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Updated: May 11, 2026

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Published on: September 9, 2011
Preservation of von Willebrand Factor Activity With the ModulHeart Device
Gabriel Georges1, François Trudeau2, Jeannot Potvin3
1Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Quebec, Quebec, Canada.
Abstract:
von Willebrand Factor (VWF) destruction is common with current heart pumps. This study evaluates VWF activity with ModulHeart, a novel device using 3 micropumps in parallel. In model 1, ModulHeart was compared with Impella devices in vitro. In model 2, 3 healthy swine received ModulHeart. Model 3 includes VWF data from patients who underwent protected percutaneous coronary intervention with ModulHeart. In models 1, 2, and 3, ModulHeart resulted in preservation of VWF, whereas there was a 27% and 19% reduction in VWF activity with the Impella CP and 5.0, respectively. ModulHeart features a unique design and demonstrated preservation of VWF activity.
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