An aortic balloon catheter incorporating a conduit for percutaneous cardiopulmonary support

Circulatory support using both intraaortic balloon pumping (IABP) and percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS) can improve general hemodynamics; however, sometimes brain damage occurs caused by hypoperfusion. Such cerebral hypoperfusion is likely to be caused by PCPS when applying the conventional femoral cannulation. We have developed a new IABP catheter which incorporates a conduit for PCPS with an outlet at the catheter tip, the goal of which is the improvement of cerebral perfusion. The hemodynamic characteristics of this new IABP catheter were compared with those of the conventional combination of IABP and PCPS. Studies were performed by mock test using a pulsatile artificial heart. A polyvinyl chloride tube acted as the aorta with 2 branches at the proximal and distal portions representing the upper and lower portions of the body. The IABP balloon was positioned between the 2 branches, and changes in flow at the 2 branches were examined at varying PCPS flow rates. Flow in the proximal branch using the new device was greater than it was using the conventional PCPS device. We conclude that cerebral perfusion could be improved with the use of this new special IABP catheter.