LVAD to 10-MV photon beams.

Jarvik 2000 pump was immersed in a siliconized box filled with deionized water. A 30 × 30 × 15 cm RW3 slabs were added forth and back to the box. A treatment plan consisting of a single direct 10 × 10 cm² field size beam was used to deliver 1000 MU at the center of the pump. During irradiation, the external Flow Maker controller and the lithium battery were positioned away from the beam. Pump parameter data (included voltage, current and frequency) were measured, recorded and analyzed for changes in pump function among baseline, pre-irradiation, during irradiation, post-irradiation and after 6 months. The whole session lasted 6 months. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the repeated measurements. X-ray radiation attenuation was also studied.

The parameters investigated remained stable over the 6 months; that is, no pump stops, alarms, events, operational changes or abnormalities during the discharge rate of the connected power sources, were encountered, confirmed by the Mann-Whitney U test applied to all sessions (p > 0.1). The measured X-ray attenuation differed from the calculated one by TPS by 34%.

The Jarvik 2000 resulted stable under direct X-ray beam of 10-MV energy. Its strong attenuation, however, can affect dose deposition in the pump in TPS, and it must be taken into account.