Anatomical considerations in the design of a long-term implantable human left ventricle assist system

A permanently implantable left ventricle assist system (LVAS) is being developed and is planned to be implanted in the left chest cavity against the chest wall with the electrohydraulic energy converter placed in a resected rib space. The inflow and outflow pump ports are connected to the left ventricle (LV) apex and to the descending aorta, respectively. Three additional major components of this system consist of the transcutaneous energy transmission system (TETS) (Thermedics), the variable volume device (VVD), and the internal battery. To finalize the design of this integrated system, key anatomical information was obtained by a special radiographic and angiographic study of 31 adult men with a varying degree of coronary artery disease and myocardial dysfunction. These data were combined with the previous computed tomography study by using a standard vertical reference system. The resultant integrated data, which consist of the three-dimensional chest model, the LV apex and axis orientation, rib orientation, chest wall thickness, and the descending aorta location, were used to define the design and anatomical locations of the inflow and outflow pump ports, the VVD, the pump and energy converter orientation, the TETS, and the internal battery. The most critical component for the design was found to be the inflow system. With regard to the average coronary disease patient, an anatomically practical configuration was demonstrated to exist for the presently proposed LVAS. Design flexibility was allowed for some of the critical components in order to fit the system in a large number of patients regardless of the stage and type of the underlying disease.