A novel mechanical cardiac assist device for reversing left ventricular failure.
Diastolic augmentation of aortic pressure is an efficacious means of improving coronary perfusion in heart failure. A novel mechanical cardiac assist device (MCAD), that has advantages over a conventional intraaortic balloon pump and left ventricular assist devices, has been developed. It consists of a high efficiency rotary solenoid, coupled to a pair of actuator plates that clamp on a shunt aortic graft section, and operates in a diastolic counterpulsation mode. The system has been evaluated in six anesthetized, thoracotomized dogs with myocardial ischemia. The MCAD was activated 30-40 min after coronary artery occlusion and synchronized with the R-wave. As illustrated by a representative sample of the data obtained from one of several trials, the preliminary experimental results demonstrated that the MCAD worked effectively to fulfill the primary functions of a counterpulsation assist device, i.e., augmentation of coronary perfusion and reduction in the vascular impedance to ventricular ejection.
Cui
T
T
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Welkowitz
W
W
Li
J K
JK
Petrucelli
S
S
Spotnitz
A
A
D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004867:Equipment Design; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology*