Mechanical Cardiac Support With an Implantable Direct Cardiac Compression Device: Proof of Concept

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Heart failure significantly impacts cardiac function, necessitating advanced therapeutic interventions.
• Current cardiac assist devices often require invasive implantation procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the hemodynamic effects of a new, implantable, direct cardiac assist device.
• To assess the device's ability to provide both systolic and diastolic cardiac support.

Main Methods:

• An ovine model of heart failure was established using microsphere embolization.
• A novel, self-expanding, pericardially anchored cardiac assist device was implanted in 7 sheep.
• Hemodynamic parameters, including cardiac output and ventricular pressures, were monitored for 6-8 hours post-implantation.

Main Results:

• The cardiac assist device demonstrated significant systolic and diastolic assistance.
• Left ventricular and aortic pressure tracings, pulmonary artery flow, and +dP/dt indicated improved cardiac performance.
• A decrease in central venous pressure was observed during device operation.
• Postmortem examination revealed no anatomical damage.

Conclusions:

• The implantable cardiac assist device effectively provides both systolic and diastolic cardiac assistance.
• The device's synchronized compression and relaxation mimic native cardiac function.
• This technology presents a promising approach for managing heart failure.