A patient-specific echogenic soft robotic left ventricle embedded into a closed-loop cardiovascular simulator for...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Research
• Medical Device Technology

Background:

• Cardiovascular medical devices require extensive testing for clinical approval.
• Existing simulators struggle to replicate complex cardiovascular pathologies and patient variability.
• High-fidelity test benches are crucial for accurate pre- and post-market device evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an innovative cardiovascular simulator integrating in silico and in vitro techniques.
• To create a high-fidelity test bench capable of reproducing patient-specific cardiovascular conditions.
• To validate the simulator's efficacy in representing diverse disease states and patient variability.

Main Methods:

• A novel cardiovascular simulator combining in silico lumped parameter modeling with an in vitro soft robotic left ventricle.
• Utilization of patient-specific and echogenic soft robotic phantoms to replicate intracardiac pressure and volume waveforms.
• Testing with three distinct patient-specific profiles to assess simulator performance across various conditions.

Main Results:

• The simulator successfully recreated patient-specific left ventricular pressure and volume waveforms.
• Demonstrated realistic physiological and anatomical representation of cardiovascular dynamics.
• Validated the ability to model intra- and inter-patient variability in disease states.

Conclusions:

• The proposed cardiovascular simulator offers a realistic and adaptable platform for medical device evaluation.
• This hybrid in silico-in vitro approach enhances the optimization and validation of cardiovascular devices.
• The tool aids in defining specific indications and boundary conditions for medical device use.