Automatic Balance Regulation in a Pediatric Total Artificial Heart

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Devices
• Hemodynamics

Background:

• Atrial pressure and volume imbalances lead to systemic and pulmonary congestion.
• Continuous-flow (CF) total artificial hearts (TAHs) aim to resolve these imbalances.
• Pediatric CF TAH (P-CFTAH) utilizes rotor axial position for pressure regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of passive pressure balancing in a pediatric CF TAH (P-CFTAH).
• To correlate rotor position with hemodynamic parameters in a mock loop setting.

Main Methods:

• Hall effect sensors tracked the P-CFTAH rotor's position.
• Hemodynamic conditions (pulsatile flow and CF) were tested on a mock loop.
• Left and right atrial pressures, outlet pressures, and flows were recorded.

Main Results:

• A strong positive correlation (≥0.80) was found between rotor position and flow.
• A strong negative correlation (≥-0.80) existed between rotor position and atrial balance, SVR, and LAP.
• Rotor movement correlated significantly (≥0.80) with pulse pressure and flow pulse during pulsatile testing.

Conclusions:

• The passive balancing features of the P-CFTAH effectively manage atrial pressure balance.
• Rotor position is a reliable indicator of flow and pressure regulation in the P-CFTAH.
• The P-CFTAH demonstrates efficacy across diverse steady-state hemodynamic conditions.