新しいワイヤレス経皮エネルギー伝達システムを皮膚に統合し、実験用ブタモデルで耐久性のある長期心室補助装置システムを実現

Driveline infections remain a major complication of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) systems. This study evaluated the surgical implantation of a novel wireless transcutaneous energy transfer implant designed to eliminate driveline-associated infections by achieving durable cutaneous integration. Nine pigs were used across four trials to optimize implant geometry and surgical methods. Early prototypes caused skin necrosis due to excessive stretching, which was mitigated by increasing pocket size but led to seroma formation. A final implant design with reduced cross-sectional area and refined surgical approach eliminated both necrosis and seroma, achieving stable skin integration during a 14-day follow-up. Infections occurred in some cases, primarily attributed to limitations of the animal model. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of safe cutaneous integration of a wireless transcutaneous implant and establish the basis for long-term preclinical evaluation toward fully implantable ventricular assist device systems without percutaneous drivelines.